Undercover Karaoke
July 14, 2010 8:37 PM Subscribe
Singer/Songwriter Jewel, disguised as a mild-mannered businesswoman, goes undercover as a karaoke singer.
A little backstory.
Wow Navelgazer. I hadn't thought about the Nixons in ages. Probably a good thing.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:43 PM on July 14, 2010
Wow Navelgazer. I hadn't thought about the Nixons in ages. Probably a good thing.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:43 PM on July 14, 2010
I thought it was really cute. I'm sure some of them could tell. I could tell it was her from listening.
posted by amethysts at 8:44 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by amethysts at 8:44 PM on July 14, 2010
Clark Kent is Superman's critique on humanity.
posted by roll truck roll at 8:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [25 favorites]
posted by roll truck roll at 8:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [25 favorites]
I don't really care much about Jewel or her songs and certainly not about karaoke, and yet I watched this video all the way through with a huge grin on my face. So thanks, KevinSkomsvold, for bringing me something that made me happy.
posted by komara at 8:49 PM on July 14, 2010 [12 favorites]
posted by komara at 8:49 PM on July 14, 2010 [12 favorites]
Oh, that's really cute. And surprisingly affirming, in that they didn't boo her off the stage for being too much like Jewel.
posted by yhbc at 9:05 PM on July 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by yhbc at 9:05 PM on July 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
That was fine, but this reaffirms my absolute terror of going out to karaoke. God, what a cruel way to spend an evening.
posted by Think_Long at 9:09 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by Think_Long at 9:09 PM on July 14, 2010
I lived one block from that place! (20th and Wilshire in Santa Monica) We walked by and peered in but never went in, tho because it REEKED of STINKY and the people singing were pretty awful. (OK, sorry, apropos of nothing, but it was pretty funny to see my old 'hood!)
posted by ChefJoAnna at 9:11 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ChefJoAnna at 9:11 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
God, what a cruel way to spend an evening
Tell me about it, I go out to karaoke every now and again, and one of three things happens:
1) I page through the book anxiously for hours, finally choosing not to go up. My extrovert boyfriend doesn't understand.
2) I do go up, do fairly well, but do a song no one knows, leading to a tepid response or the host making fun of me. I have a minor nervous breakdown. My extroverted boyfriend doesn't understand.
3) I get up, fucking rock it, and am quite pleased with myself. My extroverted boyfriend almost invariably gets up soon after me, and my moment of triumph is fleeting when I have to praise him. This is the rarest outcome.
Karaoke is a really terrifying mindfuck for me, which is odd because I have a pretty good voice and am constantly singing around the house.
posted by yellowbinder at 9:20 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
Tell me about it, I go out to karaoke every now and again, and one of three things happens:
1) I page through the book anxiously for hours, finally choosing not to go up. My extrovert boyfriend doesn't understand.
2) I do go up, do fairly well, but do a song no one knows, leading to a tepid response or the host making fun of me. I have a minor nervous breakdown. My extroverted boyfriend doesn't understand.
3) I get up, fucking rock it, and am quite pleased with myself. My extroverted boyfriend almost invariably gets up soon after me, and my moment of triumph is fleeting when I have to praise him. This is the rarest outcome.
Karaoke is a really terrifying mindfuck for me, which is odd because I have a pretty good voice and am constantly singing around the house.
posted by yellowbinder at 9:20 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
I once saw Bobby Conn sing "Dream Weaver" at the Hidden Cove in Chicago. He put a lot into his performance, but when his friends came up they acted like smug assholes.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:23 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hydrophonic at 9:23 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wait, what JEWEL?
STOP MAKING A 90s REVIVAL HAPPEN I WILL CUT YOU.
posted by The Whelk at 9:24 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
STOP MAKING A 90s REVIVAL HAPPEN I WILL CUT YOU.
posted by The Whelk at 9:24 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
If there were a piece of software (and god knows there must be) that you could type "generic alternative sorta grunge lite song" and then click a dropdown and select "1995" and have it generate songs for you it would still craft a better song than The Nixons on the very best day of their shitty career playing generic EdgeFest radio festivals to crowds of deadeyed nimrods wondering when they were gonna play that song by The Toadies they think they sing.
Yeah fuck those guys.
Terrible I can forgive. Generic is an atrocity. Especially in an era positively awash in generic altcockrockers who only a few years earlier would have pissed on their own mothers for a chance to be the next Jackyll.
The Nixons made Candlebox seem like Zeppelin.
In summation, fuck The Nixons.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:26 PM on July 14, 2010 [5 favorites]
Yeah fuck those guys.
Terrible I can forgive. Generic is an atrocity. Especially in an era positively awash in generic altcockrockers who only a few years earlier would have pissed on their own mothers for a chance to be the next Jackyll.
The Nixons made Candlebox seem like Zeppelin.
In summation, fuck The Nixons.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:26 PM on July 14, 2010 [5 favorites]
This video did really endear me to Jewel tho.
