Great song, soul scarring music video
October 12, 2012 2:40 PM Subscribe
What's interesting to me reading that was, in period, there was absolutely no mistake about the message of the video or the parts being played by the caricatures. The idea that Reagan's "kindly grandfather" image being the one that has survived through to a new generation is pretty troubling.
posted by maxwelton at 2:49 PM on October 12, 2012 [13 favorites]
posted by maxwelton at 2:49 PM on October 12, 2012 [13 favorites]
Maybe this is because I was a kid in the 80's but 100% nightmare fuel.
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:52 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:52 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Of course, where the Spitting Image puppeteers are concerned, everybody is turned into a monster. Just imagine what they could do with Joe Biden... on second thought, just don't.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:53 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:53 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
Also known as the greatest video, ever.
Ever.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:58 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Ever.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:58 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I also found this video very disturbing as a kid.
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:59 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:59 PM on October 12, 2012
Spitting Image should really have a resurrection. There's so much material from the Conservative/Liberal coalition, that the show would write itself.
And yeah, Reagan's scariness was accurately depicted in this video.
posted by arcticseal at 3:09 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
And yeah, Reagan's scariness was accurately depicted in this video.
posted by arcticseal at 3:09 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Can't watch it. After immersing myself lately in the beauty of A Trick of the Tail, Wind and Wuthering and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, not to mention the glories of what preceded these classic albums, I can't bear to listen to Reagan-era Genesis.
posted by vverse23 at 3:11 PM on October 12, 2012 [11 favorites]
posted by vverse23 at 3:11 PM on October 12, 2012 [11 favorites]
I agree re: Reagan. In many ways, this video is actually where my childhood Cold War fears originated. As far as I can remember, it was after seeing this that my brother explained to me that "Yes, the world can end at the push of a button. And yes, the man with his finger on that button is insane." I know I am more or less the last generation of people to have that ever present fear of nuclear annihilation, but it was definitely very there and very real for me. And for me, it can all be sourced to watching this music video. Thus, the running to mom screaming hold me terror.
posted by mediocre at 3:14 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by mediocre at 3:14 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
Were those that found this visually disturbing not previously exposed to Spitting Image?
(it was a British thing, so it wouldn't surprise me to find out that there wasn't that context for most US viewers)
posted by anonymisc at 3:14 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
(it was a British thing, so it wouldn't surprise me to find out that there wasn't that context for most US viewers)
posted by anonymisc at 3:14 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that was the first time I'd seen anything from Spitting Image.
posted by octothorpe at 3:18 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by octothorpe at 3:18 PM on October 12, 2012
I think the most disturbing thing is that he doesn't recognize any of the political figures from the '80s (finally remembers more or less who the president is), but instantly tips to the entertainment figures. And yes, they're caricatures, but they're ALL caricatures...
posted by randomkeystrike at 3:19 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by randomkeystrike at 3:19 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
When you were first exposed to Spitting Image, did *you* find it disturbing, anonymise?
posted by merelyglib at 3:19 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by merelyglib at 3:19 PM on October 12, 2012
Can't watch it.
Should give it a chance, it's really a great song. You just have to acknowledge the disconnect between the major eras of Genesis. I know a lot of Prog fans have difficulty forgiving the band that was at one time Progs greatest champions. I read a book on Prog once and there was a chapter titled "Throwing It All Away: Genesis In The 80's" or something like that and I don't think that's entirely fair. The pop era of the band is worthy. It's just, different.
Someone else put it pretty eloquently before.
posted by mediocre at 3:20 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Should give it a chance, it's really a great song. You just have to acknowledge the disconnect between the major eras of Genesis. I know a lot of Prog fans have difficulty forgiving the band that was at one time Progs greatest champions. I read a book on Prog once and there was a chapter titled "Throwing It All Away: Genesis In The 80's" or something like that and I don't think that's entirely fair. The pop era of the band is worthy. It's just, different.
Someone else put it pretty eloquently before.
posted by mediocre at 3:20 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Chalk me up as another kid who was terrified by this video. (The only other music video I can remember as terrifying me was Tool's Sober, which still disturbs me, although in a good way? I mean, it's really, really well made.) Also, in retrospect, this song is the missing link between the Genesis of Peter Gabriel & the Genesis after.
posted by smirkette at 3:21 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by smirkette at 3:21 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Were those that found this visually disturbing not previously exposed to Spitting Image?
I had no idea. A few years later when I saw Bad Taste I assumed it was from the same people behind the Land Of Confusion video.
posted by mediocre at 3:24 PM on October 12, 2012
I had no idea. A few years later when I saw Bad Taste I assumed it was from the same people behind the Land Of Confusion video.
posted by mediocre at 3:24 PM on October 12, 2012
When you were first exposed to Spitting Image, did *you* find it disturbing, anonymise?
No, I loved it, but Spitting Image had a lot more context - the puppets talked to each other and said and did funny things, it was obvious they were characters enmeshed in stories, and it was funny. I'm thinking that's fairly different from an unexplained glimpse into a world where people are distorted and hideous and reality is this crazy surreal thing twisting out of your grasp.
posted by anonymisc at 3:25 PM on October 12, 2012
No, I loved it, but Spitting Image had a lot more context - the puppets talked to each other and said and did funny things, it was obvious they were characters enmeshed in stories, and it was funny. I'm thinking that's fairly different from an unexplained glimpse into a world where people are distorted and hideous and reality is this crazy surreal thing twisting out of your grasp.
posted by anonymisc at 3:25 PM on October 12, 2012
(Looking back on youtube, most of the jokes are so dumb that I think I probably only found them funny because I was young :)
posted by anonymisc at 3:29 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by anonymisc at 3:29 PM on October 12, 2012
Someone else put it pretty eloquently before.
Heh, that clip reminds me, mediocre, of what a great album Duke was. I admittedly lost interest after that, but in any case I didn't mean to derail this train -- this video (I did actually check it out) really is hilarious and disturbing.
posted by vverse23 at 3:33 PM on October 12, 2012
Heh, that clip reminds me, mediocre, of what a great album Duke was. I admittedly lost interest after that, but in any case I didn't mean to derail this train -- this video (I did actually check it out) really is hilarious and disturbing.
posted by vverse23 at 3:33 PM on October 12, 2012
I happen to be a firm believer in making your political satire ... intelligible. I really don't think (and didn't) that this example succeeds.
posted by dhartung at 3:33 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by dhartung at 3:33 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
I'm guessing the bone tossed in the air at 03:30 is a 2001 reference. I'm also of the generation where the Cold War was still a real deal and it scared the shit out of me that one man could effectively nuke us out of existence if he felt like it.
posted by arcticseal at 3:35 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by arcticseal at 3:35 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
My only anecdote about this song is: I went with a friend to see In Flames when they were on tour for Reroute to Remain in 2002. After the show, my friend caught the In Flames guys at the door of their bus and tossed them a demo CD his (In Flames soundalike) band had just recorded, which included a cover of Land of Confusion. And the guys were like, Yeah, cool, we'll listen to that.
And in 2003, Trigger came out.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:46 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
And in 2003, Trigger came out.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:46 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I also found this video very disturbing as a kid.
Disturbed? Land of Confusion? It's more likely than you think.
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:47 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
Disturbed? Land of Confusion? It's more likely than you think.
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:47 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
I was a big fan of the early era In Flames having gotten into them with The Jester Race in 1995. Yeah, the "Gothenburg Death" sound eventually became self parody to the point where it's not even surprising that In Flames went full on NuMetal like they did. I loved them up until Colony, then they just lost the plot in the most baffling way. I wouldn't even be surprised if In Flames ripped off your friends band, they ripped off Korn just a few years before.. and lets call a spade a spade.. ripped off Iron Maiden before that..
posted by mediocre at 3:54 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by mediocre at 3:54 PM on October 12, 2012
I happen to be a firm believer in making your political satire ... intelligible. I really don't think (and didn't) that this example succeeds.
It certainly worked at the time, which is the point. Even got me caring about Genesis again (albeit briefly) after divorcing myself from them roundabout Duke/Abacab. The key point about the time being just how f***ing hideous EVERYTHING was in the mid-80s, from the geriatric president and his nefarious cronies to the various international villains and pop stars who were getting all the headlines, magazine covers. The genius of Spitting Image being that their particular form of caricature was so over the top into monstrous ugliness that it caught this zeitgeist pretty much perfectly.
Too perfect for American audiences who didn't get to see much of it. Just right for the rest of the world who were all cowering at the catastrophic/apocalyptic cold-war-on-the-verge-of-getting-very-hot-indeed implications of what was playing out. So looking back on it now, way out of context, it's probably best to think of it as combat footage, the really grisly and chaotic kind.
posted by philip-random at 4:00 PM on October 12, 2012 [8 favorites]
Yeah, this video made me give Genesis another listen back in the day. I think the video is an overall satire of 80's culture in general, but the Reagan satire is pretty clear. He's an old man with delusions who dreams he's Superman and a cowboy, but who is really just disconnected from reality.
He's seen as some sort of beloved figure by a certain portion of society now, but Reagan was bad news. There's a reason certain things started backsliding in the 80's and he was part of that.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:39 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
He's seen as some sort of beloved figure by a certain portion of society now, but Reagan was bad news. There's a reason certain things started backsliding in the 80's and he was part of that.
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:39 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
He watched this video, and his reaction was, "YAY PHIL COLLINS, BOO SPITTING IMAGE PUPPETS!"
Poor kid's priorities are all outta whack.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:40 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Poor kid's priorities are all outta whack.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:40 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Thizz Face Mr. Spock is my alias in the 5 remaining AOL adult chatrooms.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 4:48 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 4:48 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Has anybody ever done a mashup of "Big Time" and "Land of Confusion"? It's almost like they're the same song already.
posted by anazgnos at 4:59 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by anazgnos at 4:59 PM on October 12, 2012
I remember a lot of the references. I'll include the first one.
posted by Chuffy at 5:22 PM on October 12, 2012
posted by Chuffy at 5:22 PM on October 12, 2012
dhartung : I happen to be a firm believer in making your political satire ... intelligible. I really don't think (and didn't) that this example succeeds.
Seriously?
When this came out, I didn't care for Genesis, didn't care about politics, and still counted as a "dumb kid" (which I some day hope to grow out of).
And that video had all the subtlety of red panties with a white "STOP" written on them.
posted by pla at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Seriously?
When this came out, I didn't care for Genesis, didn't care about politics, and still counted as a "dumb kid" (which I some day hope to grow out of).
And that video had all the subtlety of red panties with a white "STOP" written on them.
posted by pla at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
My favorite Spitting Image music video
posted by clarknova at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by clarknova at 5:29 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Blatant antisemitism
I'm glad you can't get away with this stuff on TV anymore. The 80s were savage times.
posted by clarknova at 5:34 PM on October 12, 2012
I'm glad you can't get away with this stuff on TV anymore. The 80s were savage times.
posted by clarknova at 5:34 PM on October 12, 2012
I've never seen this or Spitting Image stuff before. There were literal moments of fight-or-flight in that thing for me.
posted by cmoj at 5:35 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cmoj at 5:35 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I wonder what it says of me, but as a kid I absolutey loved the video. I believe there was a short lived summer Tv show by the same folks and I loved that too.
I was absolutely shocked last week when I learned a coworker of similar age had never even heard of it.
posted by Atreides at 6:08 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
I was absolutely shocked last week when I learned a coworker of similar age had never even heard of it.
posted by Atreides at 6:08 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Wow I was an easily scared kid but this never gave me nightmares. And showing this to a class of undergrads then explaining every reference would be a great 80s 101 intro class lecture.
posted by emjaybee at 6:24 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by emjaybee at 6:24 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
As disturbing as "Land of Confusion" was, it did totally fit within the zeitgeist of the mid-eighties. However, for the best of Genesis' work on the vein would start on the opposite side of the cassette from the closing chords of "Land of Confusion".
What you got when flipped the tape was this monster - Domino.. Listen at least until the "Blood on the windows" part. I promise that it's worth it.
I didn't really care for the rest of the album, and it was largely overplayed on the radio anyway. But you could listen to "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" and "Land of Confusion" flip the tape and listen to "Domino" and flip and repeat - and the best parts of that album were all yours.
I was annoyed when I had gotten this tape as a Christmas present in 1986. I wanted the latest Ratt or Poison, or Motley Crue album instead. But I gave it a shot and the strength of those middle tracks led me to discovering Peter Gabriel's Genesis, and then Yes, Jethro Tull, ELO....
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 6:39 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Why is the 80s Cold War so much more adorable than today's bipartisan-approved post-9/11 environment where I can just google "obama executive order" and get the chills?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:42 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:42 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
It may be difficult for people who are native US citizens who haven't spent much time outside of the country to fully grok how different nearly everyone else on the planet views the US from people who have lived only in the US view the US.
I never understand this cliche. Do the Irish, the Israelis, the Japanese or whoever have a self-image that corresponds exactly to how other people see them?
Speaking of cliches, that video was one of a million images of Reagan as a senile old man who wanted to blow up the world. It was simplistic and tiresome then and hasn't aged well.
Furthermore, has anyone else noticed how the retro-80s industry pretty much ignores Phil Collins and all his songs that dominated FM radio at the time?
posted by Yakuman at 6:44 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
I never understand this cliche. Do the Irish, the Israelis, the Japanese or whoever have a self-image that corresponds exactly to how other people see them?
Speaking of cliches, that video was one of a million images of Reagan as a senile old man who wanted to blow up the world. It was simplistic and tiresome then and hasn't aged well.
Furthermore, has anyone else noticed how the retro-80s industry pretty much ignores Phil Collins and all his songs that dominated FM radio at the time?
posted by Yakuman at 6:44 PM on October 12, 2012 [3 favorites]
I never understand this cliche. Do the Irish, the Israelis, the Japanese or whoever have a self-image that corresponds exactly to how other people see them?
What hippybear just said plus ...
The problem is, America matters to the whole world -- what it does and doesn't do. It affects everyone and everything -- the 9 billion ton elephant in the room.
This is why you often har that the whole world should get a vote in an American election.
posted by philip-random at 6:50 PM on October 12, 2012
What hippybear just said plus ...
The problem is, America matters to the whole world -- what it does and doesn't do. It affects everyone and everything -- the 9 billion ton elephant in the room.
This is why you often har that the whole world should get a vote in an American election.
posted by philip-random at 6:50 PM on October 12, 2012
Though I gotta say -- his cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" is probably my fave, because it's a kick-ass song.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:53 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:53 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Speaking of cliches, that video was one of a million images of Reagan as a senile old man who wanted to blow up the world. It was simplistic and tiresome then and hasn't aged well.
Not really. To each his own, I suppose, but I don't think it was a cliche at all. The idea that "it hasn't aged well" is only acceptable because of the unfettered hagiography that's happened around Reagan such that any and all criticism of him is viewed in some quarters as tantamount to some form of heresy. The idea that Reagan is out of the reach of parody, let alone criticism, is laughable.
posted by blucevalo at 7:02 PM on October 12, 2012 [6 favorites]
Not really. To each his own, I suppose, but I don't think it was a cliche at all. The idea that "it hasn't aged well" is only acceptable because of the unfettered hagiography that's happened around Reagan such that any and all criticism of him is viewed in some quarters as tantamount to some form of heresy. The idea that Reagan is out of the reach of parody, let alone criticism, is laughable.
posted by blucevalo at 7:02 PM on October 12, 2012 [6 favorites]
I have that song on my Ipod. The song lyrics themselves have aged remarkably well. The video I remember from when it came out. Anyone who was paying attention to news back then at all would be able to follow the whole thing.
