CALL 1-800-HELLO NASTY

May 22, 2013 9:21 PM

If you were watching late-night television in July 1998 you may have seen the half-hour informercial parody that the Beastie Boys produced to promote their upcoming album, Hello Nasty. The ad features Mike D, MCA , and Ad-Rock taking on roles to shill everything from the services of phone psychics to get-rich-quick scams to a food processor that plays songs from the upcoming LP. (Warning: video auto-loads.)

To navigate the main link above:
Click NEXT below the YouTube frame to go to part 2. Click MORE INFO ABOUT THIS SHOW for background on the infomercial. (Sadly, part three of the infomercial is now copyright-blocked in the U.S. but that doesn't detract from the other videos.)

Direct links to YouTube:
Hello Nasty Informercial Pt. 1 (SLYT)
Hello Nasty Informercial Pt. 2 (SLYT)
Hello Nasty Informercial Pt. 3 (SLYT)

posted by Room 641-A (8 comments total)

Does anybody else remember the Fun Lovin' Criminals Infomercial for their first album? I fuckin' saw it way back in like 96, but I can't seem to find anything on the net about it. Not to dis the Beasties, cuz, you know - sorry FLC, it's the Beasties nothing can top them. But... I think FLC did do it before them (I wonder if there are other precedents?)

Regardless, I never saw the Hello Nasty, so time to check-ch-ch-ch-check-a-check it out :)
posted by symbioid at 9:39 PM on May 22, 2013

Ha, this is awesome! I remember seeing them live for Check Your Head and it literally changed my life.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:25 PM on May 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

@KokuRyu go on...
posted by sexymofo at 3:58 AM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

this is great, don't know how i've missed this before. Mike D's fitness guy is great, esp when he cracks up..
posted by rollerball at 6:06 AM on May 23, 2013

and the psychic guy is super funny! Who is that?
posted by rollerball at 6:08 AM on May 23, 2013

Money Mark maybe?
posted by Hoopo at 7:21 AM on May 23, 2013

KokuRyu go on...

Nothing particularly interesting, it's just that I suddenly learned there was world of music beyond Rush and Kim Mitchell. I started volunteering at the campus radio station. I started smoking dope. I met girls. But it all started seeing the Beastie Boys at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:55 AM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

Check your Head was amazing, very similar effect on me KokuRyu. Hearing Check Your Head, ATCQ's Midnight Marauders, and Del's No Need For Alarm fully renewed my interest in hip hop, which had tapered off somewhat. The last hip hop album I bought before Check Your Head was probably PE's Fear of a Black Planet, and then my interests strayed to punk and "grunge".

I had been a fan of the Beasties before that, but for whatever reason Hello Nasty connected with me the least of any of their albums before To The 5 Burroughs (probably their most disappointing IMO). Hot Sauce Committee is a pleasant surprise though.
posted by Hoopo at 10:50 AM on May 23, 2013