Althouse: A ghAstley error.

February 24, 2010

A ghAstley error.

Rickrolling revived.

ADDED: That link doesn't rickroll you. It's an article about how the video was deleted and everyone got mad. It contains a link to the video though, so watch out for that.

26 comments:

traditionalguy said...: It is hard to believe that song was from 30 years ago. My children are getting older, but fortunately I am not. That song was 12 years before dial up internet came online into our lives and 10 years before "car Phones" came along.; 2/24/10, 5:21 PM
rhhardin said...: Ladakhi video.

As a native commenter put it a while ago, "We desparately need some dance moves."

The music is fairly nice if you hang in there. Also the scenery.; 2/24/10, 5:39 PM
ricpic said...: So if I start a relationship with the lady on the left she'll turn into the lady on the right in 10 days? ahominahomina.; 2/24/10, 5:41 PM
kentuckyliz said...: The song is from 1987. I was like, not 30 years ago! The college years I associate that with were just 20ish years ago, so I had to go look it up on wikipedia. Rick Astley is a year younger than I am; I'm 44, so he would have been 13?!

Just 7ish years from widespread Internet use (counting 1994 for that). The A-team already had the brick phone by then...bag phones were about to become more common.

Must admit, I was working on mainframes back then...just starting to have access to word processing for my own academic work.

On April 1, 2008, YouTube rickrolled everyone who clicked on a video on their front page that day. LOL; 2/24/10, 5:45 PM
sakredkow said...: Almost 31 MILLION views? I'll bet that's enough to irrevocably alter the collective unconscious of the species.

Nice moves boyfriend, but what's with the beards?; 2/24/10, 5:59 PM
Ralph L said...: Madison, WI, was the first answer on Jeopardy tonight.

I recall there was some controversy about how much of Astley's voice was electronically enhanced in that song. One of the Jeopardy contestants has his red hair, but better boobs.; 2/24/10, 6:08 PM
Ralph L said...: In 1987, we had to switch to the original Macintosh when our Apple Lisas crapped out in the middle of a big briefing for Rep. Dick Cheney.; 2/24/10, 6:18 PM
Tibore said...: Rickrolling - This is how they did it in the days before the internet.; 2/24/10, 6:50 PM
LonewackoDotCom said...: What happened is quite unfortunate for me, because I'd hired a couple of lingerie models to do a video illustrating how to rickroll people, and I included the link to the original video in my video! Thankfully, now that they've put it back, my video works again.; 2/24/10, 6:53 PM
traditionalguy said...: Ky Liz...Sorry. I said it was hard to believe. I read somewhwere that it was a 1980 song; 2/24/10, 7:12 PM
kjbe said...: 1987 was the year my daughter, the now under-employed German studies major was born. This video is not (was not) at all linked to that year, in my brain. It is a hoor, tho.; 2/24/10, 7:17 PM
k said...: About a year ago, I was volunteer-judging a high school debate tournament. I got assigned to the radio competition. Get this ... I get a kid who, during his prepared "radio broadcast" presentation, suddenly broke into Never Gonna Give You Up. And then switched, abruptly, back into his "regularly scheduled broadcasting." It made me grin BIG (NOT polite to actually guffaw or giggle during the competition).

The other judge had No Clue. But I could not resist. As I marked my sheet, I looked up and said, "Oh, and thanks for the RickRoll." He grinned. Said, "Oh, thank you for knowing what it was." (Very bland and professional, but smiling.) As he left the room, the other adult observers looked at me and said, "What in the world is a RickRoll???"

So here I am, 50+ years old, explaining to these others -- about my same age -- what a RickRoll is. It's harder than you think. (btw)

You know I scored him high. You know I did. I think I'm still FB friends with the kid.; 2/24/10, 8:14 PM
Sorin said...: I remember this song being played on the radio as if it was a number 1 hit. I never saw the video until today. That has to be one of the worst videos ever made.

At least I learned what Obama was up to in 1987. Crikey.; 2/24/10, 8:35 PM
knox said...: k,

LOL. Awesome story! Makes me think of this. [NOT A RICKROLL, PROMISE!]; 2/24/10, 8:58 PM
knox said...: Tibore, hilarious!!; 2/24/10, 8:59 PM
Fred4Pres said...: This segways nicely to the new Hot Air design...; 2/24/10, 9:41 PM
MadisonMan said...: On the subject of ghastly music, Idol tonight was full of bad song choices. That asian guy, and the Golightly replacement were both dreadful. I felt sorry for Casey -- how could he concentrate with all the judges' antics?

A fun thing to do with Rick Astley's song is to play Hit #1 and sing Hit #2 to it -- same chords.; 2/24/10, 9:55 PM
Irene said...: @MadisonMan I felt badly for Casey too. The "cougar" joke outlived itself. It's too bad Andrew Garcia did not match his performance of "Straight Up" during Hollywood Week. Perhaps he has already peaked?; 2/24/10, 10:38 PM
Penny said...: Addiction counselor to patient:

So how many times would you say you've been rickrolled?; 2/24/10, 11:23 PM
k said...: knox -
thanks for that link!! How completely hilarious is that. (That Dynamite quote is one of our favorites at the office.)

I think the key is to choose a reference that will completely escape most of your adult observers.; 2/25/10, 7:42 AM
MadisonMan said...: I think the key is to choose a reference that will completely escape most of your adult observers.

Definitely. The hilarious part was that the announcers had no clue.; 2/25/10, 8:08 AM
knox said...: MadisonMan, I think you might have been the one who first linked to that years ago! Obviously, I didn't forget it!; 2/25/10, 8:59 AM
Alex said...: 1987 was a good year, more or less. I def had fun watching the Oliver North hearings.; 2/25/10, 2:01 PM
Northlander said...: After listening to Patty Murray and the President's closing remarks in the health care discussion I intentionally RickRolled myself just to clear my mind.; 2/25/10, 4:32 PM
The Scythian said...: From The Manual by KLF, arguably one of the greatest books on popular music ever written:

Stock, Aitkin and Waterman, however, are kings of writing chorus lyrics that go straight to the emotional heart of the 7" single buying girls in this country. Their most successful records will kick into the chorus with a line which encapsulates the entire emotional meaning of the song. This will obviously be used as the title. As soon as Rick Astley hit the first line of the chorus on his debut single it was all over - the Number One position was guaranteed:

"I'm never going to give you up"

It says it all. It's what every girl in the land whatever her age wants to hear her dream man tell her. Then to follow that line with:

"I'm never gonna let you down I'm never going to fool around or upset you"

GENIUS.

As soon as they had those lyrics written they must have known they could have taken out a block booking on the Number One slot...; 2/25/10, 5:04 PM
BJM said...: A two-fer

@MM - The only entertaining thing about last night was watching Ryan Seacrest squirm next to the much taller and hotter Casey. I'm thinking Tyler Grady will definitely get the 1st round hook and either Tim Urban or John Park.

My fav of the guys thus far is Lee Dewyze...Andrew Garcia is way too needy and has a Danny Gokey dork vibe.

As forgettable as the men's round was, I can't remember many of the women either...although Ashley Rodriquez and Lacey Brown were outstandingly bad; while Haeley Vaughn delivered the most annoying and Crystal Bowersox the most predictable performances.

Siobahn Magnus and Janell Wheeler are strong finalist contenders and Paige Miles may be a sleeper.

btw- Can Ellen Degeneres suck any worse? The genius who thought she'd work in this format should be polishing up the ole resume.; 2/25/10, 5:43 PM