Hey Numa Numa Make My Dreams Come True

December 18, 2009 3:28 PM

"When will there be a MetaFilter lipdub to put these punks to shame?"

"It would be a 20,000 person version of "Numa Numa"." *shudders*

Am I the only person who thinks this is a) organizable, b) doable, c) not the stupidest idea in the world? (Well, besides the Numa Numa thing.) MeFi, what say you?

I can't help it, I see nifty, I want to join in.

posted by cereselle to MetaFilter-Related at 3:28 PM (164 comments total)

I'm in, but can in no way organize. I see some sort of monitors within monitors setup....
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:40 PM on December 18, 2009

Not Numa Numa. Also, this would have to be done in one locale since it's a one take deal.

So, NYC, duh.
posted by defenestration at 3:41 PM on December 18, 2009

Is it absolutely necessary that it be a one-take steadicam shot? Yes, that is part of the coolth, but it seems like with such a far-flung membership, we could do something cool that doesn't involve everyone being in one place. JMO.
posted by cereselle at 3:48 PM on December 18, 2009

I think we could do something nifty with (a) a Brady Bunch-esque type of individual boxes of people singing or dancing at their computers, (b) a few gatherings in big MeFi gathering areas, and (c) individual dance/song bits from prominent MeFites and/or especially talented ones.

The problem is the pre-production and the editing; someone would have to do the hard work of setting everything up. We tried this once with that MeFi documentary-type thing a few years ago. I had to back out because of other obligations, and I wouldn't be able to play a major role in this either. But if we've got folks with the follow-through that is required, I'd be up for helping as much as I could.

Oh. Another suggestion -- we do our own arrangement of whatever song is picked (and clearly it should be Africa by Toto) -- and include a medly of MeFi Music in the bridge.
posted by brina at 3:54 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I'm down with doing it kind of.. um.. online, like, so we can participate en masse.
posted by kbanas at 3:55 PM on December 18, 2009

Isn't Jessamyn's idea about the screens the solution to doing it in more than one location? If the camera in location A zooms in on a laptop playing the next segment from location B...
posted by prefpara at 3:55 PM on December 18, 2009

I have one word for you. Prisencolinensinainciusol.
posted by zamboni at 4:02 PM on December 18, 2009 [33 favorites]

Is it too late to append a hamburger there? Should I clarify that I was not referring to a shudder of happy anticipation?
posted by GuyZero at 4:08 PM on December 18, 2009

I can see it now, MetaFilter's A Carol Through Computers, featuring PinkStainlessTail holiday favorite, Jingle Rock Bell!
posted by carsonb at 4:15 PM on December 18, 2009 [3 favorites]

Yes. I have a Flip cam, little to no shame, and a love of karaoke. LET'S DO THIS

(um, if someone else organizes and edits it.)
posted by chowflap at 4:18 PM on December 18, 2009

a Brady Bunch-esque type of individual boxes... like this!!!
posted by milkrate at 4:30 PM on December 18, 2009 [7 favorites]

Isn't Jessamyn's idea about the screens the solution to doing it in more than one location? If the camera in location A zooms in on a laptop playing the next segment from location B...

This could be cool. A large meetup where a bunch of people bring their laptops, with each laptop being used to play a video of single take lipdubs from solo users and/or smaller meetups. The camera can rove around from the people there at the physical meetup to the screens playing other users' videos. Hell, you don't even need laptops, people could play the videos on their iphones or droids or whatever devices they gots.

The hard part would be syncing up all the videos, but we could create an audio file that has like a three minute countdown for everyone to use for their videos so there'd be plenty of time to sync up before the actual take.

I guarantee that the hardest part of however this project comes to be is going to be getting people to agree on a song.
posted by dogwalker at 4:31 PM on December 18, 2009

I knew when I saw the comment that someone would try to organize this. I think its a cool idea, but have no technical knowledge or ability to help with it. About all I can do is suggest a song:

I Got You Babe.
posted by never used baby shoes at 4:48 PM on December 18, 2009

I have one word for you. Prisencolinensinainciusol.

