# Hotel California stinks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213 "2000-03-24T19:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/1 "2000-03-25T06:58:00Z")
Well, not the whole song. But there’s one line in it that says, “Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air.” Before I learned what colitas is (are), my brain heard that line as, “Warm smell of flatus rising up through the air.” This is my most mundane post. I am so proud. Oh, yeah. I won $25 on a scratch-off lottery ticket at lunch today. My son and I are going out for pizza after work. It’s raining, too. Bye. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/2 "2000-03-24T19:07:00Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_001.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_001.html) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/3 "2000-03-24T19:11:00Z")
Don’t forget to get some colitas as a pizza topping! Indulge yourself with that lottery money. ---
**Author:** ![Glenoled](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Glenoled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glenoled)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/4 "2000-03-24T19:19:00Z")
## slightly off-topic, but after reading Cecil’s article on the song, something I heard years ago about it came to the surface… I had heard (don’t know how true any of this is) that Hotel California was a hotel owned by Charles Manson, and that in the picture of the crowd in the lobby, Manson is actually looking down at the crowd from the lobby… seems kinda odd, seeing how I thought he had been jailed before then… I think I had gotten this information from a tape on ‘backward masking’, so who knows how reliable it is… I don’t suffer from insanity… I enjoy every minute of it! ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/5 "2000-03-24T19:22:00Z")
Aside: A guy lives near me whose name is Ge Li…how stupid is that, first and second names both being elements? ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/6 "2000-03-24T19:22:00Z")
You’re confusing Charles Manson with Leona Helmsly, Glen. I get those two mixed up all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Glenoled](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Glenoled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glenoled)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/7 "2000-03-24T19:23:00Z")
sorry… that shoulda been “…looking down at the crowd from the balcony…”, not from the lobby… my bad for not proofreading before hitting reply… * * * I don’t suffer from insanity… I enjoy every minute of it! ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/8 "2000-03-24T19:38:00Z")
Oh, that Cecil. “Wurn Snell…” Classic! ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/9 "2000-03-24T21:32:00Z")
I thought the guy in the window looking down was Alister Crowley(sp?) the founder of the Church of Satan. At least that’s what the fundamentalist Christian preacher told us all in 6th grade when he explained how we were all sinners and going to hell for listening to KISS and having Star Wars toys. Can’t believe I broke all my KISS albums… Damn preachers! * * * The Sleeper has AWAKEN! ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/10 "2000-03-24T21:44:00Z")
Actually Manson never owned a hotel… just a hovel out in Death Valley (kind of Iaronic eh?), and the funder of the Church of Satan was named Anton LaVey. ## ALister Crowley was just a self styled Necromancer and weirdo. Voted Biggest Smartass by all you beautiful people! * * * You always use violence. I should’ve ordered glutinous rice chicken. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/11 "2000-03-24T21:45:00Z")
And I’m just a doofus that doesn’t proofread before hitting “submit” * * * Voted Biggest Smartass by all you beautiful people! * * * You always use violence. I should’ve ordered glutinous rice chicken. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/12 "2000-03-24T21:51:00Z")
BurnMeUp, If the preacher was wrong about Crowley… then do you think he was wrong about KISS too? 😜 Thanks for the clarification! * * * The Sleeper has AWAKEN! ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/13 "2000-03-24T21:54:00Z")
Well i don’t know, anyone THAT cheesey must have some sort of alterior evil motive! 🙂 * * * Voted Biggest Smartass by all you beautiful people! * * * You always use violence. I should’ve ordered glutinous rice chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/14 "2000-03-25T02:47:00Z")
We got that in school, too. I can remember my teacher telling us all during Devotions (don’t ask) that KISS stood for Kings In Satanic Service, and that Proctor and Gamble donated a portion of all of their profits to the Church of Satan. A stupid urban legend never dies amongst fundamentalists. This was in 1996, too, by the way. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/15 "2000-03-25T07:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > …Proctor and Gamble donated a portion of all of their profits to the Church of Satan. And last I heard (a few years ago), wasn’t P & G suing Amway for being responsible (at least in part) for spreading this rumor? ---
**Author:** ![billehunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@billehunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billehunt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/16 "2000-03-25T07:50:00Z")
About 15 years ago, my dad was in a traffic accident. His head got kind of banged up and he got taken to the hospital. He lost his short-term memory (temporarily), and in the hospital, he kept saying, “Hi Bill, I’m glad you came to see me. I’m feeling much better now.” every five minutes. It was really weird. Another patient at the hospital that evening had ingested a few too many chemicals and put his hand through a window. Some of his chemically-enhanced friends were in the hospital lobby, and one gal was singing “Hotel California” over and over. and over and over. and over and over. I think I make myself clear. And each time she got to the line “She got the Mercedes Bends,” she would add, "And it’s spelled “B-E-N-D-S.” The whole evening was very weird, and every time I hear Hotel California, I deja vu. Oh, my dad’s doing quite well these days, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2000, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/17 "2000-03-25T17:53:00Z")
Being an esteemed employee of the aforementioned company, I feel compelled to tell you that I have never personally witnessed ANY satanic rituals. I have witnessed dozens of “sweepovers” by balding men in suits, though. BTW, the name is Procter (with an “e”) & Gamble. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/18 "2000-03-27T19:27:00Z")
And speaking of KISS, I finally understand why everyone thought they were so Satanic: _THEY SOLD OUT TO PEPSI!_ Anyone else see the Oscars and just totally _vomit_ at their commercial? Hell, I don’t even **like** KISS and I felt a pang of despair. Esprix * * * [Ask the Gay Guy!](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/001376.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hotel-california-stinks/15213/19 "2000-03-28T04:20:00Z")
My mom used to have a matchbook from Hotel California. * * * [Cessandra](http://envy.nu/cessandra/profile/) I would’ve gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids!