Pretty sure I’ve referenced that episode before on this board, but you haven’t been glared at for real until you’ve burst with involuntary laughter at the over-the-top ridiculousness that is a showing of The Patriot. Deep in Colorado. On opening day, fourth of fucking July.
It’s interesting that TSSB should warble on about “hirelings and slaves”, and by “interesting” I mean “rank hypocrisy” what with there not being any slaves in Britain or her colonies by 1812, but rather a lot of them in the USA even if they weren’t doing any fighting. 
I thought it was “Rio” by Duran Duran?
I bet it was Asimov. He not only knew all the verses, he’d sing the whole thing for guests at parties.
Reminds me of a comedian who talks about laughing out loud in the theater when one of the babies dies during March of the Penguins. I imagine both would draw some interesting glares.
Similarly, I still remember my first day in an American school, when the principal got on the PA and said something and all the other students got up and started mumbling. Turns out it was the Pledge of Allegiance. It felt like nothing so much as Chinese students saluting a picture of Mao or something.
My best friend in high school was a nervous laugher. She laughed at the sad parts in movies; the sadder the movie, the more high-pitched the laughter. It made movie-watching interesting! 
And they’re really not showing off how awesome their voices are; they’re disguising how inadequate their voices are.
Thanks for that! It pisses me off, too, to see clueless people. The funny thing is, half of them wouldn’t know what to do during the Star Spangled Banner.
Our national anthem is a beautiful song, btw!!
The thing I hate about “God Bless America” (and forgive me, Irving, for I am about to sin) is that it’s a boring, plodding, prosaic, unexciting, bleaaaah song. And Kate Smith heaving her overample bosoms to scream out the lyrics doesn’t help it one bit.
We have a tradition around here of trying to be understanding to first time posters. Certainly it’s quite reasonable to assume you’ve got no idea that this isn’t a current conversation, and that posting to a thread that died a natural death over six months ago. Having said that, I am about to make an exception because you’re so fucked in the head.
First off - I want you to show me the first fucking person who doesn’t know what to do during the Star-Spangled Banner? I know several people who make active choices not to perform the normal patriotic obeisances that are considered normal, for various reasons from the religious, to the philosophical, to the political. Yanno what, shithead - the freedom to make those sorts of choices is one of the things that I love about this country. Stop fucking whining when someone doesn’t do the patriotism dance the way you want it done. Grow up, get some maturity, and celebrate that we don’t have jack-booted thugs actually in control (for all that some idiots in the public, and Congress) want that changed. This is a good thing.
Secondly, you have to be dicked in the nob to say, with a straight face that the Star Spangled Banner is “a beautiful song.” I will admit the lyrics make for a stunning poem, and the resistance of Fort McHenry was a stunning upset. But as a piece of music, let along a song for people to sing to, it’s a goddamned disaster. Barely anyone can sing it properly. Hell, barely anyone can sing it well, even after the take the high parts down an octave or two. It’s got lousy rythm, and just over-all stinks.
(BTW, if you dare to come back to me with some BS about people serving in our military so I can disrespect the national anthem I will hand you your fucking head.)
For those not in the know, this is not an insult. This is as far as we know literally true. From Frank it may also be an insult.
Australia probably could have done, if they hadn’t made their anthem “Advance Australia Fair.”
Wow, that was a really good defense of The Star-Spangled Banner. I appreciate all that. I can’t get too sympathetic for the original context, though; the War of 1812 was still, um, how do I put this?
Technically, Canada is mainly on the North American continent. So even if the Blue Jays played Montreal in the Series, it would be an American series in European eyes. (And if that bothers you, read some of humon’s Scandinavia and the World comics. Canada is referred to as “America’s hat,” but at least it’s recognized; apparently Scandinavians barely even know South America exists, let alone that there are multiple nation-states down there.)
We can’t put Jesus on the money, because the secularists and patriots would point out he wasn’t an American, and the people who are most attached to him don’t think he’s dead, and you have to be dead to be on the money in this country.
Also he’s a foreign monarch.
I didn’t realize this was a zombie thread; I did partially respond to that post–oh, wait, I ignored the, “mowing down Arabs and commies with a machine gun,” part. Um, yeah, very bad taste, I clipped it out of the quote box as distracting.
Bah! When I conquer this country, schoolchildren will be made to stand for “Pharaoh” by Church, possibly on their heads! (This might be for Eristic reasons.)
For me, it’s association with the Flyers has forever tainted it. Kate Smith as well. (I believe she used to mime a punch at the end when she’d perform it there)
I will say the girl who sang it at the Winter Classic didn’t do that bad of a job, though.
Asimov knew all the verses in real life and would sing them at people.
:we need a lightbulb smiley:
So Clarke probably wrote the story to tweak him.
Who was it linked to Nouvelle Vague upthread? I suggest that the nations of the world toss out their tired old “march to death” anthems and commission new ones a bit like, say, these:
I seem to remember that it was in a Black Widowers story, actually. Asimov wasn’t above tweaking himself at times.
Because Canada is North America’s Belgium. There, I said it.
Once I helped two obviously lost tourists who were standing on a corner in DC poring over a map. We chatted a bit, and because they had pretty strong accents I asked where they were from. They answered at the same time. “We’re from France.” “We’re from Belgium.” As I looked at them in confusion, the first one hung his head in shame and said, “Yes, we’re from Belgium.”
I hate it when that damn flag swoops down and debilitates my enemies before retreating with a wink. Why did the US think a sentient flag was a good idea anyway?
Bad news: prostitutes get pregnant.
I get really ticked off at the people who use “America the Beautiful” or “God Bless America” as the national anthem. Yes, they are both nice songs. Yes, they are both patriotic. BUT–they AREN’T the national anthem, you ignorant idiots!
If you insist on using some song as the unofficial anthem, then you’ve got two–and only two–choices. And I want you to listen closely, because I’m going to say this only once. You can use “My Country 'Tis of Thee” or you can use “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean.”
Anybody who uses any other song is going to be publicly ridiculed and forced to repeat high school American History.
Oh–and by the way–anybody, no matter how famous or influential, who insists on singing the national anthem in any way OTHER than simply and respectfully, to the best of their ability, is going to be severely beaten.