Jesus christ I cannot favorite that idea enough.
posted by anazgnos at 4:56 PM on December 18, 2009

Well, something like this would probably work quite well - have each member/video clip interact with the next in some small but continuous way?
posted by Phire at 4:56 PM on December 18, 2009

Crap, wait, that is NOT the proposal video I thought it was. My bad. Maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about? A blogger proposed to his girlfriend by having a whole bunch of his blogger friends take video clips of themselves in which each clip featured someone receiving, and then giving away, a box (and it was made to look as though they were passing the box to each other). The box eventually made its way to the groom, who carried it with him to meet his girlfriend.
posted by Phire at 5:00 PM on December 18, 2009

THIS ONE.

(How embarrassing. Three-minute edit window, guys. I'm serious.)
posted by Phire at 5:02 PM on December 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

I may regret this in the long run, but I am provisionally willing to do the editing if people can accomplish the everything-else first.

Agreed that coming up with, and ironing out, a solid concept for transitions between disparate takes at separate locations is going to be the key thing.

Also noting that we're going to inevitably come away from this with wildly varying video quality given expected variation in video hardware and videography skills that various participants will have—everything from a crappo webcam in an unlit room to a 5D MkII with some fancy depth-of-field management—so planning for that conceptually (if not on a shot-by-shot basis) is a really good idea.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:18 PM on December 18, 2009

I'm in. I'll lip sinc on camera, but be prepared for it to suck.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:26 PM on December 18, 2009

I'm totally in for anything except the Numa Numa part.
posted by dirtdirt at 5:27 PM on December 18, 2009

Even though I feel like a loner on this site, I'd like to participate as well. I'm putting my vote in for Prisencolinensinainciusol.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:33 PM on December 18, 2009

Apropos of nothing except that this is about Numa Numa and inspired by high-school kids-- I have never seen someone breathe new life into an old, old internet meme than what this high-school kid has done with the song.

She's clearly in a talent show, and it starts off kind of "cute costume, oh God not that song again" -- but stick with her. She will not disappoint you.

(I get the sense that she came up with the costume and the choreography on her own, too. If so, even more wonderful and impressive.)

On topic - I would participate in this bizarre adventure cereselle has proposed, and I, like cortex, have video editing software and experience.
posted by tzikeh at 5:39 PM on December 18, 2009 [6 favorites]

I think brina and carsonb have capital ideas. Also, the boxes could transition in and out on the Tetris model. Amirite?
posted by geekyguy at 6:04 PM on December 18, 2009

I'd love to play along.
posted by youcancallmeal at 6:07 PM on December 18, 2009

Like Phire's video, there was a collaborative Gmail video like this a while back. I can only find this abbreviated one, though.
posted by phunniemee at 6:20 PM on December 18, 2009

Prisencolinensinainciusol

yes, everyone in my little household knows the words (unwords?) already

I VOLUNTEER TO DANCE
posted by kathrineg at 6:52 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Um, guys, it's "Freezing Cold and Ants and I Chew Soul". I sent out a memo and everything.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:11 PM on December 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

If this somehow gets organized and happens, I'm in and will try to bribe my small local contingent to participate. With notice, I could get someone to do some good quality video, but I don't have the capability myself to do it on the fly.
posted by rainbaby at 7:14 PM on December 18, 2009

This is a really, really stupid idea that will never work and will suck even if it does.

Count me in.
posted by ErWenn at 7:47 PM on December 18, 2009 [4 favorites]

Prisencolinensinainciusol. All right.
posted by Kinbote at 8:10 PM on December 18, 2009

Prisencolinensinainciusol.

