It’s 2007. The entire world has been put through the fucking wringer by the Yokel-In-Chief over the past seven years. And a lot of comedians have gotten plenty of mileage from making fun of him.
But really, George W. has made it too easy. Whether you’re on the left or the right, it’s hard to ignore the seeming 8-year-old child in the Oval office, especially when he utters thoughtless non sequiturs like:
“I am to be a competitive nation.”
“Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.”
“I’m the decider, and I decide what is best.”
I know, I know. Posting W’s retarded little manglings of the English language is as played out as saying Karl Rove looks like a human penis. We all know that if a penis decided to become a person, it would look like Karl. And we all know that when he gets excited (about tax cuts or sending more young Americans to their death or to become cripples), he secretes a mucus-like fluid from his cranium.
In the same vein (no pun intended), we all know that Emperor W is missing a brain. So, is it still worth the effort to make fun of him after all the late night wisecracks and Internet put-downs that have spilled forth since 2000?
Fuck it. We think so…
Well, spring has officially sprung. Trees are in bloom, pollen is everywhere, and National Public Radio is officially chaffing my ass.
Their spring pledge drive is in full motherfuckin’ effizzle, which means every 15 minutes, NPR treats its listeners to a lengthy guilt trip about donating money to them. Sometimes, it’s brought to you by Terri Gross. Sometimes, it’s Ira Glass. Occasionally, it’s a random celebrity like Robert freakin’ Plant. No joke. Mr. “Squeeze My Lemon” did a little spot yesterday about how much he loves rock ‘n roll, drugs and public radio.
One of my favorite tactics of theirs is the quasi-ransom threat. In effect, they say, “If you would just send us enough money to meet our goals, we could call this pledge drive off right now, and get back to our regular broadcast.” Bullshit!! I call bullshit on that. They enjoy their little “poor-us-we-have-no-money” game too much. We could give them all the gold in the world, and they’d still trot out Angela Lansbury or somebody like that to implore me to slap another donation on my already maxed-out credit card.
Oh wait. Is Angela Lansbury dead?? Because if she is, I would really feel guilty then.
Anywho, I’ll rant some more about NPR later. In the meantime, let’s rejoice in another waning cultural phenomenon: Lost. Does anyone still watch the show? WTF are the writers thinking? If anyone has insight into the latter, it’s the NYC homeboys in Olde English. Check out their version of a Lost writers meeting. I defy anyone to say their plot points are any less insane than the real ones.
Also, this is some fucked up shit having to do with meat and sex. I thought I’d share it with you beautiful people…
Some call it being frugal, others call themselves conservationists (as in, their own funds), but Jonah Ray has it spot-on. He’s a freeloader and he’s proud of it. Of course, to a lot of us being cheap doesn’t come naturally, which is why Super Deluxe presents The Freeloader’s Guide to Easy Living, by none other than the aforementioned Mr. Ray.
We look forward to future guides on dating, eating for free when the first of the month seems too far away, and entertaining oneself without shelling out for cover charges; but in the meantime, let’s see how this young indie turk gets loaded without unloading his wallet:
There. I said it. And I don’t care.
I suppose it’s not the wisest idea to insult you, dear blog reader, who also happens to constitute this Web site’s audience. After all, a few choices words might be all it takes to completely alienate you and thousands of other viewers. And then, before you know it, you guys are all back to watching videos about bulls driving Toyotas or something HILARIOUS like that on lesser sites.
But seriuosly. Y’all So Stupid (#1):
One more year? Two more years?? How much longer before the cultural nostalgia merry-go-round brings us back to the days of Lollapalooza and flannel?
I’m talking about…
That’s right. When’s THAT coming back? Because we all know it’s not a question of “if.”
Answers?
While you contemplate, check out the hot Brazilian beats of the Archduke. He never goes out of style.
Look, I don’t know about the rest of the world. Maybe the guy who was in the Hummer next to me on the off-ramp this morning cries because he’s got a microscopic dick. Probably not, but maybe. Perhaps the cute chick who cut me off on the parkway cries because she wants to choke her children. How should I know? I’ll tell you guys this much: I know why I must cry.
I must cry because I still want to be in South By Southwest Land, where the bands just keep playing and I keep stumbling around the streets of Austin, searching for a bratwurst to gnaw on.
But I digress.
I would like to ask you, dear readers, why THIS man must cry:
You know the video. Now meet the man behind the music. Today, our very own Kid From Brooklyn interviews Reh Dogg to find out why he must … make such a fucked-up video.
And don’t forget to leave me a comment, telling Super Deluxe why you must cry, too.
First off, this isn’t Pitchfork, so don’t expect any elaborate descriptions likening Peter Bjorn and John’s performance last Wednesday in Austin to a Wilhelm Reich essay on modernity. Up until a few moments ago, when I Wikied Reich, I thought he was the periscope operator in “Das Boot.” Not to mention that I originally assumed Peter Bjorn and John was the name of a gay day spa in New York.
However, I will say that I experienced what can only be described as a total sensory overload of music (and comedy) at this year’s South By Southwest festival. I think some 2,000 bands played in the span of four days. And those were just the acts that were “officially” listed.
Wherever I went in Austin, I was immersed in music. I’d sit down at a local Mexican restaurant, and there’d be some cool band playing on the patio. I’d use the bathroom, and there would be some singer-songwriter doing an acoustic set next to the urinal. I’d walk around the block, and there’d be a group of buskers serenading me. One night, a homeless dude even tried to get me to do a “mic check” on his crack pipe. Whatever that meant.
And then there’s the actual music venues: the clubs, the bars, the concert halls, the tents, the fucking McDonald’s. They were all packed at all times with an ever-changing roster of bands. Sometimes two or three different acts would be playing in different rooms of the same place at the same time. Sometimes it seemed like two different bands were playing in different times on the same stage.