She seems sweet.
She probably hates the fucking Nixons too.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:28 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
She seems sweet.
She probably hates the fucking Nixons too.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:28 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think they are confused on the term "reveal" - it helps if you actually REVEAL it to the crowd, like Karen tears off the wig and nose right in front of them or something.
posted by Big_B at 9:30 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Big_B at 9:30 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
yellowbinder: You need to come to more Chicago meetups.
posted by lholladay at 9:35 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by lholladay at 9:35 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
The guy at the end seemed like he was trying hard to be polite... by being more amazed than he actually was.
"Wow," takes a few steps away from camera, repeats, "wow." Double face palm, then hands thrust deep in pockets, slowly retreating, goofy smile, goofy wave goodbye, then he starts running.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 9:38 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
"Wow," takes a few steps away from camera, repeats, "wow." Double face palm, then hands thrust deep in pockets, slowly retreating, goofy smile, goofy wave goodbye, then he starts running.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 9:38 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ah, Jewel and her out-of-control, all-over-the-place vibrato. Makes me laugh every time. But the definitive hilarious version of Who Will Save Your Soul is this smashing duet with Jessica Simpson.
posted by grounded at 9:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by grounded at 9:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
The guy at the end seemed like he was trying hard to stand upright without falling down, drunk.
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:46 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by randomkeystrike at 9:46 PM on July 14, 2010
Cute. I smiled. Then I got sort of a tinge of the douche chills. Then I smiled again. But the DCs stuck with me.
posted by pantsonfire at 9:46 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by pantsonfire at 9:46 PM on July 14, 2010
If this "Karen" person were real and were in this situation, she probably would have still chosen that damn Jewel song.
posted by HeroZero at 9:51 PM on July 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by HeroZero at 9:51 PM on July 14, 2010 [3 favorites]
But the definitive hilarious version of Who Will Save Your Soul is this smashing duet with Jessica Simpson .
Oh god. Second best part of that is Simpson's wild gesticulating, best part being "Next: All New Alias!"
posted by mek at 9:51 PM on July 14, 2010
Oh god. Second best part of that is Simpson's wild gesticulating, best part being "Next: All New Alias!"
posted by mek at 9:51 PM on July 14, 2010
I was vaguely heartwarmed when I saw this until I realized they could have made Jewel sing some songs that weren't by Jewel like like Tainted Love or The Final Countdown or I don't know Hot In Herre or basically any other song in the whole entire world.
posted by furiousthought at 9:53 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
posted by furiousthought at 9:53 PM on July 14, 2010 [8 favorites]
I got sort of a tinge of the douche chills.
posted by pantsonfire
I would think that your pants would prevent this.
posted by zippy at 9:54 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by pantsonfire
I would think that your pants would prevent this.
posted by zippy at 9:54 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]
At the end, after the reveal, Jewel comments on how "everybody knew all the words, it was really sweet." IT'S A KARAOKE BAR AND THE WORDS ARE ON THE DAMN SCREEN.
posted by HeroZero at 9:55 PM on July 14, 2010 [21 favorites]
posted by HeroZero at 9:55 PM on July 14, 2010 [21 favorites]
This one time in high school I spent the night at my friend's house in Normal Heights, a neighborhood in San Diego. We rented some movies, and in the morning I was walking to the video store to return them, and there was this footbridge over the freeway onramp that I had to cross. The footbridge has those concrete pylons in front of it to keep maniacs from driving across the footbridge, and there was this woman sitting against one of those pylons idly playing a guitar. I chatted with her a bit, on my way, not being incredibly social and all, as is my way, but it seemed a little awkward to just walk right past her on a Saturday morning. Anyway, I said something about how I was sort of trying to learn to play guitar, but not really, and she told me to keep trying, or whatever, I kept going, returned the videos, and when I came back on my way to my friend's house she was gone.
Three days later my older sister was watching MTV and the 'Hands' video came on and I recognized her and went 'Hey I met Jewel!'
posted by shakespeherian at 9:57 PM on July 14, 2010 [6 favorites]
Three days later my older sister was watching MTV and the 'Hands' video came on and I recognized her and went 'Hey I met Jewel!'
posted by shakespeherian at 9:57 PM on July 14, 2010 [6 favorites]
I like this, and the song, and Jewel, in spite of themselves, because that's the way I am.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:24 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dirigibleman at 10:24 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hah! The Gaslight is the one place I have ever done karaoke. I worked down the street and on my last day my coworkers took me out and good me righteously drunk and I sang a couple Journey songs. I've noticed everyone in LA likes to call every bar a dive bar, but the Gaslight truly is (they only have bottled beer, the only food they serve is popcorn, and they open at 6AM).
posted by lovetragedy at 10:42 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by lovetragedy at 10:42 PM on July 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
*good = got
posted by lovetragedy at 10:43 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by lovetragedy at 10:43 PM on July 14, 2010
and for the haters, Karaoke can be very fun if you're at the right BAC AND they have a decent set of songs. I will a version of Grow For Me at DC's Green Lateran that ended with me falling off the bar.
posted by The Whelk at 10:44 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by The Whelk at 10:44 PM on July 14, 2010
God, what a cruel way to spend an evening.