Once again metafilter has expanded my worldview. I didn't understand a word of that song. That was awesome.
posted by anitanita at 8:19 PM on December 18, 2009

Prisencolinensinainciusol

OL RAIGHT!
posted by Kattullus at 8:42 PM on December 18, 2009

Oh, this would be fun! Count me in if the Chicago contingent participates!
posted by SisterHavana at 8:48 PM on December 18, 2009

I believe that there was a similar idea of filming for Punch 'em in the Dick in an office.
posted by cimbrog at 8:58 PM on December 18, 2009

Y'know, I could be into this. It might help alleviate my eternal regret at not being able to join in on that "Where The Hell Is Matt?" dance thing when he came through Chicago. (I swear, I'd have gone if I'd known about it!!)
posted by dnash at 8:58 PM on December 18, 2009

ooh, ooh, sounds fun.
posted by subbes at 9:01 PM on December 18, 2009

But.. shouldn't it be Bell Rock Jingle?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:22 PM on December 18, 2009

I have no idea how to help, but I'm in.

(I'm assuming I'll be helpful in the same way I was helpful to the DARPA project- I'll drive around all afternoon, looking wistfully into the sky.)
posted by elmer benson at 9:35 PM on December 18, 2009

Also in! Doubly or trebly in, if Bell Rock Jingle is involved.
posted by unknowncommand at 10:17 PM on December 18, 2009

If it's to be Prisencolinensinainciusol, I'm right the fuck in.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:20 PM on December 18, 2009

I have no idea what even half of all this is about. I just know I LOVE IT!

... and ... I am dying to try out my new underwater video camera! (It goes to 33 ft -- but only count me in for a max. 15 foot dive -- but I might be able to be there with the turtles!)
posted by Surfurrus at 10:38 PM on December 18, 2009

I have one word for you. Prisencolinensinainciusol.

I'm in only if this is the song. Jesus, I love that song.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:51 PM on December 18, 2009

OL RAIGHT!

I totally love this stuff, so I'm in. If this is something that's going to happen after the first week in January I can help out more. I've got art direction skills so I'd be happy to help with conceptual stuff and/or make or consult on props, costumes, models, puppets... whatever's needed to make it awesome.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 11:32 PM on December 18, 2009

Jingle Bell Rock
Rock Bell Jingle

kcoR lleB elgniJ

Anyway, Prisencolinensinainciusol is the clear winner, though we'll all need to rehearse. A lot.
posted by brina at 11:34 PM on December 18, 2009

Prisencolinensinainciusol. Had to look that up.

You twisted my arm, I'm in, but have little idea what to do. Do we have a director for this yet?
posted by zardoz at 11:55 PM on December 18, 2009

I am very amused by the fact everyone on MeFi (and every native english speaker I know) is so enamored with Prisencolinensinanciusol. (there was a post about it on Boing Boing yesterday, too)
(can't think of a reversed example, apart from some Dean Martin)
posted by _dario at 12:00 AM on December 19, 2009

I won't lip-synch. It compromises my artistic, y'know, thingyo.

WHO AM I KIDDING? I'M MORE IN THAN A PARTICULARLY DEDICATED TICK.
posted by Jofus at 12:25 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Prisencolinensinainciusol. In.
posted by Jon_Evil at 6:07 AM on December 19, 2009

I think the song should be "A Whole New World" and it should be about a stand-wiper who discovers the pleasure of sit-wiping.
posted by billysumday at 6:16 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I am dying to try out my new underwater video camera!

I read that as "my new underwear video camera!"

It goes to 33 ft!
posted by mediareport at 6:52 AM on December 19, 2009

Right, I've been sleeping on this, and come up with a possible concept (that even keeps the one-take aspect):

Various meetups are planned for the same night. Each meetup has a computer with a high bandwidth connection, a monitor, and a videocamera.

Each meetup is assigned a spot in the song-- however, each one performs two parts, the one before theirs, and theirs. This ensures continuity. The cameras are assigned to record three parts-- the part before theirs, theirs, and the monitor for the one after theirs.

Here's how the dancing/synching/filming goes:

Group 1: Dances their dance, sings their piece, is filmed. At the same time, Group 2 is also singing that piece and dancing their own dance, and is being filmed doing so. At the end of Group 1's piece, Camera 1 zooms in on the monitor, which shows the live feed from Group 2. Camera 1 films the monitor for the entirety of Group 2's piece.

