Speaking of absurd, you know what I just discovered? I'll tell you:
Levi's (the jean company with a reputation for clothing men of almost flagrant masculinity. For heaven's sake robber barons probably wore Levi's!) has a new cut out called "ex-girlfriend." The idea being that your ex-girlfriend left her jeans at your place before you booted her to the curb for being a skank, and they look great on you so might as well wear 'em!
We cannot make fun of the Mexicans for their boots when we're pulling shit like this north of the border. It's embarrassing.
In the movie, the guys come to America - to them the entire Western Hemisphere, which is truly the case - to get famous. They don't make it until they reach Mexico. Then they do, and with these shoes.
@ Henry - Not sure of the date of the rock band Leningrad Cowboys, however, I suspect they took the name from the movie, which looks like it preceded this band. As I say, I'm not sure, and neither is my wife, who also mentions that to her memory the band in the movie played mariachi music, not this whatever it is the boys in the YouTube you link are playing. The staging of this band looks post-1989 to my eyes, which are not expert in such matters.
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989 movie) is available at Amazon in VHS only.
My POV on this contemporary iteration is that it's rather slick. Mexican folk ways always make me smile. I do not include ganging and cannibalism among "folk ways."
Does anyone remember the zoot suit riots in LA in World War II ? The Mexican boys wore these outrageous clothes and the US military guys hated it. Lots of fights at the time. Same idea.
The band was an invention of the Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki, contributing music in his short films "Rocky VI" (1986), "Thru the Wire" (1987) and appearing as a fictional band in the short film "L.A. Woman" (1988) and in the feature film Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989). The fictional band, however, was made up of Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, members of a real Finnish band the Sleepy Sleepers with some additional musicians. In the film, they are joined by Nicky Tesco, founding member of the UK punk rock band, The Members.
PERFORMANCES
After the film, the band took on a life of its own, recording music, making videos and giving concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, the Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994) and the Total Balalaika Show (1994), which is a film of a concert performed by the band and the full 160-member Alexandrov ensemble in Helsinki, Finland in June 1993....
The YouTube video I linked is from the Total Balalaika Show.
Thanks for the YouTube link for Total Balalaika Show I'd somehow missed the Leningrad Cowboys back in the '90s. The commenters here send me to some of the coolest things!
One of the weirder Leningrad Cowboys moments is their Red Army Chorus collaboration on "Sweet Home Alabama" -- something about all those stolid Slavic uniformed ranks solemnly intoning, "Sweet. Hohm. Ah-lah-bah-ma..." like some Orthodox incantation, with the real Russian basses in the back ground, wow.
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47 comments:
LOL...you can buy these at the 7 Mile Fair (swap meet) in Racine.
This old classic song came to mind immediately. (link prolly won't last)
They're like the feet of the Woggle-Bug from the Oz books, aren't they?
These must be the drug cartel head honchos because their minions who "run" the drugs couldn't get away from the border patrol with those things on!
Leningrad Cowboys
It has to be said: "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter is every six months."
I hope we have enough alligators in our moat to deal with the inevitable stampede of Mexicans fleeing this fashion atrocity.
Here's a still
Hopefully, they don't start wearing shorts with those.
Pixie boys.
And to think that my Mom thought my Beatle boots were weird.(they were)
Modern day Zoot Suits.
Trey
The more I stare at them, the more natural they seem. I might get a pair. With bells at the end, so as not to be outdone.
Be nice.
You have to keep in mind the state in which Mexico finds itself these days.
Speaking of absurd, you know what I just discovered? I'll tell you:
Levi's (the jean company with a reputation for clothing men of almost flagrant masculinity. For heaven's sake robber barons probably wore Levi's!) has a new cut out called "ex-girlfriend." The idea being that your ex-girlfriend left her jeans at your place before you booted her to the curb for being a skank, and they look great on you so might as well wear 'em!
We cannot make fun of the Mexicans for their boots when we're pulling shit like this north of the border. It's embarrassing.
I believe they represent the Lollipop Guild,
the Lollipop Guild,
the Lollipop Guild.
And in the name of
the Lollipop Guild,
they wish to welcome you
to Mex-i-coooooo.
