Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday Jukebox: Sometimes a special theory of relativity is just a special theory of relativity Edition

Because Mr. Newman is in town this week......and because I love the idea of Sigmund, cigar in teeth, spoofing Albert for his pals in Vienna whilst poking fun the the Land of Opportunity.

Here's one more. Just because he's a funny guy, too.That's why I love Mankind.

7 comments:

Ael said...

All I know about Mr. Newman is what I saw from these two clips.

For some ill defined reason, I have no desire to ever watch a third.

FDChief said...

I didn't like the guy when I first heard him, either.

It's not the singing. It's the songs. Guy has a witty, cutting edge and a terrific sense of the stupid things people, especially American people, do all the time.

Or, as in the case of "God's Song", people, period.

I mean, when you think of it, what could be sillier than a pack of hairless monkeys imagining themselves the pinnacle of Creation...other than them thinking that an omniscient, omnipotent Being could give two shits what they were up to?

"Mankind means nothing,
Means nothing to me,
Than the lowliest cactus flower,
Or the meanest yucca tree.
He wanders 'round this desert.
'Cause he thinks that's where I'll be..."

Anonymous said...

Ya, Newman's an acquired taste, and I ain't acquired it yet. Aside from his affected singing style, his lyrics rub me the wrong way.
But, it's been awhile since I've been around your place, sorta like the neighbor across the street that you haven't seen for weeks, ya know?

Juggling 3 jobs, one of which is about to suffer mission creep, is keeping me out of the loop. Plus the usual Sturm und Drang of keeping house and home together.
:)
The online schooling is out for the summer, so the situation will ease up some then.

Otherwise, I'm fine, how are you guys?

bb

Ael said...

What could be sillier indeed?

What about the silliness of a hairless ape thinking he can adquately judge the silliness of other hairless apes?

I guess that is why I didn't like his songs. They lack the humility of knowing that they are just as messed up as everyone else's.

Look at Monty Python for a better way to do it.

FDChief said...

Ael: Python? Humility?

Is there another group of British comic actors I have missed? Because I wouldn't consider their work "humble" in any way. Their entire opus consists of taking an immense whack at most of the human race in an openly contemptuous way. Their saving grace is that their contempt is also enormously funny.

Passing judgement on the stupidity of humanity is a Python feature, not a bug. They and ol' Randy probably get on like beer and pretzels.

FDChief said...

bb: Not so well, really. Going though one of my periodic "what the fuck do I do this for" funks, between the manifest venality and insularity of the U.S. ruling class, the gullibility and ignorance of the public, and the prospects for my children's future looking considerably worse than my own, I'm having a really hard time finding the energy to do more than tend my own small plot of land, emotionally and intellectually speaking.

I want to blog about it, a little, but it's really not a very interesting tale, even to me, but it's kept me from posting here for weeks and looks to continue to do so.

Faugh.

Ael said...

Maybe humility is the wrong word, but listening to Mr. Newman gave me an impression of inherent arrogance.

Monty Python does not take themselves seriously (or rather they do, but only until they hit themselves with a large trout and silly-walk rapidly away).

It's not a case of "I'm smart and they are stupid", rather a case of "They are stupid, I am stupid, you are stupid, whee! everyone's stupid!

The second approach is far more inclusive. Nothing is sacred, especially themselves.