Group 2: Continues to dance and sings their piece, while being filmed by Camera 2 (live) and Camera 1 (via feed). Group 3 sings group 2's piece while filmed by Camera 3, and at the end, Camera 2 zooms in on the monitor and films Group 3 for the entirety of their piece.

And so on, and so on. The extra filming will allow the editor to choose where to stitch the final video together.

Pros: Keeps the single-take aspect. Is pretty damn cool.

Cons: Is pretty damn cool... if it works. It requires a hell of a lot of synching up, plus a feed that doesn't stutter or go down.

If we don't go this route, I like the passing one object around idea.

As for Prisencolinensinainciusol... I must not be a cool kid, because I hate that song for this idea.

For music, I suggest a pool of nominations and IRV.
posted by cereselle at 7:11 AM on December 19, 2009 [2 favorites]

Oh, and-- I volunteer to do the front-end organizing. As long as we aren't relying on me to finish up the piece, I am good. :)
posted by cereselle at 7:12 AM on December 19, 2009

As for Prisencolinensinainciusol... I must not be a cool kid, because I hate that song for this idea.

For music, I suggest a pool of nominations and IRV.

Or, you know, Prisencolinensinainciusol.
posted by anazgnos at 7:16 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm a "go along to get along" sort of guy, and I am in regardless, but I think Prisencolinensinainciusol is a lousy song FOR THIS PURPOSE. The measures for success, for me, in all of these lipdubs, are 1) continuity, 2) how well it syncs, and 3) misc. style points.

With Prisencolinensinainciusol we can get good continuity but the sync seems like it would be hard to judge. It's a song that even if you are familiar with it you don't KNOW it know it (at least I don't). I think it works better with a song like 'Hey Ya', or the Hall and Oates, or even 'Flag Pole Sitta' - the better you know it the more satisfying it is to watch. And for style points one of the best places to do would be to use a song that has lyrical hooks that we can link with on screen stuff. There is no 'content' to Prisencolinensinainciusol, and no way to link anything in any contextual way, EVEN ACCIDENTALLY. There's no meaning.

For me, I think this sort of thing is soooo chaotic by nature we should use something a little more concrete, both in terms of peoples knowledge of it, and in terms of what is going on it.

But, you know, I'm still in regardless.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:52 AM on December 19, 2009 [2 favorites]

Also: the teenagers picked songs that had been rolling around in their consciousness for years and years. Do we really want to pick a song we first heard this week?
posted by dirtdirt at 7:55 AM on December 19, 2009

Yes, because we are a million time more awesome than kids.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:05 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

If we do Prisencolinensinainciusol, this video with subtitles is what we use as a guide for lipsynch.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:07 AM on December 19, 2009

Would it be cheating to suggest instead of trying to live-synch all the videos, film them each separately with blue squares taped over each screen that'll be zoomed into and motion-match / composite the shots together after the fact?

(Yes, okay, it would totally be cheating, but also one billion percent easier to do.)

There is no 'content' to Prisencolinensinainciusol, and no way to link anything in any contextual way

I see this as one of the song's strengths for this purpose: we can make up whatever the hell we want for the context:

Prisencolinensinainciusol
*holds up tater*
Awww right!
*dumps plate of beans onto tater*
posted by ook at 8:10 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Okay you guys didn't like my idea of Aladdin's A Whole New World and the stander/sitter conundrum. Fine. It would be totally epic, but whatever. Nonetheless, hear me out. This video SHOULD be just a series of Metafilter in-jokes. It doesn't have to be a seamless pan or zoom in/out of different areas - we could just pull the old "move the camera really fast away from this scene and move the camera really fast into this other scene" and just slam cut the two blurs together to make it look continuous. So, what is the song? The song could def be prisencolinensinainciusol. It could be anything. Honestly I think some sort of cheesy ballad would be way funnier, but YMMV. The real question is what are the actions in the song? Well, they should be just 5 or 6 seconds of one person "performing" a Metafilter meme. Swing camera fast into scene of Astro Zombie (or anybody, just saying AZ cause he's a known MeFi member) lip-syncing some lyrics while at his dinner table pondering a plate of beans, swing camera out. Swing camera into cortex lip-syncing some lyrics while stand-wiping (okay, okay, I'll understand if nobody wants to perform the sit/stand wiping), swing camera out. Swing camera into someone in a parking lot yelling at a pregnant lady too close to the entrance of a grocery store, swing out. Swing camera into somebody buying some taters, swing out. Swing camera into someone playing Sonic the Hedgehog, swing camera out.

