I meyself do not think this question belongs on this board, but am afraid that if I put in on the “question” boards somebody will reject it as worthwhile discussing.
As I see it, the question about men and Englebert Humperdink is worthy as psychological issue; of psychological study, beleive it or not.
in my 50 years of life I have have been taken with a few men. One is Englebert Humperdink. To me, he is rather a mystery.
BUT,…almost every man who responds to the mention of his name is negative about him. Some act as if they HATE him.
Reason 1. His name is Englebert Humperdinck
Reason 2. His scmaltzy “Please Release Me” took the number one spot from the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields FOrever/Penny Lane” the most innovative double A side single ever.
Reason 3. His name is Englebert Humperdinck
I hate to point this out but it’s actually Engelbert.
Deeward,
I’m with you. He’s no poor man’s Tom Jones in my book. Nobody ever sings Strawberry Fields in my local but Please Release Me is second only to Sweet Caroline in the pissed-up playlist. However, if you were talking about the Hansel and Gretel guy, I HATE his guts.
After all these years, my memory’s starting to conflate Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, when it brings them to the surface at all. But it seems that with the aid of the reminders in this thread, I can still tell them apart. Barely.
It’s not just that they’re sappy, which they are. It’s their florid, overblown vocal styles that really make them offensive. (And I don’t think this is just a guy thing, though it does seem that - as is the case with Barry Manilow, who is IMHO less offensive than either of these two - most of what small fan base they still have is overwhelmingly female.) We can match Engelbert’s
Please release me, let me go
for I don’t love you anymore
with Tom Jones’
My, my, Delilah,
why, why, Delilah?
And now that I’ve brought those songs more clearly to mind, I’d better check into the Witness Protection Program. The lynch mob will undoubtedly be gathering soon.
I suppose my liking “Hump” makes me a bird of the feather too?
You men responded just as I thought you would,…BUT,…BUT,…
the thing that you don’t realize, and that tickles me, is that , for all your off-the-cuff reasons for disliking Engelbert, you STILL don’t realize why you “hate” him!!!
You are just groping for reasons off the top of your heads and havn’t taken the time to REALLY understand why you dislike Hump.
I said it was a psychological study and I still say it is.
I MUST say more about this. Just when you are hungering and anxious to put this down as so much meaningless blather, it may (and should) dawn on you that we are talking about human nature.
And Ukelele Ike , is YOUR nature human?
How about some straight talk, as John McCain would put it, on Straight Dope? And if you insist on being witty; be witty BEFORE you drink.
I MUST say more about this! Humor me; I needs to say more; it’s like I have a little tight feeling I must releive, or get hard to handle.
LOVE, Dee
I get the jest, but do not know manly socks when I see them…or whatever.
As I said I MUST talk more about this! It’s killing me!
Can’t you be nice to a beautiful lady? (That’s what a woman on a buss called me as she spoke to my husband. That was on our visit to Las Vegas last week)
What are you, …a bunch of men with a toothpick-sucking sense of humor?
Listening to Please Release Me is one of the few clear memories I have from my drinking days. I hear it in flashbacks and that is why I hate the jerk who sang it. (I will not write or speak his name.)
Not an entirely surprising mistake Rufus, but if you ever mistook one for the other to his face you might get barked at - apparently they hate each other’s guts from way back.
I don’t mind him but have never bought his music. I know a 26 year old guy who likes his music. I guess he’s in the category of one of those Vegas type entertainers like Wayne Newton.