(But not even I know what the triceratops was about. Oh well.)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:25 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
(But not even I know what the triceratops was about. Oh well.)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:25 PM on October 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
Blatant antisemitism
I'm glad you can't get away with this stuff on TV anymore. The 80s were savage times.
Skewering Israel ≠ antisemitism. A good deal of effort has been spent deliberately conflating the two by certain political interests, only further poisoning the well.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:03 PM on October 12, 2012 [13 favorites]
I'm glad you can't get away with this stuff on TV anymore. The 80s were savage times.
Skewering Israel ≠ antisemitism. A good deal of effort has been spent deliberately conflating the two by certain political interests, only further poisoning the well.
posted by 2N2222 at 8:03 PM on October 12, 2012 [13 favorites]
God, the second side of Invisible Touch (Domino, the Brazilian) gave this 11-year-old the most horrifyingly wonderful technicolor nightmares. I think I played the grooves off that side.
I love me some old Genesis (got into it later), but that album was a perfect projection of prog-rock onto the pop plane.
posted by notsnot at 8:13 PM on October 12, 2012
I love me some old Genesis (got into it later), but that album was a perfect projection of prog-rock onto the pop plane.
posted by notsnot at 8:13 PM on October 12, 2012
I was a kid in the 80s and remember thinking this video was hilarious at the time. There were lots of little satirical things going on in the background that one didn't catch without repeated viewings. I remember one kid at school telling me that Caveman Reagan scratches his nuts and yes, yes he does. It was all very juvenile. I don't think anyone was disturbed or frightened (well, except when you took a moment to consider that this guy was really our president).
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 9:03 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Rarebit Fiend at 9:03 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
And he really was old enough to have ridden a tricerotops.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:50 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:50 PM on October 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
It was simplistic and tiresome then and hasn't aged well.
You know what else hasn't aged well? People who insisted, all the way through his 2nd term, that everyone who noticed the obvious- that he was a symptomatic Alzheimer's patient for at *least* that last 4 years, and one who had access to the nuclear football- were somehow out of line for mentioning it.
If it was a cliche that he was a senile warmonger etc, well, that's what happens when something's that apparent, but there's nothing you can do about it- you repeat yourself until everyone's heard.
The only thing more disgusting than the canonization of Reagan is that fact that compared to just about the entire modern Republican party, he really *was* pretty good, forgetful and delusional as he was.
*shudder*
posted by hap_hazard at 12:59 AM on October 13, 2012 [5 favorites]
You know what else hasn't aged well? People who insisted, all the way through his 2nd term, that everyone who noticed the obvious- that he was a symptomatic Alzheimer's patient for at *least* that last 4 years, and one who had access to the nuclear football- were somehow out of line for mentioning it.
If it was a cliche that he was a senile warmonger etc, well, that's what happens when something's that apparent, but there's nothing you can do about it- you repeat yourself until everyone's heard.
The only thing more disgusting than the canonization of Reagan is that fact that compared to just about the entire modern Republican party, he really *was* pretty good, forgetful and delusional as he was.
*shudder*
posted by hap_hazard at 12:59 AM on October 13, 2012 [5 favorites]
The one Spitting Image song everybody needs to hear -- and you'll be humming it for weeks.
posted by MartinWisse at 3:25 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by MartinWisse at 3:25 AM on October 13, 2012
Yeah mr "the bombing starts in five minutes -- whoops was that an open mike" sure wasn't senile or a warmongerer and it was only a coincidence that the whole of eighties culture is drenched in nuclear armageddon imagery. It wasn't because Reagan started a game of nuclear brinkmanship, campaigned on a knowningly false image of America as vulnerable to a Soviet sneak nuclear attack (all those Bush II whackadoodles like Rumsfeld? That's where they got their start, as Team B, hyping up the Soviet threat decades before they'd do the same for Iraq), then start dangerous initiatives like SDI, which only makes sense as a defensive measure if you plan a first attack yourself, or so the soviets saw it, who shipped Pershing 2 and cruise missiles to Europe, nuclear weapons with the capability to hit the USSR with not enough warning for the USSR to counterattack, who approved NATO exercises that were so realistic the USSR leadership thought they were a cover for a real attack and were on the brink of striking first, with only luck keeping us from having been blown up in 1983.
posted by MartinWisse at 3:35 AM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by MartinWisse at 3:35 AM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
The one Spitting Image song everybody needs to hear... has been blocked in my country by Channel 4 on copyright grounds.