Everybody can be involved. And we could make it a competition. Cut the song up into five second chunks. A three and a half minute song will have about 42 "scenes". Then, once the song and the lyrics are chopped up like that, anybody can pick any one of the 42 scenes, videotape something, and send it in. The only requirement is that they have to have the swing camera in/swing camera out thing. This would be really cool because there could so many different videos. If enough people sent in clips, you could have the cortex cut, the mathowie cut, the jessamyn cut, the fan's favorite, the oscar-winner, the totally juvenile cut, etc.

Of course the specific idea would have to be tweaked a lot to get it to work precisely, but overall this could work really well and maximize participation. And it would be funny.
posted by billysumday at 8:26 AM on December 19, 2009 [7 favorites]

I think that dirtdirt's objections to Prisencetc. are really worth considering, here. It's a very fun and currently memetically relevant, definitely, but it may not be a very good lipdup selection since (a) there's no well-known lyrics to anchor the viewer's experience and (b) no possible context for the stuff being lipsynced or blocked out.

Here's how the dancing/synching/filming goes:

Love the idea in a vacuum, think it's suicide in practice. This is adding a tremendous amount of complexity for a production that may not work. Doing set pieces at meetups seems like a fine idea and is manageable at a local level, but I think it'd make a lot more sense for those to be independent scenes, not anything that requires coordination in space and time.

If we want to pull off a through-the-screen transition by actually panning in on running video on a laptop at location A of the next scene happening at location B, it's probably a much better idea to produce location B's bit first and just do a simple playback at location A.

I know one of the core ideas of the lipdub thing is the one-shot continuity. And if one of the bigger cities wants to pull that off, or if several cities want to tackle segments to be glued together with transitional stuff from folks all over the place (e.g. set piece one in NYC is 30 seconds of live one-take lipdub, then start some one-after-another miniscenes of farflung mefites using the passing-an-object concept, landing at the start of a second set piece in San Fran, etc.) , I think that'd be cool and workable.

But an attempt to create actual literal realtime one-take-ish stuff across several locations sounds like a recipe for pain. I think it'd be a near guarantee that this won't get done.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:56 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

It seems to me that since we must as a necessity lose the element that really drives these things (the single take shot), we have to push the it hard the other direction by emphasizing the vast geographic area we cover. To me that suggests groups in different geographical areas doing their thing in recognizable places, perhaps connecting the scenes through a physical object (People on top of the Empire State Building toss a ball, there's a cut and it's caught by people walking down the street in the French Quarter, who later toss it to someone walking by Buckingham palace).

And I have to say, the anti-"Prisencolinensinainciusol" arguments are swaying me. The success of many of these videos rests on the happy familiarity of upbeat pop.
posted by Bookhouse at 9:00 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

GET OUT OF MY HEAD CORTEX
posted by Bookhouse at 9:00 AM on December 19, 2009

To me that suggests groups in different geographical areas doing their thing in recognizable places

This does seem like a pretty good way to take advantage of the whole people-in-disparate-places thing, yeah.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:04 AM on December 19, 2009

Actually completing the thing is more important than bleeding-edge hip relevancy. Remember people, we're nerds.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:04 AM on December 19, 2009 [10 favorites]

I was only 95 percent joking about Africa, you know. But really, the naysayers are right in that they've captured my main concern with the song choice: it's hard to nail down the lyrics, so you can't really sing along, and the video is already pretty much perfect.

