১০ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

"Let's face it, who does not love this music?" asked Obama, referring to Memphis soul...

... which apparently includes Justin Timberlake. Oh, I am cynical enough to think that Obama really wanted to bring Timberlake over to the house to sing for his young daughters, and the Memphis soul business was constructed around that project to give it the needed air of dignity, worthiness, and tribute.
Obama said the unique blend of musical styles created in segregated Tennessee in the 1960s was special because it "played an important part in our history." He also noted the music sought to bridge racial divides and "create a little harmony with harmony."
I was impressed by how smoothly the webstream flowed. It looked crisp and utterly unhinky on my desktop monitor. I know that costs money, presumably taxpayer money, and that's inconsistent with the suffering-under-the-sequester political meme pursuant to which White House tours have been cancelled. But if they're going to have these concerts at all, in these days of the internet, they owe a quality stream to us, the people.

How much could that cost, anyway? I loved the live unedited feed, like when Queen Latifah had to realign herself after some technician pointed out the tape marks on the floor, and how Malia and Sasha looked stone-faced on either side of their parents (who were incessantly bopping their heads), and how some aide came in to lean over and consult with the frowning, deep-in-thought Obama (in political theater that made me say out loud "A plane has struck the second tower").

I want the feed. Feed us!

"Make us your slaves, but feed us."

৩৬টি মন্তব্য:

Henry বলেছেন...

The people have no bread? Let them eat Timberlake.

Bob Ellison বলেছেন...

Hmm.

Well, Justin Timberlake is a really talented singer, and he was born in Memphis.

The cost of quality streaming is not that high. A few thousand bucks would suffice for this thing.

Furthermore, marketing American culture is a good thing. The POTUS happens to be a pretty good singer, too, and he helps sell our soul.

I agree with your general tilt that Obama is behaving like Marie Antoinette, but this is not a great example of it.

Bob Ellison বলেছেন...

Hmm. I guess "sell our soul" was a Freudian slip.

David বলেছেন...

Stay on the attack Althouse.

The indentured media just let this flutter by.

We are deeply corrupted, and we have legalized the corruption.

David বলেছেন...

Looks like a good example to me Bob Ellison.

Does he sing as well as he plays basketball? Golf?

Hagar বলেছেন...

I am kind of tone deaf myself, but was not that really pretty awful?

Bob Ellison বলেছেন...

David, those are good comparisons. Barack Obama is a multi-talented man. He's pretty good at singing, pretty good at golf, and pretty good at basketball (despite the recent 2/22 debacle). The problem is that he's apparently not very good at anything except speaking, and he's getting worse at that.

It would be nice if he were good at governing.

rhhardin বলেছেন...

How about some Faure chamber music.

It's so good that it's banned in Iran.

James বলেছেন...

Its good to be king.

Hagar বলেছেন...

Shouting Thomas?

Ann Althouse বলেছেন...

"Its good to be king."

Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.


But that's the one thing he can't do: call for his bowl.

Henry বলেছেন...

This is one of those rare occasions I wish Crack Emcee was still around to comment.

Patrick বলেছেন...

I agree with your general tilt that Obama is behaving like Marie Antoinette, but this is not a great example of it.

You are probably correct that the overall cost of this party isn't that great, especially in terms of what the President spends elsewhere. Nevertheless, I think it is royalty-like behavior, in that these folks wouldn't be coming on over to anyone's house for a special gig. They are paying homage to the King.

Unknown বলেছেন...

But, we must make sure the people feel deeply insecure in other areas of their lives.
Will I be able to get medical care? Will I be able to afford housing? Will I have a job? Do I dare say this or that? Am I on camera? Am I able to defend myself? etc.

But all is OK because there's some really high quality entertainment available from Big Brother.

As long as we don't want anything different from what Big Brother is prepared to supply.

Guimo বলেছেন...

Aren't we in a deep economic recession?

Unknown বলেছেন...

How does Justin Timberlake fit into a night of Memphis Soul anyway?

pdug বলেছেন...

he should get Paisely and LL Cool J to do a concert next

pdug বলেছেন...

also, someone should ask him to explain to america what's wrong with the song. It would be...instructive.

Eric the Fruit Bat বলেছেন...

Oh, I lose control . . .
when you serve filet of sole.

-- The Dead Milkmen

নামহীন বলেছেন...

We opened for Queen Latifa (Dana) 20 years ago-ish at the Milk Bar here in Jacksonville. What a kind, sweet person she was. We were expecting big and angry but she was just the opposite. So much for industry P.R. and stereotypical thinking from back in the day.

kimsch বলেছেন...

