I don't really like voting in these things anyway; the only comments are read are at Unfogged, and a few other blogs in the neighborhood. Hardly seems right to vote when I'm ignorant of the competition.
Not only does it succeed as rap music, it will also save the genre. I haven't seen it, so either it's far better than I could have imagined, or rap music hasn't progressed much beyond the Super Bowl Shuffle.
Yeah -- it's funny, but not amazingly so. And the Lonely Island guys are talented, but again, not amazingly so. Check out their parody of a Ying-Yang Twins song. The original is so ridiculous that there's no point to making fun of it.
But I think there are good reasons for the clip's popularity. First, SNL has been in one of its slumps for the last couple of years — atm, anything funny coming out of it seems remarkable. Second, and more importantly, all Lonely Island content is licensed under Creative Commons. So rapid, widespread distribution of high-quality copies of the clip (and derivative works) has been possible, turning a pretty funny throwaway clip into an internet phenomenon.
21: Looking at it more closely, you may be right -- although the BoingBoing crowd has assumed that it is (I've seen CC specifically cited in the readme to some Lazy Sunday AIM icons).
But they are giving the clip away on iTunes, so it's at least Free As In Beer. And Smasher, of course it doesn't copyright doesn't stop distribution, but it does discourage it. The iTunes giveaway puts it solidly into "mom forwarding it" territory (as you're probably keenly aware).
Nowhere. But after I clicked post for 21, nothing happened—nothing appeared to, anyway. The text was still in the comment box and 21 wasn't visible. It's only because I thought that was odd, since I remembered submitting it, and refreshed the page that there wasn't a double.
I believe it's law that every blog on the planet had to link the rap Narnia vid; so observation over the past few days suggests. I'm afraid I'm insufficiently interested in either Narnia or rap to care to tie-up the dial-up to download video, though; I rarely do that, and generally only just before going to sleep. I'm sure I'll see it sooner or later.
Is that legal?
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 12:07 AM
[walk right in like you belong] Hey, I'm flattered.
Posted by mikez | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 12:14 AM
Who did it, though?
Posted by slolernr | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 12:45 AM
Is it unseemly for us to vote for ourselves?
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 1:11 AM
I don't really like voting in these things anyway; the only comments are read are at Unfogged, and a few other blogs in the neighborhood. Hardly seems right to vote when I'm ignorant of the competition.
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 1:14 AM
Previously John Emerson won this category all by himself.
Posted by slolernr | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 7:04 AM
the only comments are read
That's some Saiselgy-level fun with homophones.
Posted by Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 7:24 AM
Does this mean we all get to attend the awards ceremony? And wear skimpy designer dresses? And get interviewed by Star Jones?
Posted by My Alter Ego | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 8:21 AM
And get interviewed by Star Jones?
Is she the one who dishes with her mother about what clothing people are wearing to the ceremony?
In related news, The Editors gave us the cold shoulder -- not even a nomination, can you believe it?
Posted by Jeremy Osner | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 8:28 AM
No, that was the Zizka persona, from which I am trying to escape.
Posted by John Emerson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 8:57 AM
Michael, don't be such a purist. Vote for yourself.
Although, as we're all banned, don't we have to forfeit?
Posted by bitchphd | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:00 AM
How will a win be handled? Fiery, rambling diatribe? Video acceptance? Native American proxy?
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:28 AM
Do you know what is very funny? The Chronicwhatcles of Narnia!!1!
Posted by Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:32 AM
However the Chronicwhatcles of Narnia have not been nominated for any Koufax awards. Something stinks here.
Posted by Jeremy Osner | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:42 AM
Even funnier than the video: Slate's apparently serious piece arguing that the video's popularity rests on its success as rap music.
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:49 AM
Not only does it succeed as rap music, it will also save the genre. I haven't seen it, so either it's far better than I could have imagined, or rap music hasn't progressed much beyond the Super Bowl Shuffle.
Posted by Matt F | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 9:57 AM
Lorne Michaels was right to hire the Lonely Island guys.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:01 AM
Really? It's good for a chuckle, I guess, but I don't understand why folks think it's the funniest thing evar.
Posted by Joe Drymala | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:02 AM
Yeah -- it's funny, but not amazingly so. And the Lonely Island guys are talented, but again, not amazingly so. Check out their parody of a Ying-Yang Twins song. The original is so ridiculous that there's no point to making fun of it.
But I think there are good reasons for the clip's popularity. First, SNL has been in one of its slumps for the last couple of years — atm, anything funny coming out of it seems remarkable. Second, and more importantly, all Lonely Island content is licensed under Creative Commons. So rapid, widespread distribution of high-quality copies of the clip (and derivative works) has been possible, turning a pretty funny throwaway clip into an internet phenomenon.
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:14 AM
atm, anything funny coming out of it seems remarkable.
atm = at the Mineshaft.
Has copyright ever stopped an Internet phenomenon before? (There aren't IPs based on copyrighted material?)
Posted by Armsmasher | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:23 AM
Yeah, the CC stuff got them recognition initially, but I doubt their SNL work is also going to be CC, is it?
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:25 AM
The doublepost problem has not been solved.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:27 AM
Where do you see a double post?
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:29 AM
21: Looking at it more closely, you may be right -- although the BoingBoing crowd has assumed that it is (I've seen CC specifically cited in the readme to some Lazy Sunday AIM icons).
But they are giving the clip away on iTunes, so it's at least Free As In Beer. And Smasher, of course it doesn't copyright doesn't stop distribution, but it does discourage it. The iTunes giveaway puts it solidly into "mom forwarding it" territory (as you're probably keenly aware).
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:32 AM
Argh. Please pretend that the second to last sentence of the previous post makes sense.
Posted by tom | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:33 AM
Where do you see a double post?
Nowhere. But after I clicked post for 21, nothing happened—nothing appeared to, anyway. The text was still in the comment box and 21 wasn't visible. It's only because I thought that was odd, since I remembered submitting it, and refreshed the page that there wasn't a double.
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:35 AM
And ... it happened again!
Posted by ben wolfson | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:36 AM
The second to last sentence of 24 gets it exactly right.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 10:37 AM
Just because:
World of Warcraft At The Mineshaft
Posted by apostropher | Link to this comment | 12-28-05 3:30 PM
Always a bridesmaid, I am.
Posted by Gary Farber | Link to this comment | 12-29-05 8:18 AM
I believe it's law that every blog on the planet had to link the rap Narnia vid; so observation over the past few days suggests. I'm afraid I'm insufficiently interested in either Narnia or rap to care to tie-up the dial-up to download video, though; I rarely do that, and generally only just before going to sleep. I'm sure I'll see it sooner or later.
Posted by Gary Farber | Link to this comment | 12-29-05 12:55 PM
"No, that was the Zizka persona, from which I am trying to escape."
Why?
Posted by David Weman | Link to this comment | 12-29-05 4:27 PM