I also think we'd have a really, really hard time if we stuck with the single-take thing.
posted by brina at 9:38 AM on December 19, 2009

If this is something where I can just sing at my computer, I'm in. If it involves fancier equipment than the video function on my macbook, I'm afraid that I'm just not nerd enough.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:39 AM on December 19, 2009

I really like Prisencolinensinainciusol and I think it would be a nice nod to the international flavor of MetaFilter. It's a song all of us can not understand together. Or understand equally well. Also, what other song is one of the most favorited posts of all time? We know that at least 123 MeFites like that song. Given the tenor of discussions about music on this site I'd gather it would be hard to find 10 MeFites who like any one song :)

And yeah... single take, while the source of a lot the lip dub magic, impossible to do for a community like ours.
posted by Kattullus at 9:41 AM on December 19, 2009

So maybe if we're going to propose possible alternatives to "Prisen.." I would submit "We're From Barcelona", which was pretty much designed for this sort of thing. Really upbeat pop, absurdly simple to sing along to, and I think the lyrics would go along nicely to shots of MeFites singing and dancing at their computers and at recognizable landmarks all over the map.

I'M GONNA SING THIS SONG WITH ALL OF MY FRIENDS, AND WE'RE ALL FROM BARCELONA!!
posted by naju at 9:47 AM on December 19, 2009

I think it works better with a song like 'Hey Ya', or the Hall and Oates

Yes, if you want to do the sort of thing the Washington kids did, part of the appeal is taking a catchy familiar song with good hooks (the kind of song people of many ages and backgrounds know) and putting it in this slightly new context. It's "Hey, Let's Do a Musical" but not too original a musical.

How about "Dancing in the Streets"?
posted by NorthernLite at 9:49 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I really like the Dancing in the Streets idea. I think we can get too high-concept with this and take it out of the range of the possible into the range of the "wouldn't it be cool if...." I'd like my mom or someone to be able to see it and not be like "I couldn't understand a single word..."
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:01 AM on December 19, 2009

What about "Bicycle Race" (aka I Want To Ride My Bicycle)? Poppy, recognizable, clear lyrics, plenty of opportunity for theatrical lipsyncing, mefi-friendly bicycling theme that could incorporate both the shot-in-front-of-landmarks idea and the cutting-for-motion-continuity thing by splicing motion off of one frame onto the next (with a different mefite on a different bike emerging in the new shot).
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:02 AM on December 19, 2009

Some mefites can't ride bikes because we never learned how. (sadface)
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:04 AM on December 19, 2009

Then you can tell people that you "don't like Star Wars"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:06 AM on December 19, 2009

cortex: mefi-friendly bicycling theme

Uh... bicycling is a thing on MetaFilter? I know it's a mathowie thing but it doesn't seem to be a very prevalent subject for posts or discussion.

Aside from that I think Prisencolinensinainciusol is a great choice, much better than Bicycle Race or Dancing in the Streets. Both are nice songs but Prisencolinensinainciusol is a MeFi song in a way that neither of them are. And since we can't do a single take we should compensate by dialing up the weirdness. Since each group would only be responsible for a short bit they could pile on as many things as they could think of. Hell, half the fun would simply be brainstorming over beers and/or coffee and a song like Prisencolinensinainciusol would give the dispersed MeFi braintrust licence to strike come up with any crazy ol' thing.

That said, if some crazy mofos in New York are willing to attempt to organize a single take MeFi thing I'd do my darnedest to get down to New York from Providence.
posted by Kattullus at 10:22 AM on December 19, 2009

I think the easiest way to nod to the single-take aspect while still showing the expanse that Metafilter covers and allowing for day-of changes (inclement weather, the cops kicked out you out of the location you wanted to shoot in, etc.) is this.

Each city that wants to participate organizes a meetup and chooses a director who will be the local organizer and contact. The director lets the main organizers know what kind of video equipment they will be using.

The main organizers take a look at what locales and equipment they're working with and put them in an appropriate order (not too much of one thing in a row). They assign each group a portion of the song (0:00-0:42 for example) and a lead in with a lead out- for example:

New York (0:00-0:32)- In: shot walking through a door, Out: Throw a ball (coordinate prop with Chicago director)
Chicago (0:32-1:01)- In: Catch ball (coordinate with New York Director, Out: Man in black jacket walks in front of camera
Los Angeles(1:01-1:23): In: Man in black jacket walks in front of camera, etc. and so forth...

