Falling like Timber
June 23, 2024 4:26 PM Subscribe
Todd in the Shadows' Trainwreckords episode on Justin Timberlake's baffling Man of the Woods, cementing his seemingly permanent step away from the spotlight and a look at the critical drubbing his reception has gotten over the past half-decade or so.
Previously with Todd: One-Hit Wonderlands on "Barbie Girl", "Relax", Trainwreckords episode on Nickelback's No Fixed Address, 'Songs that stop on the word 'stop'' compilation
Previously with Todd: One-Hit Wonderlands on "Barbie Girl", "Relax", Trainwreckords episode on Nickelback's No Fixed Address, 'Songs that stop on the word 'stop'' compilation
@ChurchHatesTucker this video has been out for a while on his Patreon and Nebula before finally releasing it on Youtube.
posted by Pachylad at 4:50 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
posted by Pachylad at 4:50 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
Ah, that explains that.
There's a bit at the end where Todd says that Justin should be doing a country album now, but he's already blown it. I'm not sure that he'd be any better today, but timing seems to be a perpetual problem.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:29 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
There's a bit at the end where Todd says that Justin should be doing a country album now, but he's already blown it. I'm not sure that he'd be any better today, but timing seems to be a perpetual problem.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:29 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
Polka's gonna be next. Already heard an ad for a show featuring country hits played polka style. You just swap the drum machine plugin out for the pedal steel/banjo/fiddle plugin for the accordion plugin and you've got three careers in a row. Four if you sing in Spanish.
Yoostin Timbührlaken -- Man of the Squeezebox.
Or you get whacked by Weird Al. That's a real risk there.
posted by stet at 6:20 PM on June 23 [6 favorites]
Yoostin Timbührlaken -- Man of the Squeezebox.
Or you get whacked by Weird Al. That's a real risk there.
posted by stet at 6:20 PM on June 23 [6 favorites]
Totally serious here, I've always been baffled as to why polka has never busted out mainstream in the US, despite deep regional roots in the Midwest/East and along the southern border via norteño music. The Afro/Scots-Irish meld of traditions seems to just dominate North American pop music to this day.
posted by 2N2222 at 7:01 PM on June 23 [3 favorites]
posted by 2N2222 at 7:01 PM on June 23 [3 favorites]
This is going to ruin the tour.
posted by cendawanita at 8:22 PM on June 23 [10 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 8:22 PM on June 23 [10 favorites]
I've always been baffled as to why polka has never busted out mainstream in the US
It kind of did for a while. See, e.g., the other Yankovic.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:47 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
It kind of did for a while. See, e.g., the other Yankovic.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 8:47 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]
Well, and Norteño. But for whatever reason the good folks at clear channel or sinclair or whomever it is today haven't programmed it that way. Like, if the music from the narcocorrido episode of CSI had made it into the GTA soundtrack it would have taken over the world.
Also, it turns out watching 90s 80s-nostalgia horror movies causes me to write the most Gen X things imaginable.
posted by stet at 10:38 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
Also, it turns out watching 90s 80s-nostalgia horror movies causes me to write the most Gen X things imaginable.
posted by stet at 10:38 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
Man you guys hate JT so much y'all'd rather discuss polka, huh.
posted by Pachylad at 3:36 AM on June 24 [9 favorites]
posted by Pachylad at 3:36 AM on June 24 [9 favorites]
I probably know more about polka than I do Timberlake (Disney baby, N*Sync, one of Britney Spears's worst boyfriends, his-and-hers-denim, Janet Jackson, DWI, uh... I think he's from Memphis), and I don't know much about polka.
But I'll take a stab at it.
The album had four singles, and they all got videos: 'Filthy,' 'Supplies,' 'Say Something,' 'Man of the Woods.'
Pitchfork was not a big fan of Man of the Woods:
But I'll take a stab at it.
The album had four singles, and they all got videos: 'Filthy,' 'Supplies,' 'Say Something,' 'Man of the Woods.'
Pitchfork was not a big fan of Man of the Woods:
Man of the Woods is a misstep large enough to merit relitigating Justin Timberlake’s status as a pop superstar. How much of his career should we chalk up to fortune, privilege, and an essential malleability?posted by box at 6:02 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
I'm just tickled by the implications of this essay that my country is somehow part of his downfall from being cool. Good work everybody. Carry on, while I wait for the NSync reunion tour*.
*I mean it.
posted by cendawanita at 7:38 AM on June 24
*I mean it.
posted by cendawanita at 7:38 AM on June 24
Has anyone done a "dick in a car" reference yet?
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:38 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:38 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Man you guys hate JT so much y'all'd rather discuss polka, huh.
I don't hate him, but I don't think anyone really liked him that much. He was famous because he was famous. I think ToddoftheShadows gets that part wrong, while basically kind of ignoring the mediocre music he was making. He wanted to be a movie star instead, but wasn't very good at that either. And nothing wrong with dance music, but it's necessarily time-limited in terms of fame and sales.
Also turning towards country when you make dance soul is a hard turn to make - did non-fans even actually like Beyonce's country turn? IMO, not really, even if it was made purposefully on her part.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:35 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
I don't hate him, but I don't think anyone really liked him that much. He was famous because he was famous. I think ToddoftheShadows gets that part wrong, while basically kind of ignoring the mediocre music he was making. He wanted to be a movie star instead, but wasn't very good at that either. And nothing wrong with dance music, but it's necessarily time-limited in terms of fame and sales.
Also turning towards country when you make dance soul is a hard turn to make - did non-fans even actually like Beyonce's country turn? IMO, not really, even if it was made purposefully on her part.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:35 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]
How much of his career should we chalk up to fortune, privilege, and an essential malleability?
Justin Timberlake is a creature of The Machine, first Disney, then RCA, then whichever movie studio thought he could transition to leading male actor. He has had the backing of high level entertainment executives throughout his career, millions of dollars shoveled in to prop him up and he’s been good enough for a decent ROI. But only good enough. I suspect what’s lacking with JT is timelessness. He’s a pop star of a particular age but apparently only that age.
posted by Eikonaut at 12:02 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Justin Timberlake is a creature of The Machine, first Disney, then RCA, then whichever movie studio thought he could transition to leading male actor. He has had the backing of high level entertainment executives throughout his career, millions of dollars shoveled in to prop him up and he’s been good enough for a decent ROI. But only good enough. I suspect what’s lacking with JT is timelessness. He’s a pop star of a particular age but apparently only that age.
posted by Eikonaut at 12:02 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
He’s a pop star of a particular age but apparently only that age.
Completely agree. And IMO he lasted an impressively long time for being a man of the machine.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
Completely agree. And IMO he lasted an impressively long time for being a man of the machine.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on June 24 [1 favorite]
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posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 4:35 PM on June 23 [1 favorite]