Bob,

The problem is that he's apparently not very good at anything except reading out loud, and he's getting worse at that.

FIFY. :)

Known Unknown বলেছেন...

Madame does not apparently watch Netflix.

Smooth streaming has been around for awhile, now.

kentuckyliz বলেছেন...

Obama and Lisa Jackson should clear their schedule for the afternoon and fly out to the little airport in Pikeville KY (bring a small plane) and go to the old gym of the University of Pikeville and look at all the exhibits done by the school children at the CEDAR Coal Fair. Taken altogether, the children of eastern Kentucky know more about coal and energy than Lisa Jackson and Obama and their unicorn fart farmers at the EPA. The children of eastern Kentucky should run the EPA.

The one that brought tears to my eyes, in the multimedia category, was "Forever in My Heart," done by an elementary school girl. Five years ago her dad was killed in a mine accident. She had a portrait (photo) of herself as a little girl sitting on daddy's lap while he was kitted out in his miner's uniform. She had written a long poem honoring her father, a grief poem. The main portrait of the exhibit was one of those rendered pictures, where a computer program took the poem and wove it repeatedly into the portrait in the photo.

It was beautiful, and heartbreaking, and no one walked away from looking at it with dry eyes.

নামহীন বলেছেন...

B&M are not going to want to give up this life. They're having too much fun.

Paul বলেছেন...

Obama better party while he can. He's a lame duck already and mid-term elections will make him a eunuch.

So yuck it up while you can Obama, the music will stop and you will be unable to take those mega-million dollar vacations on our dime in a few years.

MayBee বলেছেন...

What is the point of all of these music nights? The American people can see these singers for free on many other outlets that don't cost taxpayer money.

We need to reject the President as
LifeStyle guru thing we've got going on.

robinintn বলেছেন...

Well, he is from Memphis. Not that he has any "soul".

ricpic বলেছেন...

Who does not love this music? Millions, that's who. How about a night of Mozart in the White Hut, Barry? Oh, I forgot, that would be eurocentric and there'll be no more of that!

edutcher বলেছেন...

Oh, yeah, Da Bar is just so funky, he love dat Memphis soul.

My guess is more like Cole Porter, something white and totally respectable.

Bob Ellison said...

David, those are good comparisons. Barack Obama is a multi-talented man. He's pretty good at singing, pretty good at golf, and pretty good at basketball

Choom's singing seems to be limited to the falsetto of Al Green, which doesn't seem to require that much talent and I've read somewhere he's about as good at golf as he is at roundball.

Surfed said...

We opened for Queen Latifa (Dana) 20 years ago-ish at the Milk Bar here in Jacksonville. What a kind, sweet person she was. We were expecting big and angry but she was just the opposite.

The Blonde will be glad to hear that.

She's a big fan of her movies.

DADvocate বলেছেন...

the unique blend of musical styles created in segregated Tennessee in the 1960s

??? Another dumb ass comment by the Not So Great One. Tennessee wasn't segregated in the 1960s. I was there we had integrated schools. The first high school in the South to become desegregated after the Brown decision was Clinton High School in 1956 in Clinton, TN, neighboring Knoxville where I grew up.

The music in Memphis, my birth place, goes back a lot farther too. The blues were well established long before the 1960s. Elvis got much of his inspiration from the Memphis blues.

Bob R বলেছেন...

No Steve Cropper?

edutcher বলেছেন...

DADvocate's right. Da blues goes back to the end of the 19th century and influenced a lot of pre-60s white musicians, including George Gershwin.

As always, Choom doesn't know a thing about which he's talking.

donald বলেছেন...

The Milk Bar!

Saw the Cramps with Dash Riprock there about 20 years ago.

The didn't serve liquor, which did not please Hokey Hickel

Thorley Winston বলেছেন...

I keep thinking about that scene from “World War Z” when the rich celebrities decided to live stream themselves living large in a luxurious compound while the ordinary people were struggling to survive.

Amartel বলেছেন...

"Let's face it, who does not love this music?"
Kamala Harris, "by far the best looking AG in the country. C'mon it's true."

These are the things he wants consensus on. The important things.

eddie willers বলেছেন...

Da blues goes back to the end of the 19th century and influenced a lot of pre-60s white musicians, including George Gershwin.

I've always considered "I've Got Rhythm" to be the prototypical rock & roll song.