I'm not entirely sure what this means. I love karaoke and have done a lot of it in my life, and have never seen anyone do any booing or anything remotely cruel to any acts. One would have to be of a particularly fucked-up mindset to go to a bar on a night when people are expected to trade off entertaining the crowd for everyone's mutual entertainment and treat it like the Gong Show.
My favorite karaoke story (of which I have a great many to choose from) was from a year or so ago, when my folks came to town, and met my (now ex, but still lovely) girlfriend for the first time, and we ended up eating dinner at the semi-famous (in Northern VIrginia) Freddie's, a Drag Queen-hosted, gay karaoke bar. I recognize that this story loses a bit with y'all not knowing what my parents are like, but trust that you HAVE NO IDEA how much is lost in this scenario by not knowing how prim, proper, and conservative my parents are, or at least were when I was growing up.
We stayed all night, at their insistence. The food there is fantastic, and they just loved the scene. Ex-GF did some wonderful Sheryl Crowe and something else I'm not remembering right now, but I have a specialty at karaoke. Something which is somehow in every damn songbook in America, but almost noone else will dare try it. Mind you, for the purposes of this story, that I'm a tiny, skinny white boy, and that this was one of the first songs of the evening, but I don't care. I rock this in an unearthly way, and I don't mind setting the tone for the night with it:
Chocolate Salty Balls.
The crowd loved it. My folks loved it (although they were a tad bit embarrassed) and it did indeed set the tone - for the whole night, my folks dug into revelrous, harmless singing debauchery with us, and adored it.
Karaoke isn't cruel - if it does what it's supposed to do it brings people together.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [11 favorites]
I'm not entirely sure what this means. I love karaoke and have done a lot of it in my life, and have never seen anyone do any booing or anything remotely cruel to any acts. One would have to be of a particularly fucked-up mindset to go to a bar on a night when people are expected to trade off entertaining the crowd for everyone's mutual entertainment and treat it like the Gong Show.
My favorite karaoke story (of which I have a great many to choose from) was from a year or so ago, when my folks came to town, and met my (now ex, but still lovely) girlfriend for the first time, and we ended up eating dinner at the semi-famous (in Northern VIrginia) Freddie's, a Drag Queen-hosted, gay karaoke bar. I recognize that this story loses a bit with y'all not knowing what my parents are like, but trust that you HAVE NO IDEA how much is lost in this scenario by not knowing how prim, proper, and conservative my parents are, or at least were when I was growing up.
We stayed all night, at their insistence. The food there is fantastic, and they just loved the scene. Ex-GF did some wonderful Sheryl Crowe and something else I'm not remembering right now, but I have a specialty at karaoke. Something which is somehow in every damn songbook in America, but almost noone else will dare try it. Mind you, for the purposes of this story, that I'm a tiny, skinny white boy, and that this was one of the first songs of the evening, but I don't care. I rock this in an unearthly way, and I don't mind setting the tone for the night with it:
Chocolate Salty Balls.
The crowd loved it. My folks loved it (although they were a tad bit embarrassed) and it did indeed set the tone - for the whole night, my folks dug into revelrous, harmless singing debauchery with us, and adored it.
Karaoke isn't cruel - if it does what it's supposed to do it brings people together.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:45 PM on July 14, 2010 [11 favorites]
STOP MAKING A 90s REVIVAL HAPPEN I WILL CUT YOU
At least she didn't do Fiona Apple.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:56 PM on July 14, 2010
At least she didn't do Fiona Apple.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:56 PM on July 14, 2010
The man at the end had to run off to crap his pants.
posted by dirigibleman at 11:11 PM on July 14, 2010
posted by dirigibleman at 11:11 PM on July 14, 2010
Remember when Jewel started dressing slutty to revive her waning career? And now there's this.
posted by Locobot at 11:38 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Locobot at 11:38 PM on July 14, 2010 [2 favorites]
I liked this.. I still like that song, too, and I'm only a little ashamed to admit it.
My (Korean) parents are Very Serious about their karaoke. They have an enormous home machine with a giant songbook that can reproduce the lyrics to every song in Korean, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Tagalog. My dad is an audio dude, so the noraebang machine lives on a rack with an amp, converter thing, and other boxes with shiny lights. They invite their church friends over, crack open the booze, and belt out CCR and Korean folk songs into the wee hours. I have drunkenly agreed to sing a duet with my dad, chosen a song I know I can sing, and then embarrassingly stumbled over the "making love with each other" part of "Islands In The Stream". You have not lived until you've seen a middle-aged Asian dude at one o clock in the morning, not bothering to get off the couch anymore, swaying and mumble-singing "You're once...twice...three times a rady...I ro-o-o-o-ve you" to his sleeping wife.