Of course, to hear the music, you had to schlep to the music. And that, my friends, was the second biggest activity at the conference. You schlep everywhere. You schlep to the shows, you schlep to the parties, you schlep to meet up with your friends. I met one hipster who had been schlepping for so long, evolution had taken over, and his man-purse actually grew into an appendage.
Speaking of hipsters! Does anybody know how many it takes to see a show at South By Southwest? 100. Ten to watch the band, five to blog about it, and 85 others to stand in line for it. Now multiply that equation by five-fucking-million, and you’ll have some sense of the impromptu population of scenesters, gawkers, shit-talkers and rockers that descended on the Texas capital last week.
And what an ironically homogenous group of non-conformists we were. For the boys: disheveled, skinny, and mustached was the look (as opposed to preppy, fat and clean-shaven?). I swear to God, there was enough lip hair there to form a complete chain of “Ironic Moustaches Across America” coast to coast. Only the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca can boast more facial scruff for your buck.
For the girls—and I’m not even going to pretend to know what the hot-shit fashion of the moment really is—Olsen Twin chic still seems to be holding sway. You’d suspect every cute indie chick was nursing a black eye, judging by all the oversized sunglasses being donned.
But I digress. Overall, South By Southwest was a lovely affair. Despite the long lines, the crowds and the drunkenness, I can’t remember seeing even one person having a bad time. For the most part, the attendees were cheery and polite, and the locals, gracious and inviting.
Lastly, our party was a blast, and if you couldn’t make it, you better axe somebody! Big ups go out to following peeps for making it the best damn two-day comedy/music extravaganza there: David Cross, Aziz Ansari, Eugene Mirman, Brian Posehn, Jon Benjamin, Hard & Phirm, Jonah Ray, Michael Showalter, Zach Galifianakis, Jon Glaser, Leo Allen, Les Savy Fav, The Black Angels, Andrew W.K., Dark Meat, Brother Reade, Spindrift, Danava, Matt & Kim, David Vandervelde, The Apples In Stereo, Ladyhawk, Fatal Flying Guiltoteens, The Carbonas, The Cubical, Dead Meadow, The Walkmen, The Black Lips, The Ponys, Deerhunter, Fucked Up, Sloan, Erase Errata, Sean Blacklist, Adam Hobbs, Henry Owings and Jared and the entire staff at Red 7.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, mothertruckers!
If you’re not swimming in a sea of green beer today and find yourself in Austin, why not come down to our fine party, MESS WITH TEXAS, DAY 2!
Thanks for everyone who came out yesterday and waited in line for our very democratic party (no badges required!), especially to all the comedians who made us laugh—and, of course, all the incredible musical acts who rocked our world. We’re sifting through pics and footage we’re dying to show you (that’s all but hindered by our slooooooow hotel Internet hook-up and our alcohol-rotted minds), so stay tuned.
In the meantime, here are some random pix of our Texas invasion.
If you’re in Austin and want a dose of some awesome comedy to go with your muzak, come to our party today and tomorrow… Noon - 6 pm.
Look, there’s already been a lot of scuttlebutt online about this little-known multimedia conference in Houston, TX. I’ll admit, I’ve been privy to some of the more outrageous tall tales about some of the musical acts. Like the one about Evanescence. Supposedly, they’re going to dedicate a special acoustic set to the late Anna Nicole Smith. While I have not seen anything to support this, it sure sound like it would be a moving experience.
Now, I’m no music industry insider, but I’ll let you guys in on some real hot tips about this year’s must-see highlights. There is word that Jim Croce will both be reuniting for the event; I’m not really sure what they sound like, but I’ve heard a lot of scary shit about their lead singer, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. There’s also a rumor going around about a possible late-night, invite-only showcase by DJ Jazzy Jeff. And I’ve also heard through the proverbial grapevine that Yoko Ono will be standing in a cardboard box on 6th St., screaming at random people and demanding falafel.
Here’s what I’m most excited about! Sting (my favorite!) is reportedly taking time off from the recent Police reunion shows to stage another reunion of sorts: word is he, Rod Stewart, and muthafuckin’ Bryan Adams will be coming together one last time to perform their classic “All For Love” from the 1993 Three Muskateers soundtrack. Can you believe it?? The boys are back in town!!
I’m going to cut myself off now, lest I divulge all of my SXSW secrets. But I will leave you guys with this final lil’ nugget: apparently, Fall Out Boy is planning on taking a shit at the Chili’s off of exit 259 in suburban Houston. Not sure if that will be affiliated with the conference, but I’ve heard tell that there will be a podcast forthcoming.
Anywho, whatever you’re doing this week, just know that we here at Super Deluxe will be enjoying ourselves in the warm Texas sun, drinking warm beer and wearing unseasonably warm clothes. We’re trying to lose weight.
Oh, and apparently we’re also helping put this on.
SXSW Lost In Austin Brad Neely Super Deluxe Tim and Eric Nite Live Make Funny Not War music Baby Cakes Rants Bob Odenkirk Podcasts Atlanta Jonah Ray Professor Brothers Eugene Mirman Watch and Listen odd Austin Texas interviews Olde English Fark TV Devin Flynn Y'all So Stupid Chelsea Peretti Mess With Texas 2 Super Deluxe Uploaders Site Updates Daily Inspiration Launch blogs Hard N Phirm Xmas MySpace Drugs Are Bad Mmkay Reviews Dave Hill Thank You news Frumondah South By Southwest Super Deluxe employees Super Deluxe blog Tim And Eric NYC The Post Show Ben Schwartz Cartoon Corner All My Exes David Cross
