[A] rowdy group of Republicans taunted Democrats by singing across the chamber floor a lyric synonymous with schoolyard defeat: "Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye." Democrats had mocked Republicans with the same chant in 2017, a year before the GOP lost the House after failing to repeal Obamacare....Here's the 2017 WaPo obituary for one of the song's co-writers:
The song was last in the news in May when Democrats sang it to House Republicans, waving goodbye to them after they passed the American Health Care Act, the replacement for Obamacare.
As its use by the Democrats suggested, it wasn’t a friendly goodbye but a taunt. It was a “you’re outta here,” “you’re finished” kind of goodbye.
For Gary DeCarlo, one of the song’s co-writers, the revival in Congress was a sweet moment. Confined to a hospice with lung cancer and forgotten over the years, reporters called him up. He was thrilled when the Democrats sang his song, he said, not for partisan reasons but because “it’s exposure”....
It was considered a throwaway song, and it was only a B-side, and the "na na" stuff was padding to make the song long enough.
But in 1977, as legend has it, the organist for the Chicago White Sox, Nancy Faust, started playing it when opposing pitchers were yanked from the game. The crowds began to chant along with the music — and a great taunt was born.
Today's Politico article calls it "a lyric synonymous with schoolyard defeat," but I think that's mixing it up with the very old schoolyard taunt "na na na na na." That's not the same thing. "Na na na na na na hey hey hey" is from that old Steam b-side, and it became a taunt in stadiums, not schoolyards. We're talking about adults choosing to be assholes toward losers.
Which sounds Trumpian, doesn't it? But the taunt was conspicuously used against Trump:
I'm giving this post my civility bullshit tag, because the taunt is distinctly not civil, but who in politics has the credibility to decry the incivility?
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Impressive animation by Kimmel.
The song was last in the news in May when Democrats sang it to House Republicans, waving goodbye to them after they passed the American Health Care Act, the replacement for Obamacare.
As its use by the Democrats suggested, it wasn’t a friendly goodbye but a taunt. It was a “you’re outta here,” “you’re finished” kind of goodbye.
AND! it was Funny, and Proper! and GOOD! . . . When then democrats did it
a rowdy group of Republicans taunted Democrats by singing across the chamber floor
AND! it was Wicked, and Disgusting! and BAD!! . . . When the republicans did it back
It's just awful when what goes around, comes around. Just perfectly awful .
I look forward to everyone in Washington DC getting kicked out.
All of them.
It’s a great tradition at Sox games, and if it’s assholey, then it’s gently so.
A Trumpian chant would be use of Queen's "We will, we will ROCK YOU."
But that would probably be called incitement to violence by those hearing it.
A Trumpian chant would be use of Queen's "We will, we will ROCK YOU!"
But that would be called an incitement to stoning by the left, would it not?
Sorta like "Lesko Brandon"?
Lefty Democrats insult the intelligence of the majority of the American people with every one of their shortsighted, mush-brained agenda items and by their very existence, in general.
Neener neener neeee-ner, Kimmel is a wein-er!
I know I am hopelessly naive, but I still harbor the belief that the congress is supposed to solve problems and advance the well being of all the people in the country, just just the radical wings of their respective parties. This taunting shows that their focus is on sticking it to the other side, which equates to sticking it to 40-60% of the American population. For every "win" on one side you have a loss on the other which means to foster anger and dissention within the American electorate. When the press or a party talks about a "mandate" from the voters, they are lying. At best you have the support of 1/3 of the adult population. Unless you get 90% of the vote and 90% turnout at the polls, you don't have a mandate. What the voters might want is a slight edging in one direction or another, but if your legislation and actions favor only one group of Americans you do not have the best interest of your country or your constituents at heart. Sure, in some districts you have a 90% support, but most districts are pretty evenly split, but even if YOUR district is 90% D or R, the rest of the country is not and it is shameful to purposely marginalize fellow Americans with your legislation simply because they have different values. I can see no upside to fostering hatred and animosity through governance. Urban representatives should not ignore the impact to rural populations simply because they hold power do to the concentration of people in cities. Legislation should work to benefit both groups and respect their needs and values. We don't help things when we attack our own party's moderates.