I was born and raised in the US, but hardcore Asian karaoke is still my only experience with it. Even when I've gone out to sing, it was always at a yuppie sushi bar that cleared out at midnight and filled up with traveling Japanese businessmen reaching for the microphone. This video really spoke to me. I, too, would like to go out and sing someday amongst white folks, who appear to just have fun with it and don't seem to feel the need to treat it like some kind of drunken endurance Thunderdome.
posted by peachfuzz at 11:57 PM on July 14, 2010 [49 favorites]
My (Korean) parents are Very Serious about their karaoke. They have an enormous home machine with a giant songbook that can reproduce the lyrics to every song in Korean, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Tagalog. My dad is an audio dude, so the noraebang machine lives on a rack with an amp, converter thing, and other boxes with shiny lights. They invite their church friends over, crack open the booze, and belt out CCR and Korean folk songs into the wee hours. I have drunkenly agreed to sing a duet with my dad, chosen a song I know I can sing, and then embarrassingly stumbled over the "making love with each other" part of "Islands In The Stream". You have not lived until you've seen a middle-aged Asian dude at one o clock in the morning, not bothering to get off the couch anymore, swaying and mumble-singing "You're once...twice...three times a rady...I ro-o-o-o-ve you" to his sleeping wife.
I was born and raised in the US, but hardcore Asian karaoke is still my only experience with it. Even when I've gone out to sing, it was always at a yuppie sushi bar that cleared out at midnight and filled up with traveling Japanese businessmen reaching for the microphone. This video really spoke to me. I, too, would like to go out and sing someday amongst white folks, who appear to just have fun with it and don't seem to feel the need to treat it like some kind of drunken endurance Thunderdome.
posted by peachfuzz at 11:57 PM on July 14, 2010 [49 favorites]
The man at the end had to run off to crap his pants.
Dammit! How did I not realise this, it's so obvious. He definitely needed to go to the toilet.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:08 AM on July 15, 2010
Dammit! How did I not realise this, it's so obvious. He definitely needed to go to the toilet.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:08 AM on July 15, 2010
The man at the end had to run off to crap his pants.
The man at the end had to run off lest he craps his pants? Imagine running off to do a loaf in your pants. Why not just do the loaf while you're being interviewed? And how did you know it was a poo he was holding back?
Those of you with kids... y'all find it funny that at about age two they will sneak off to a corner or a different room to do a loaf in their pants?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:20 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
The man at the end had to run off lest he craps his pants? Imagine running off to do a loaf in your pants. Why not just do the loaf while you're being interviewed? And how did you know it was a poo he was holding back?
Those of you with kids... y'all find it funny that at about age two they will sneak off to a corner or a different room to do a loaf in their pants?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:20 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Why did they need to disguise her? Does anybody know what she looks like or sounds like? For that matter, does anyone know who the hell she is?
posted by salmacis at 12:33 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by salmacis at 12:33 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Imagine running off to do a loaf in your pants.
posted by dirigibleman at 12:43 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dirigibleman at 12:43 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Indeed. And I made it funnier by pondering it on a number of levels.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:47 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by uncanny hengeman at 12:47 AM on July 15, 2010
I don't know who Jewel is - but Karen is hawt!
posted by metaxa at 12:51 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by metaxa at 12:51 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I suppose this is one way a singer can tell if they're still really any good, the equivalent of pseudonymous publishing for a writer. Karen : Jewel :: Richard Bachmann : Stephen King.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 1:04 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by aeschenkarnos at 1:04 AM on July 15, 2010
I enjoyed this. Although I was a little bit disappointed that they didn't just do the reveal while she was onstage, when she would have ripped off her wig and then her nose, and then would spurt blood all over the audience. Then she could sing another song by Jewel.
posted by smartyboots at 1:10 AM on July 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by smartyboots at 1:10 AM on July 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
Disclaimer: I'm a child of the 90s that was programmed to hate Jewel, even though I don't know much about her music.
I really enjoyed this at first. It was.. touching? Yet, I can't help feeling emotionally manipulated. Like, they knew I'd be touched by the fact a "homely" girl would be well received singing the music of a performer known for being hot. I was with it until they trotted her out after the performance minus her big nose. Then it just seemed mean-spirited.
To Karaoke haters, try doing it in a less demanding atmosphere. Yeah, there are Karaoke clubs that take it so serious you might as well be in a talent competition. Do not go to these places if you just want to have fun. At least once a year me and a group of friends rents a private room at a place in SF Japantown, smuggle in massive amounts of alcohol, and sing horribly. It's a lot of fun if you don't feel you have to sing well.
posted by cj_ at 1:13 AM on July 15, 2010
I really enjoyed this at first. It was.. touching? Yet, I can't help feeling emotionally manipulated. Like, they knew I'd be touched by the fact a "homely" girl would be well received singing the music of a performer known for being hot. I was with it until they trotted her out after the performance minus her big nose. Then it just seemed mean-spirited.
