# Rebecca Black "Friday" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951 "2011-03-25T12:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/1 "2011-03-25T12:08:21Z")
Couldn’t find a thread on this, so I figured I’d start one here. If my Google Fu is just weak, feel free to merge or close or ignore or whatever. So yeah, watched the video on Youtube. Very bland, very flat, very not-good. Can’t figure out why it’s so hate worthy though. What’s the deal? I will admit that I am now tempted to quote it whenever it will fit in the context of conversation, just to see if anybody notices. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/2 "2011-03-25T12:22:51Z")
\*\*Rebecca \*\*Black [Friday(Official Video)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0) You don’t like fun, fun, fun, fun?! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/3 "2011-03-25T12:33:43Z")
OK, I _keep doing that_. Why am I getting Rebecca and Vanessa mixed up? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/4 "2011-03-25T12:36:23Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > So yeah, watched the video on Youtube. Very bland, very flat, very not-good. Can’t figure out why it’s so hate worthy though. What’s the deal? Just listen to the “[lyrics](http://www.directlyrics.com/rebecca-black-friday-lyrics.html)”. It’s below kindergarten level. ETA: You could argue the same about the music, but I think it’s mostly hated for the words. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/5 "2011-03-25T12:37:10Z")
Vanessa Black should have been a Belgian girl in the early 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/6 "2011-03-25T12:41:16Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Just listen to the “[lyrics](http://www.directlyrics.com/rebecca-black-friday-lyrics.html)”. It’s below kindergarten level. > > ETA: You could argue the same about the music, but I think it’s mostly hated for the words. Eh, you must hang out with some Doogie Howser-level kindergarteners if the write stuff like that normally. The lyrics are lame, but not really hate-worthy, IMO. I figure she’s just not very experienced in writing. I mean, I’ve heard at least one Beatles song with lamer lyrics (granted, their actual singing and instrumenting was a lot better) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/7 "2011-03-25T12:41:29Z")
Yeah, the piling on of this kid is kind of gratuitous. So, maybe her dad has some money, and she always wanted to be in a music video, and he did this for her as a birthday present or something, who knows? Why does the entire internet have to take a giant shit on some kid and her friends having a good time? ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/8 "2011-03-25T12:42:22Z")
Which seat to take is truly the Sophie’s choice of this generation. The video feels like it’s made by aliens, that are planning to take over the world using new media, but they have no concept of music, youth culture, or human interaction in general. So they slapped together some concepts and words they know are important to humans, like fun, weekend, cereal, and the vital choice of car seats that can have dramatic life changing consequences down the road. The worst part, it appears to be working, 47 million hits on YouTube!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/9 "2011-03-25T12:44:15Z")
It feels like a parody of what people who dismiss pop music think all modern songs sound like. I feel kinda bad for her (although I feel less bad when I think about how she’s making money from it) but my god it is just so funny. Poor old Rebecca Black. Wouldn’t it be amazing if she carved out a legitimate career for herself from this? ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/10 "2011-03-25T12:47:12Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I figure she’s just not very experienced in writing. She didn’t write it - lots of the haterade is being thrown at the “ARK Factory”, a small production company who specialise in making songs and videos for a whole host of girls like Rebecca. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/11 "2011-03-25T12:53:05Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Eh, you must hang out with some Doogie Howser-level kindergarteners if the write stuff like that normally. Of course that was a tad hyperbole, but … > [@](#): > > I mean, I’ve heard at least one Beatles song with lamer lyrics (granted, their actual singing and instrumenting was a lot better) 😃 :dubious: Yes, they had some lame early lyrics, but please, name this special song. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/12 "2011-03-25T12:53:26Z")
> [@multimediac17](#): > > It feels like a parody of what people who dismiss pop music think all modern songs sound like. I feel kinda bad for her (although I feel less bad when I think about how she’s making money from it) I really doubt she’s making money from it. I think the company that produced it is a “vanity” outfit, like those publishers that allow people to self-publish their books. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/13 "2011-03-25T12:54:31Z")
From what I’ve read, she didn’t write it. Some “hit-maker” company wrote tons of cheesy pop songs and got lots of aspiring singers to sing them and make promo videos, in hopes of finding the next big pop star. Unfortunately this one didn’t turn out so well. I think any teen girl who wanted to be “discovered” would sing a cheesy song in hopes that she’d at least be appreciated for her talent and looks. Edit: Man, I take too long to type sometimes. Point already made earlier… ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/14 "2011-03-25T12:59:46Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > OK, I _keep doing that_. Why am I getting Rebecca and Vanessa mixed up? I don’t know either. One’s a brunette and the other’s a redhead. As bad as the music, production and lyrics are, the iconography of the video shows why parts of Orange County are dangerous cultural black holes in our universe. I keep a great distance between myself and that video, lest it render me aesthetically sterile. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/15 "2011-03-25T13:00:37Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > I really doubt she’s making money from it. I think the company that produced it is a “vanity” outfit, like those publishers that allow people to self-publish their books. [Billboard](http://www.billboard.com/news/rebecca-black-s-friday-first-week-sales-1005084932.story#/news/rebecca-black-s-friday-first-week-sales-1005084932.story): “The 13-year-old is netting roughly $24,900 per week from track sales of her surprise hit song, according to our calculations.” They go further into how they came to that figure in the article. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/16 "2011-03-25T13:02:04Z")
Did you catch the Rapper Who’s in the Video But Not _in_ the Video trope? I mean that’s gotta be a trope right?! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/17 "2011-03-25T13:02:38Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Of course that was a tad hyperbole, but … > > :dubious: > Yes, they had some lame early lyrics, but please, name this special song. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, with 14 words repeated over the course of an eight minute song:D. But as I said, the actual performing of the song is leagues and leagues better than Rebecca Black’s song was. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/18 "2011-03-25T13:11:36Z")
> [@enomaj](#): > > Did you catch the Rapper Who’s in the Video But Not _in_ the Video trope? I mean that’s gotta be a trope right?! Yes! The song and video is just so .. by the numbers. Doesn’t \*every \*pop song throw in a (harmless, non-threatening) rap solo these days? “R, B, Rebecca Black..” And something about the Autotune and the way she phrases words is grating. “Friday” doesn’t have four syllables, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/19 "2011-03-25T13:15:05Z")
If she needs that level of auto-tune, she’s taking up space that could be used by real singers. My hatred is based entirely on the fact that I have now heard it once, which was once too often. I don’t need to hear it again, and in fact, I can feel its larva chewing at my brain stem, threatening to become an earworm infestation on the scale of maggots in a week-dead calf in July and about as appealing. There are countless pieces of music that I will never hear again, and yet, this thing’s popularity ensures that I will hear it again. Fortunately, as long as I have legs, I won’t hear it completely for a second time. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951/20 "2011-03-25T13:18:19Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, with 14 words repeated over the course of an eight minute song:D. But as I said, the actual performing of the song is leagues and leagues better than Rebecca Black’s song was. Oh come on, this is a song done by a man who is emotionally overwhelmed by his love for a certain woman, and as you noticed, it’s the performance that counts here. Don’t want to derail the discussion, so if you think that this is lamer than singing about the important decision which car seat to take, then be it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rebecca-black-friday/575951.md?page=2)