One of my favorite David Letterman jokes ever was from right after the “Hands Across America” charity event back in the 80s. He was talking about the huge turnout they had in Battery Park in NYC, and after the event there was such a feeling of camaraderie in the crowd that nobody wanted to leave. So the police asked Yoko Ono if she’d get up on stage and sing a few songs.
Let’s add another 1970s gem: “Alone Again Naturally” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. That depressing dirge popped onto my mind’s jukebox upon arising this morning and I’m trying every means possible to get rid of it.
I nominate “Playground in my Mind”. I hated it as a kid, before I realized how creepy it was.
The worst movie I ever saw was a fundie piece of crap called Time Changer. The writing was so bad that it included “Gosh, I didn’t know stealing was wrong!”, and the production values were so poor that it was literally painful to look at. I was only able to make it a couple of minutes in.
EDIT: But it probably wouldn’t make the list of things EVERYONE can agree on, because there are a lot of fundies who will automatically label anything fundie as good.
Highlander 2
Vampire Girl VS Frankenstein Girl
Puppet Master Legacy
Of the three, I can’t imagine anyone liking Puppet Master Legacy. It was sold as a proper sequel. It’s a clip show. Stunning.
It’s really bad…
…but what if something like this was made by Monty Python or Mel Brooks? Or an animated version by Seth McFarlane? Nah I guess, the concept is irredeemable.
John liked it. Probably.
I “like” that movie for the fact that it made George Clooney financially independent, and he could make only the movies he wanted. So, because of B&R we get Good Night and Good Luck, and The Good German and others.
Nope. I like that song. Sorry.
Even when a movie is on the dumb side, I will usually stick it out. But there was some movie my wife and I started about 10 years ago, that we just couldn’t take. I know I could look this up, but I just don’t care to relive the memory.
It was a skit-type “comedy,” like Kentucky Fried Movie. All I remember was the first “skit” had Hugh Jackman with a pair of testicles attached to his neck. And then the next one was something about a couple who home-schooled their kid, and was trying to give him the “real high-school experience” or something. And then one where a woman told her boyfriend she wanted him to shit on her stomach.
Not one time during all of this did either of us so much as chuckle. I guess if I was 12 years old, I might have thought it was funny. Anyway, at that point, my wife and I looked at each other, I said “this is fucking stupid,” and we turned it off.
So, I nominate that.
Movie 43.
Music: atonal jazz, atonal opera, atonal anything. I’ve listened to bits of both, and it sounds like random background noise that those producing it believe is Important. Is there really anyone in the world, outside of those producing it, who enjoys this shit?
And I’m embarrassed to admit that I did indeed laugh when he removed his scarf. It was just so unexpected.
On a similar subject… while I don’t really enjoy listening to something like the Beatles’ “Revolution 9”, I can at least understand the artistic merits of assembling a sound collage like that. On the other hand, I have absolutely no idea what Wilco was trying to accomplish with “Less Than You Think”. Go ahead, listen to all 15 minutes. I dare you.
Yeah, I’ve always wondered what this shit was all about. And Wilco are one of my favorite bands. Revolution 9 is easy listening in comparison.
A friend of mine had an interesting theory. You know how people like Trump or Michael Jackson are surrounded by people who refuse to say “No, that’s not a good idea”? His idea was that Jay Bennett was the person who could tell Jeff Tweedy “No, that’s not a good idea.” Once Bennett was out of the band… well then you wind up with something like “Less Than You Think”.
Good theory. And “A Ghost Is Born” was recorded before Nels Cline joined the band, who would have told Tweedy the same.
I was in college when this came out, and in my more retrospective moments I would listen to it. Somehow it managed to cheer me up, in a sort of “at least my life isn’t that bad” feeling.
So did many other people. It was a number one song for several weeks. It’s a real downer (someone contemplating throwing themselves off a “nearby tower” isn’t very uplifting), but my opinion is probably colored by having to play it on the radio several thousand times over a long career.
Was that the one that was supposed to be the sound of Tweedy’s migraines? In which case I guess I can understand the motivations from the artist’s perspective, but doesn’t mean I want to listen to it.
(And I’m a fan of many of the weird noises that show up in various Wilco songs.)
I nominate the kids show Blippi. Which is universally loathed by parents in my experience. Blippi is a former “gross out” YouTuber who decided to change his spiel to make kids shows. My wife describes him as the kind of douchebag who would chat you up in a bar in San francisco while coked up, and try and convince you to invest in Bitcoin.
I have talked with various other parents about him and every last one thinks he’s the worst thing in the entire universe
Yes, but if kids like him, that would take that show out of the running.
BTW, am I the only one that saw “Birdemic”?