To Karaoke haters, try doing it in a less demanding atmosphere. Yeah, there are Karaoke clubs that take it so serious you might as well be in a talent competition. Do not go to these places if you just want to have fun. At least once a year me and a group of friends rents a private room at a place in SF Japantown, smuggle in massive amounts of alcohol, and sing horribly. It's a lot of fun if you don't feel you have to sing well.
posted by cj_ at 1:13 AM on July 15, 2010
This is as good a time as any to reference my favorite Jewel + Kurt Loder moment.
posted by quadog at 1:52 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by quadog at 1:52 AM on July 15, 2010
Karen is probably a big fan of Chris Gaines and Ziggy Stardust, too.
posted by KingEdRa at 1:56 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by KingEdRa at 1:56 AM on July 15, 2010
That was cute. I was glad no one got mad at Jewel for putting one over on them--she seems quite sweet.
I did think it was sort of inexplicable how the one guy said he was surprised when "Karen" started singing so beautifully because she was so homely. Homely?? Please. She had brunette hair and a slightly bigger nose. If that equals homely then a lot of people are really screwed.
peachfuzz: My (Korean) parents are Very Serious about their karaoke. They have an enormous home machine with a giant songbook that can reproduce the lyrics to every song in Korean, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Tagalog. My dad is an audio dude, so the noraebang machine lives on a rack with an amp, converter thing, and other boxes with shiny lights. They invite their church friends over, crack open the booze, and belt out CCR and Korean folk songs into the wee hours.
This reminds me of an amusing story my parents told me about a party they attended while visiting the relatives in Singapore. After dinner, without warning, their hosts busted out the karaoke machine and everyone was supposed to sing. My parents were horrified. The way they described all this, their hosts might as well have suddenly announced it was a key party.
I do not come from a karaoke family, so the thought of my fairly reserved, non-karaokeing parents being trapped in Cantopop singalong hell makes me laugh my ass off. I, on the other hand, love karaoke and I would have joined in enthusiastically. I think my parents wonder where I came from sometimes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:19 AM on July 15, 2010 [5 favorites]
I did think it was sort of inexplicable how the one guy said he was surprised when "Karen" started singing so beautifully because she was so homely. Homely?? Please. She had brunette hair and a slightly bigger nose. If that equals homely then a lot of people are really screwed.
peachfuzz: My (Korean) parents are Very Serious about their karaoke. They have an enormous home machine with a giant songbook that can reproduce the lyrics to every song in Korean, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, Mandarin, and Tagalog. My dad is an audio dude, so the noraebang machine lives on a rack with an amp, converter thing, and other boxes with shiny lights. They invite their church friends over, crack open the booze, and belt out CCR and Korean folk songs into the wee hours.
This reminds me of an amusing story my parents told me about a party they attended while visiting the relatives in Singapore. After dinner, without warning, their hosts busted out the karaoke machine and everyone was supposed to sing. My parents were horrified. The way they described all this, their hosts might as well have suddenly announced it was a key party.
I do not come from a karaoke family, so the thought of my fairly reserved, non-karaokeing parents being trapped in Cantopop singalong hell makes me laugh my ass off. I, on the other hand, love karaoke and I would have joined in enthusiastically. I think my parents wonder where I came from sometimes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 2:19 AM on July 15, 2010 [5 favorites]
Why would anyone go out and do karaoke now that there's Rock Band? I've NEVER liked karaoke and never understood the draw. I don't like singing in front of people, and I don't find it interesting to see people I don't know singing badly. The only amusing stuff is when my male friends get up and passionately sing Britney Spears songs to whichever among us happens to be the most homophobic guy - but that's only funny, like, once. Rock Band, at least, you have a goal, lots of other people are concentrating on other things (drums, guitar) and not totally paying attention to your bad singing, and you can drink for free at home. Seriously I don't get why anyone do karaoke. ::shudder::
posted by olinerd at 3:16 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by olinerd at 3:16 AM on July 15, 2010
Aww I really liked the video. The one time I did karaoke I got laughed off the stage (and I honestly wasn't that bad, just had a weak voice). And it was karaoke night on a cruise ship, so it wasn't supposed to be all serious. I didn't actually leave the stage though. I was so mortified I just sat there and cried.
I might be willing to try it again though. I've been singing karaoke online and I love it.
posted by Danila at 4:48 AM on July 15, 2010
I might be willing to try it again though. I've been singing karaoke online and I love it.
posted by Danila at 4:48 AM on July 15, 2010
At least she didn't do Fiona Apple.
Who's Fiona Apple?
posted by spinturtle at 5:01 AM on July 15, 2010
Who's Fiona Apple?
posted by spinturtle at 5:01 AM on July 15, 2010
I could tell it was her from listening.