Lordy, did I get sick of that song on the radio in high school.
A one-hit wonder by a fake band.
Professora declaims :
I'm giving this post my civility bullshit tag, because the taunt is distinctly not civil, but who in politics has the credibility to decry the incivility?
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are there any taunts that are civil? is this making distinction without a difference?
"[A] rowdy group of Republicans taunted Democrats by singing across the chamber floor a lyric synonymous with schoolyard defeat: "Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye."
The attempt to portray it as "synonymous with schoolyard defeat" is amusing. It's common at professional sporting events a well. But it's important to portray the opposition as children. For the benefit of the children or something.
It was also used against George W. Bush.
But use against Democrats is bad because civility and bullshit.
We used to sing/chant that at opposing hockey teams and their fans during the NHL playoffs.
”Who in politics has the credibility to decry in civility?”
Edward Durr.
who in politics has the credibility to decry the incivility?
Ron Wyden. There are many Republicans I wouldn't balk at them speaking out about civility either, but I am on the right so it will color my opinion. There are other Democrats as well, but Ron Wyden seems the most prominent Democrat, who the left appears to fully embrace as one of their own that qualifies. I would think Tulsi Gabbard qualifies as well, but she isn't appreciated on the left.
While these Know Nothing Crackers were asleep at the wheel and singing songs Pelosi was going about her business and convincing 13 Republicans to step up and vote yes.
>>The use of the taunt began in 1977 in a stadium.
I beg to differ. OK, we weren't in a "stadium," but we were doing it at basketball games when I was in high school. And I graduated *from* high school (I didn't do anything *to* the high school itself, except, I guess, leave, so I didn't "graduate it") wait, wait, what was it, yeah, fifty years ago, in 1971. So we were doing it in the late 60s and early 70s. And if we were doing it, I'm sure lots of other folks were as well.
Harry Caray also did it when he was broadcasting White Sox games, but that part's inconclusive. Looking it up, I see he did the White Sox broadcasting between 1971 and 1981. Though it's a lot more likely that I'm remembering the earlier years, since I spent only one summer in Chicago after 1975 and had begun not caring at all about professional sports by that time.
--gpm
So, we see that the 1977 "stadium" was, in fact, Comiskey Park, which my priestly brother, at my mother's funeral a little over ten years ago, called "the cathedral of the South Side." Despite this nice little tribute (https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/4/1/22362006/chicago-white-sox-espn-sportscenter-featured-nancy-faust-na-na-hey-hey-kiss-him-goodbye-steam), the great Nancy Faust didn't originate this meme (as we would call it today), though she may have popularized it. As per my comment on the earlier post, it was percolating at my high school on the near West Side (and presumably lots of other places) in the late 60s/early 70s.
--gpm
While I didn't vote for him, I did believe Joseph Biden could restore civility in the nation's Capitol. That lasted less than a year.
Regards — Cliff
Under President Cloward and Vice-president Piven, we can sing goodbye to whatever's left of liberty and prosperity.
The White Sox legend is 100% true. But the real legend is Nancy Faust, who was the exceptionally creative Sox organist for 40 years. She demonstrated a terrific sense of humor, playing tunes such as “Yes We Have No Bananas” when Dave “King Kong” Kingman stepped to the plate, and was the first to play “Three Blind Mice” when the umps conferred. Her rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballpark” is what first inspired then Sox announcer Harry Carey to start leading the crowd in the song. She was eventually awarded an RIAA Gold Record for her popularization of “Na Na Hey Hey.” Sports Illustrated referred to her as sports’ Most Valuable Organist.”
Each level in the parking garage at O'Hare airport is identified with one of the Chicago sports teams. As you enter each level you will hear a song associated with that particular team. The level identified with the Chicago White Sox plays this song.
@gpm
Your high school was certainly prescient since Steam’s song wasn’t even released till 1969.
>>Your high school was certainly prescient since Steam’s song wasn’t even released till 1969.
As I said, I graduated from high school in 1971. Per Wikipedia, the song "became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, and remained on the charts in early 1970." 1969 through 1971 kinda counts as "the late 60s/early 70s" doncha think? We were early adopters, but any suggestion beyond that in the word "prescient" is completely unwarranted.
--gpm
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