But I'm in the UK! Cheers, C4.
(It was the Chicken Song, right?)
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:36 AM on October 13, 2012
But I'm in the UK! Cheers, C4.
(It was the Chicken Song, right?)
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 4:36 AM on October 13, 2012
Course it was.
posted by MartinWisse at 4:38 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by MartinWisse at 4:38 AM on October 13, 2012
I have such great memories of the Invisible Touch album, sat in front of my teevee, Amiga on, playing Turrican, the album playing on repeat for hours on end. Must've driven my folks potty.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 4:55 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 4:55 AM on October 13, 2012
My abiding musical memory of Spitting Image (apart from the aforementioned Chicken Song) is their Leader Of The Pack parody. George Bush Snr singing about how he fell for the leader of Iraq, before riding off into the sunset with Biker Saddam. Sadly, YouTube isn't obliging.
posted by comealongpole at 5:05 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by comealongpole at 5:05 AM on October 13, 2012
Goddamn it, people - that's not a triceratops! It's obviously a styracosaurus!
posted by Guy Smiley at 5:35 AM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Guy Smiley at 5:35 AM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
The thing we didn't understand about Reagan at the time was that even he understood that he was an actor playing the President. Symptomatic Alzheimers, history of ratting friends to the HUAC, and jokes about pushing the button notwithstanding, Reagan was just a front man who knew he wasn't really running things. And while the people behind him were solidly evil, they were also smart enough to know that nuclear war wasn't in their business interests. I don't believe Reagan ever had the power to personally push the button.
The difference between Reagan and Bush II is that Bush II was surrounded by idological sycophants who weren't nearly as smart as Reagan's cronies who let Bush really run things.
posted by localroger at 6:43 AM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
The difference between Reagan and Bush II is that Bush II was surrounded by idological sycophants who weren't nearly as smart as Reagan's cronies who let Bush really run things.
posted by localroger at 6:43 AM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Weren't Bush II's ideological sycophants Reagan's cronies?
posted by wobumingbai at 8:12 AM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by wobumingbai at 8:12 AM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
wobumingbai, no Bush II's sycophants were Reagans' cronies' heirs, who weren't fighting the Cold War any more and thought we should leverage our victory in a lot of aggressive and destructive ways. Most of the people who actually formed policy under Reagan have been pushed to the edges or even entirely out of today's Republican party. (You can easily see why if you look at any Democratic rundowns of how many of Reagan's policies are now anathema to the Republicans.)
posted by localroger at 8:15 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by localroger at 8:15 AM on October 13, 2012
Phil Collins is a repugnant Tory shit and the lauding of his turgid 80s synth-pop and faux soul in the USA is more baffling than the gun laws and healthcare situation.
He's basically the equivalent of Romney singing One Direction covers
posted by fullerine at 8:47 AM on October 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
He's basically the equivalent of Romney singing One Direction covers
posted by fullerine at 8:47 AM on October 13, 2012 [2 favorites]
And oh god, I find Spitting Image puppets as viscerally repulsive as I do the cartoons of Steve Bell or Michael Ramirez.
posted by Guy Smiley at 9:33 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by Guy Smiley at 9:33 AM on October 13, 2012
Fullerine:
Collins has since stated that although he did once claim many years earlier that he might leave Britain if most of his income was taken in tax, which was Labour Party policy at that time for top earners, he has never been a Conservative Party supporter and he left Britain for Switzerland in 1994 purely because he met a woman who lived there. He said of [Noel] Gallagher: “I don’t care if he likes my music or not. I do care if he starts telling people I’m a wanker because of my politics. It’s an opinion based on an old misunderstood quote.”posted by urbanwhaleshark at 10:23 AM on October 13, 2012
Just remember, Invisible Touch (which is a Genesis album, not a Collins solo record) went to #1 in the UK and was on the charts there for nearly TWO YEARS. Hardly seems like it was only the US that was interested at the time, does it?