It probably helped that you clicked on a link first that told you exactly who you'd be listening to.
I found it absolutely, profoundly amazing that the people they interviewed at the end STILL didn't know it was Jewel. "Man, don't tell Jewel, but that Karen girl sang her songs even better!"
posted by thejoshu at 5:38 AM on July 15, 2010
It probably helped that you clicked on a link first that told you exactly who you'd be listening to.
I found it absolutely, profoundly amazing that the people they interviewed at the end STILL didn't know it was Jewel. "Man, don't tell Jewel, but that Karen girl sang her songs even better!"
posted by thejoshu at 5:38 AM on July 15, 2010
Awesome.
My inner fourteen year old called from 1996 and told me to put some Jewel on my iPod, and who am I to argue?
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:52 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
My inner fourteen year old called from 1996 and told me to put some Jewel on my iPod, and who am I to argue?
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:52 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you every get a chance to see her on the Chris Isaack Show (repeats on BIO every once and awhile), I recommend it. I never really cared much for Jewel but that interview humanized her and made me like her more than I normally would. The same thing happened when I saw Garth Brooks on SNL.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 5:52 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 5:52 AM on July 15, 2010
Haters, you're my people, you know that. But I just can't get behind the idea of this as a marketing ploy. First off, it's Funny or Die; how much help can their audience be to Jewel? Second, Jewel got way too into the character ("They were really hoping Karen made it out of fast food") for even my cynical mind to dislike this. If anything it just suffered from going on too long. And, as suggested above, she should have done the big reveal as Karen or just skipped it and let people wonder if that girl from the frozen foods conference ever made it out.
By way of apology for my naïveté, here are two comments and a self-aggrandizing anecdote:
1. If they were serious about disguising her, they should have fixed her banged-up grill.1
2. The jock-ish looking fellow with his hat to the back needs to find a new persona since he gave up all pretense to his current one when he had a meltdown ("Are you SERIOUS right now?!") about a stranger's performance of a Jewel song at a karaoke bar.
Anecdote: back in the early part of this century, MayorCurley and I were browsing through a Borders when we came across the just-release volume of Jewel's poetry. After huddling together for warmth in what was clearly an even-colder world than we imagined, hizzoner asked me what it could possibly contain. I suggested the following:
"I have seen the greatest minds of my generation/
on TV."
In the interests of re-couping just a bit of the little coolness I have, the Internet-approved band The Drive-By Truckers are trading a copy of their song about girls with dental problems for email addresses. You can hear a live version here.
posted by yerfatma at 5:53 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
By way of apology for my naïveté, here are two comments and a self-aggrandizing anecdote:
1. If they were serious about disguising her, they should have fixed her banged-up grill.1
2. The jock-ish looking fellow with his hat to the back needs to find a new persona since he gave up all pretense to his current one when he had a meltdown ("Are you SERIOUS right now?!") about a stranger's performance of a Jewel song at a karaoke bar.
Anecdote: back in the early part of this century, MayorCurley and I were browsing through a Borders when we came across the just-release volume of Jewel's poetry. After huddling together for warmth in what was clearly an even-colder world than we imagined, hizzoner asked me what it could possibly contain. I suggested the following:
"I have seen the greatest minds of my generation/
on TV."
In the interests of re-couping just a bit of the little coolness I have, the Internet-approved band The Drive-By Truckers are trading a copy of their song about girls with dental problems for email addresses. You can hear a live version here.
posted by yerfatma at 5:53 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Like, they knew I'd be touched by the fact a "homely" girl would be well received singing the music of a performer known for being hot
Is Jewel really known for being hot? I never really considered her to be *hot*... And I was a crazy hormonal teenage male when she first arrived on the scene, so I considered EVERY woman to be hot. She was more cutesy, I thought.
I loved the video, even though I'm not particularly a Jewel fan (I do enjoy that one song she has though) - but the one woman talking to her, saying "Honey, it doesn't matter how ugly you are, with a voice like that you're gonna get laid all the time!" I couldn't believe it, who actually SAYS things like that to people's faces?
Also, I can't resist...
Metafilter: some kind of drunken endurance Thunderdome
posted by antifuse at 6:07 AM on July 15, 2010
Is Jewel really known for being hot? I never really considered her to be *hot*... And I was a crazy hormonal teenage male when she first arrived on the scene, so I considered EVERY woman to be hot. She was more cutesy, I thought.
I loved the video, even though I'm not particularly a Jewel fan (I do enjoy that one song she has though) - but the one woman talking to her, saying "Honey, it doesn't matter how ugly you are, with a voice like that you're gonna get laid all the time!" I couldn't believe it, who actually SAYS things like that to people's faces?
Also, I can't resist...