Meh. Them boots ain't so pointy.
Seeing those made me think of this.
Don they come with a red foam rubber nose?
Yo ye pharoahs, let us walk
Through this barren desert, in search of truth
And some pointy boots, and maybe a few snack crackers. (SCOTS)
I wouldn't get caught dead wearing them, but I don't mind seeing others. I can use every little bit of amusing that crosses my path.
But you cannot kill the bugs in the corner with those toes.
Their women should start wearing chopines.
This is from comes from the movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America, from 1989:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad_Cowboys_Go_America
In the movie, the guys come to America - to them the entire Western Hemisphere, which is truly the case - to get famous. They don't make it until they reach Mexico. Then they do, and with these shoes.
My wife made the ID, not me.
What is not to like about Mexico excepting the drug wars?
@ Henry - Not sure of the date of the rock band Leningrad Cowboys, however, I suspect they took the name from the movie, which looks like it preceded this band. As I say, I'm not sure, and neither is my wife, who also mentions that to her memory the band in the movie played mariachi music, not this whatever it is the boys in the YouTube you link are playing. The staging of this band looks post-1989 to my eyes, which are not expert in such matters.
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989 movie) is available at Amazon in VHS only.
My POV on this contemporary iteration is that it's rather slick. Mexican folk ways always make me smile. I do not include ganging and cannibalism among "folk ways."
This by me above is too egregious to let stand:
My wife made the ID, not me.
Make that:
My wife made the ID, not I.
Looks dangerous. I hope no one falls down. I never considered impalement an occupational hazard of a dancer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lIy58S_1SQ
Does anyone remember the zoot suit riots in LA in World War II ? The Mexican boys wore these outrageous clothes and the US military guys hated it. Lots of fights at the time. Same idea.
Leningrad Cowboys for the win. :-)
I'm glad Henry linked them because I couldn't remember the name for sure and it would have bothered me for hours.
Er, I'll stick with these Cuban Heels.
edutcher said...
Be nice.
You have to keep in mind the state in which Mexico finds itself these days. Arizona?
Phallic.
@David R. Graham -- Read your Wikipedia, brother!
BEGINNINGS
The band was an invention of the Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki, contributing music in his short films "Rocky VI" (1986), "Thru the Wire" (1987) and appearing as a fictional band in the short film "L.A. Woman" (1988) and in the feature film Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989). The fictional band, however, was made up of Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, members of a real Finnish band the Sleepy Sleepers with some additional musicians. In the film, they are joined by Nicky Tesco, founding member of the UK punk rock band, The Members.
PERFORMANCES
After the film, the band took on a life of its own, recording music, making videos and giving concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, the Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994) and the Total Balalaika Show (1994), which is a film of a concert performed by the band and the full 160-member Alexandrov ensemble in Helsinki, Finland in June 1993....
The YouTube video I linked is from the Total Balalaika Show.
For two hours of pure Internet enjoyment, you can watch the whole concert in 8 to 10 minute chunks starting with #1 - Leningrad Cowboys & Russian Red Army Choir - " It's Only Rock'n'Roll" / "Let's Work Together".
Retro to the 1370's and the hundred years war.
p.s. I saw Leningrad Cowboys go America in the Theater. I kid you not.
Wouldn't two-foot codpieces be more practical?
oh....man...da got razor blades in da tips. Da will cut your conjones!!
The country was almost entirely ruined, and then someone thought, "Hey, but we still have cool cowboy boots," and that was the end of that.
They do look like Woggle Bug feets. But the Leningrad Cowboys are great.
@ Henry,
Thanks for the YouTube link for Total Balalaika Show I'd somehow missed the Leningrad Cowboys back in the '90s. The commenters here send me to some of the coolest things!
reverse rooster spurs. makes perfect sense.
One of the weirder Leningrad Cowboys moments is their Red Army Chorus collaboration on "Sweet Home Alabama" -- something about all those stolid Slavic uniformed ranks solemnly intoning, "Sweet. Hohm. Ah-lah-bah-ma..." like some Orthodox incantation, with the real Russian basses in the back ground, wow.
This has to be some new form of gay.
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