No doubt, the 80s Genesis were huge in Britain, likely bigger than the Phil Collins solo show, which I doubt was the case in America, where I always got the impression that folks were putting up with the more extended, dynamic aspects of Genesis because A. well, it was their guy Phil up there, B. the light show was so gobsmacking ...
But as I've suggested already, I was well outside it all by the time Land of Confusion hit. ANYTHING with Mr. Collins' voice attached had come to grate. Like pouring ketchup on a good steak. Why would anyone do that to a perfectly piece of meat?
Case in point. Here's a Tony Banks solo record with Toyah Wilcox taking the lead vocal. In terms of overall sound, instrumentation, arrangement, lyric, it might as well be an 80s Genesis epic ... except I can listen to it. I love it.
posted by philip-random at 10:28 AM on October 13, 2012
No doubt, the 80s Genesis were huge in Britain, likely bigger than the Phil Collins solo show, which I doubt was the case in America, where I always got the impression that folks were putting up with the more extended, dynamic aspects of Genesis because A. well, it was their guy Phil up there, B. the light show was so gobsmacking ...
But as I've suggested already, I was well outside it all by the time Land of Confusion hit. ANYTHING with Mr. Collins' voice attached had come to grate. Like pouring ketchup on a good steak. Why would anyone do that to a perfectly piece of meat?
Case in point. Here's a Tony Banks solo record with Toyah Wilcox taking the lead vocal. In terms of overall sound, instrumentation, arrangement, lyric, it might as well be an 80s Genesis epic ... except I can listen to it. I love it.
posted by philip-random at 10:28 AM on October 13, 2012
Speaking of Reagan, more details have emerged recently about his shenanigans while he was Governor of California: Hoover, Reagan, and Spying at Berkeley.
posted by homunculus at 11:10 AM on October 13, 2012
posted by homunculus at 11:10 AM on October 13, 2012
Reagan proved deficits don't matter.
Present day US politics is pretty much entirely his fault, IMHO.
posted by ook at 12:21 PM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
Present day US politics is pretty much entirely his fault, IMHO.
posted by ook at 12:21 PM on October 13, 2012 [1 favorite]
That's one heckuva nurse!
posted by not_on_display at 1:24 PM on October 13, 2012
posted by not_on_display at 1:24 PM on October 13, 2012
"Land of Confusion" was also -- though probably not the very first -- one of the first handful of CD singles issued commercially. I was already deep into collecting CDs, remixes and 12" vinyl so that was pretty much like crack for me at the time.
posted by Lazlo at 4:19 PM on October 13, 2012
posted by Lazlo at 4:19 PM on October 13, 2012
I found it funny reading the blog blow-by-blow how it comes from a place of "wtf are all these puppets this is so crazy weird!!" whereas having a childhood in the UK in the late 80s/early 90s it's instantly apparent to me that oh yeah this is a spitting image collabo. It makes me realize that every time a "LOOK AT THIS CRAZY SHIT FROM JAPAN/KOREA/WHATEVER" makes the viral rounds that it may at least make slightly more sense within the given country's pop cultural milieu. Like maybe nyan cat hosted a current affairs weekly roundtable for 8 years before that vid.
posted by passerby at 8:42 PM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by passerby at 8:42 PM on October 13, 2012 [3 favorites]
Hah! I had forgotten the triceratops! What an awful, awful video.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:22 PM on October 13, 2012
posted by wenestvedt at 9:22 PM on October 13, 2012
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posted by mediocre at 2:43 PM on October 12, 2012 [4 favorites]