Metafilter: some kind of drunken endurance Thunderdome
posted by antifuse at 6:07 AM on July 15, 2010
explain the many different camera angles, and unless they were all shot on phones (which WOULD have been sneaky) i don't know whatnot
DEVO WHIP IT if they have it or CYNDI LAUPER TIME AFTER TIME try it you'll like it
posted by Hammond Rye at 6:29 AM on July 15, 2010
DEVO WHIP IT if they have it or CYNDI LAUPER TIME AFTER TIME try it you'll like it
posted by Hammond Rye at 6:29 AM on July 15, 2010
I couldn't believe it, who actually SAYS things like that to people's faces?
The truly inebriated. Once you've given up on your own dreams, others' become very important.
posted by yerfatma at 6:54 AM on July 15, 2010
The truly inebriated. Once you've given up on your own dreams, others' become very important.
posted by yerfatma at 6:54 AM on July 15, 2010
I think they managed to inadvertently add one of the other meanings of "gaslight" back into the name of the joint.
posted by adipocere at 7:00 AM on July 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by adipocere at 7:00 AM on July 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
This was mildly entertaining. But what would have been really impressive would have been if she'd shown up at Punk Rock Heavy Metal Karaoke and just rocked the hell out of "Ace of Spades." KAREN! KAREN!
posted by sldownard at 7:05 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by sldownard at 7:05 AM on July 15, 2010
I'm in a competitive karaoke league (theoretically competitive anyway). My team is called "Bringing the WTF" because we like to sing Camper van Beethoven and other obscure stuff when we can, and we get killed in competition because nobody's ever heard of a bunch of our song choices. A night full of frozen food conventioneers singing Jewel at a karaoke bar, even if Karen is Jewel so she can at least hit all the notes--a trait not everyone in league shares, to be sure--is pretty close to my idea of karaoke hell. I suppose it could be worse. At least it's not Journey.
(Jewel seems cute and sweet in the video. I still have no desire to hear her music.)
posted by immlass at 7:33 AM on July 15, 2010
(Jewel seems cute and sweet in the video. I still have no desire to hear her music.)
posted by immlass at 7:33 AM on July 15, 2010
My (Korean) parents are Very Serious about their karaoke.
Someone I know, a Canadian woman, who taught English in Japan for something like eight months told me how much she HATED karaoke there. The Japanese take their karaoke Very Seriously as well, and it's common for them to take lessons in how to do it better, but even so most people who do it there are excruciatingly bad at it. And in Japan when one goes to a karaoke bar it is considered very bad manners to talk during the performances, and the bar patrons are also obligated to clap after every performance. So for the whole night, you're stuck listening to these horrible performances and you're not allowed to talk. It sounds like hell.
posted by orange swan at 7:56 AM on July 15, 2010
Someone I know, a Canadian woman, who taught English in Japan for something like eight months told me how much she HATED karaoke there. The Japanese take their karaoke Very Seriously as well, and it's common for them to take lessons in how to do it better, but even so most people who do it there are excruciatingly bad at it. And in Japan when one goes to a karaoke bar it is considered very bad manners to talk during the performances, and the bar patrons are also obligated to clap after every performance. So for the whole night, you're stuck listening to these horrible performances and you're not allowed to talk. It sounds like hell.
posted by orange swan at 7:56 AM on July 15, 2010
Honey, it doesn't matter how ugly you are, with a voice like that you're gonna get laid all the time!" I couldn't believe it, who actually SAYS things like that to people's faces? Also, I can't resist...
Em, Drunk people
posted by delmoi at 8:05 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Em, Drunk people
posted by delmoi at 8:05 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Em, Drunk people
That's usually my excuse the next morning.
posted by Big_B at 8:25 AM on July 15, 2010
That's usually my excuse the next morning.
posted by Big_B at 8:25 AM on July 15, 2010
I didn't watch the video, but I've got a karaoke anecdote. I was waiting for a bus in San Antonio last summer and decided to duck into a karaoke bar for a quick beer. Some guy was singing Two Tickets to Paradise with such conviction that I was completely convinced that it was the real Eddie Money. Looked and sounded just like him.
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 8:31 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by battleshipkropotkin at 8:31 AM on July 15, 2010
I'm still disappointed that Jewel fixed her teeth. Now she's very pretty but bland. The crooked teeth were adorable.
posted by rusty at 8:59 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by rusty at 8:59 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
And in Japan when one goes to a karaoke bar it is considered very bad manners to talk during the performances, and the bar patrons are also obligated to clap after every performance. So for the whole night, you're stuck listening to these horrible performances and you're not allowed to talk. It sounds like hell.
So, there's no irony in it? That would be difficult.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:34 AM on July 15, 2010
So, there's no irony in it? That would be difficult.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:34 AM on July 15, 2010
Yes, the lack of irony would take all the fun out of it. I enjoy karaoke the way we do it in North America. One of my favourites was the time a guy got up and did a solo rendition of "Up Where We Belong" (which of course is meant to be a male/female duet), alternating between a tenor and a falsetto. Cracked us all up, because he was clowning around.
