# Hilarious commercial for new Microsoft Songsmith **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318 "2009-01-14T20:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/1 "2009-01-14T20:45:09Z")
Apparently Microsoft has released a program called Songsmith, which helps write songs by creating music to match a recorded voice. You can check it out and download it [here](http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith/index.html). Anyway, this thread isn’t about the software itself, but about a hilarious commercial that the Microsoft people have come out with. The Consumerist blog featured it this morning. [Watch and enjoy](http://consumerist.com/5131381/microsoft-attempts-to-kill-music-forever-with-songsmith-commercial) ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/2 "2009-01-14T21:37:45Z")
Nope. Not funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/3 "2009-01-14T21:49:11Z")
I want those four minutes and seventeen seconds of my life back. Do you _work_ for Microsoft? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/4 "2009-01-14T21:49:53Z")
Well, i was going for a “train-wreck awful” definition of hilarious. Each to his own, i guess. I mean, come on; how can something that horrible NOT be funny? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/5 "2009-01-14T21:49:56Z")
It’s remarkable how that commercial makes me want to punch every single person who appears in it in the face. Repeatedly. > [@](#): > > I used to open the closet door, and fumble around in the dark… Yeah, I’ll bet he did. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/6 "2009-01-14T21:52:19Z")
Now _that’s_ funny. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/7 "2009-01-14T21:52:55Z")
Wow. That was… something else. I’m trying to put my finger on the exact kind of suckitude… I’m going to go with: 80s after-school PSA. My favorite part was the guy saying: “Oh, it’s Microsoft, so it’s easy to use, right?” BWAAHAHAHAAHHAAAAHAA!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/8 "2009-01-14T22:19:44Z")
More amusing (to some degree) is what happens when you try it out on David Lee Roth: [Running with the Songsmith](http://music.metafilter.com/2943/Runnin-With-The-Songsmith) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/9 "2009-01-14T22:22:05Z")
> [@chacoguy420](#): > > Do you _work_ for Microsoft? I do. It’s roundly laughed at internally. The only thing that would’ve saved it would be if it ended at 1:37. Kinda funny: a certain co-worker has a somewhat irrational hatred for it. Being supportive, we managed to change most of the program sounds on his laptop to “♪ I’m singing with my laptop ♫” ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/10 "2009-01-14T22:28:30Z")
Perfect expression for the commercial at 3:14! ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/11 "2009-01-14T22:56:01Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > More amusing (to some degree) is what happens when you try it out on David Lee Roth: > > [Running with the Songsmith](http://music.metafilter.com/2943/Runnin-With-The-Songsmith) Now there’s a new game. Record a classic song on Songsmith see what it comes up with. They could sell millions with it. The new Karaoke! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/12 "2009-01-14T22:57:26Z")
They have a lot of damn gall showing that stinking heap of parrot droppings running on a Mac! You know, it reminds me of any old advertising truism: "If you don’t have anything intelligent to say… …sing it." ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/13 "2009-01-14T23:03:18Z")
It’s an interesting idea. I think the application needs to get worked out, but down the road, it could be fun. What are the legal implications for using a song created on Songsmith? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/14 "2009-01-14T23:03:41Z")
Hmm, a poorly implemented rip-off of GarargeBand… yep, that’s microsoft for you, taking a better concept originating somewhere else, crap-ifying it, claiming they “invented” it and calling it “innovative”, how predictable and yes, the “actors” were bad, Manos-level bad… ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/15 "2009-01-15T00:26:08Z")
No. That can’t be a real ad. Can it? I guess it helps if you’re singing in key in 4/4 rhythm with a standard harmonic progression. I think most people are going to get a weird tango on the Mixolydian scale in 7/8 time. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/16 "2009-01-15T00:31:19Z")
Another message board I frequent has been commenting both on this spot and Songsmith itself- apparently, the people in the ad are Microsoft employees and they intentionally went for a cheesy feel. My [spontaneously-written-and-sung tribute to William Howard Taft and Carl Panzram](http://www.tindeck.com/audio/my/xlcc/taft) (the latter of whom I had never heard of before writing the song) has gotten a lot of good comments. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/17 "2009-01-15T00:34:21Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I do. It’s roundly laughed at internally. The only thing that would’ve saved it would be if it ended at 1:37. > > Kinda funny: a certain co-worker has a somewhat irrational hatred for it. Being supportive, we managed to change most of the program sounds on his laptop to “♪ I’m singing with my laptop ♫” I can’t wait for the inevitable all hands meetings with clever songs. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/18 "2009-01-15T00:44:26Z")
I kept waiting for the funny bit where Cthulhu goes stomping back down the basement stairs, with a chirpy family member secured in each tentacle, singing the Old Ones’ Jingle of Death. It didn’t happen, **mhendo**. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/19 "2009-01-15T00:51:58Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > What are the legal implications for using a song created on Songsmith? Justifiable homocide. ---
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318/20 "2009-01-15T01:46:19Z")
Does the program ever actually do anything, or does it just play that one midi under whatever you say? And why would anyone ever pay money for that program? I would have trouble justifying twigs and pine-cones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hilarious-commercial-for-new-microsoft-songsmith/481318.md?page=2)