Another great moment was the time I heard a woman doing a song. She was about 50, rather dumpy, with bleached blond hair and thick glasses, and because she'd ridden her snowmobile to the bar, wore snowpants over a sweatershirt with Christmas appliqués on it. But she had presence and dignity and when she opened her mouth to sing, she had a voice like velvet. She served up that song, and at one point approached a man of about thirty who was sitting near the stage and sang to him like she was Lena Horne. He appeared to be enjoying himself, but was a little discomfited by the attention, and we laughed at him, not at her.
Then there was the time I saw a group of young girls get up to try to do "Locomotion". But they couldn't sing and didn't know the song anyway. So they all stood there like a pack of deer in headlights and every once in a while managed to chime in, reasonably together, with a "DO THE LOCOMOTION". I don't mind applauding everyone who sings, because, hey, they gave it an old college try, but karoke wouldn't be much fun if you couldn't laugh, and especially if you couldn't chat while people were singing.
posted by orange swan at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2010
Another great moment was the time I heard a woman doing a song. She was about 50, rather dumpy, with bleached blond hair and thick glasses, and because she'd ridden her snowmobile to the bar, wore snowpants over a sweatershirt with Christmas appliqués on it. But she had presence and dignity and when she opened her mouth to sing, she had a voice like velvet. She served up that song, and at one point approached a man of about thirty who was sitting near the stage and sang to him like she was Lena Horne. He appeared to be enjoying himself, but was a little discomfited by the attention, and we laughed at him, not at her.
Then there was the time I saw a group of young girls get up to try to do "Locomotion". But they couldn't sing and didn't know the song anyway. So they all stood there like a pack of deer in headlights and every once in a while managed to chime in, reasonably together, with a "DO THE LOCOMOTION". I don't mind applauding everyone who sings, because, hey, they gave it an old college try, but karoke wouldn't be much fun if you couldn't laugh, and especially if you couldn't chat while people were singing.
posted by orange swan at 9:47 AM on July 15, 2010
Some guy was singing Two Tickets to Paradise with such conviction that I was completely convinced that it was the real Eddie Money. Looked and sounded just like him.
Unlikely given his busy schedule. If you'd told me the guy driving your bus was Eddie Money, that I'd believe.
posted by yerfatma at 10:26 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Unlikely given his busy schedule. If you'd told me the guy driving your bus was Eddie Money, that I'd believe.
posted by yerfatma at 10:26 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Blazecock Pileon: "At least she didn't do Fiona Apple."
Hating on Fiona Apple just makes you sound stupid.
posted by Bonzai at 10:38 AM on July 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
Hating on Fiona Apple just makes you sound stupid.
posted by Bonzai at 10:38 AM on July 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
Eddie Money has a busy schedule?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:07 AM on July 15, 2010
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:07 AM on July 15, 2010
You must be joking.
Look at all of the cameras, folks. And the overall quality of the shoot (except for one or two token camera phone video shots), the framing, the panning..
How many cameras were taken on that shoot?
So do they have professional mutli-camera shoots like that for every karaoke event at that establishment?
In case you're not following this so far: this was staged.
posted by L'OM at 11:14 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Look at all of the cameras, folks. And the overall quality of the shoot (except for one or two token camera phone video shots), the framing, the panning..
How many cameras were taken on that shoot?
So do they have professional mutli-camera shoots like that for every karaoke event at that establishment?
In case you're not following this so far: this was staged.
posted by L'OM at 11:14 AM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I don't get it, L'OM. I don't think anyone's saying that the audience didn't know that there were cameras. I mean, they do audience interviews in the video.
There were TV cameras at the restaurant where I watched a World Cup game. And they interviewed me. That didn't make the game fake.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:02 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
There were TV cameras at the restaurant where I watched a World Cup game. And they interviewed me. That didn't make the game fake.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:02 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nah, they were using little HD Sony Bloggies or something.
Yeah, right at the start they introduced the "crew" and you could see a few of them were kitted up.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 2:06 PM on July 15, 2010
Yeah, right at the start they introduced the "crew" and you could see a few of them were kitted up.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 2:06 PM on July 15, 2010
In case anyone's still wondering, yes, a couple of crew members in the audience had cameras (there was a hidden one, too), but they were the new high-quality HD cameras that everyone's starting to use that just look like good old-fashioned SLRs. The audience was not in on the joke. Almost no one in the bar was, including most of the staff.
posted by Sinner at 8:30 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Sinner at 8:30 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Um, there's competitive karaoke?
And Camper Van Beethoven karaoke?
Where do I sign up?!??
posted by smartyboots at 10:36 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
And Camper Van Beethoven karaoke?
Where do I sign up?!??
posted by smartyboots at 10:36 PM on July 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
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And I liked them back in the day.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:39 PM on July 14, 2010 [4 favorites]