The rest is up to the directors and groups.

I would be happy to work on the organizational end as well.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 10:26 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Uh... bicycling is a thing on MetaFilter?

Aside from being a mathowie thing, it's a really visible topic. I don't mean "all mefites ride bikes", I mean "boy we sure as shit do talk about bikes a lot around here". It may be that my impression on this front is driven by mod-circumstance overexposure to flag-producing bike-related arguments and living in Portland, though.

I'm not trying to put Bicycle Race on a podium or anything; more interesting to me than that song itself is the list of qualities that jumped out at me. I think anything that checks off a lot of those boxes would be a good candidate.

And, again, I think Prisen... fails on a lot of those fronts—there is no textual theme to work with, there is no recognizability to the lyrics, there is no theatrical/dramatic heft to the words. It's a great, weird pop song and everybody is in love with it right now, but it is for a number of reasons a lousy hook to hang our performative hat on in this context.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:28 AM on December 19, 2009

There are almost no words in Prisencolinensinainciusol...this is a good thing. It reflects our community. We don't agree on 99% of anything, why should we suddenly agree about what lyrics to sing? Everyone will try to lip sync the non-English parts of the song. We'll look completely out of sync, and then everyone will come together for the perfectly in sync "all right".

It needs every shot to have a group to emphasize the contrast, but this does not leave our isolated friends adrift...to create a group shot, we can do a Brady-style framing. Start with one square, on the beat, zoom out to four squares, on the next beat, zoom out again, etc. then coming together on the "all right"!

The song is a pop song with almost no lyrics. Our lip dub will be a lip dub with almost no lip syncing. It will be awesome.
posted by kathrineg at 10:30 AM on December 19, 2009 [2 favorites]

So, we're going location specific? Damnit. That's going to be a lot harder for me personally unless we do Boston AND Providence.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:34 AM on December 19, 2009

Aside from being a mathowie thing, it's a really visible topic. I don't mean "all mefites ride bikes", I mean "boy we sure as shit do talk about bikes a lot around here".

I'm going with confirmation bias on this. I don't notice bikes on the Filter like, at all.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:35 AM on December 19, 2009

A NYC thing/scene would be cool, we'd have to start another thread. I have no idea where we could do it that would be big enough to do an interesting long take...

And bikes always cause mysterious bike/pedestrian/car clusterfucks on the blue, so perhaps we could have a scene in homage where a bike hits a pedestrian and a pedestrian hits a car.
posted by kathrineg at 10:39 AM on December 19, 2009

kathrineg: bikes always cause mysterious bike/pedestrian/car clusterfucks on the blue

Ah, so bikes are the Paul McCartney of personal locomotion.

I'm just glad that nobody suggested a Paul McCartney song early on in this thread because then this would be 500 comments by now and somebody would've pushed the big red button in a huff.
posted by Kattullus at 10:48 AM on December 19, 2009

Wait, you keep your big red button in a HUFF?
posted by Balisong at 11:20 AM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'd be in on this, particularly if it means we get another Central Florida meet-up out of it. *glares at cereselle*
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:48 AM on December 19, 2009

Do we really want to pick a song we first heard this week?

The big FPP on that song was two months ago. I don't know if it was the germ that caused it to go semi-viral on other sites this past week, but I assume so, and that fact only makes it all the more appropriate for this effort.
posted by anazgnos at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2009

What about "Bicycle Race" (aka I Want To Ride My Bicycle)?

Fat Bottomed Girls, they make the Metafilter world go round.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:24 PM on December 19, 2009 [3 favorites]

Whatever we do, I'm in. I'm willing to travel, and I will do whatever song anyone chooses.
posted by msali at 1:08 PM on December 19, 2009

For some reason, I picture the entire "cast" of Metafilter performing Gilbert and Sullivan's Major General's song.
posted by horsemuth at 1:08 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

As much as I'm taken by Prisencolinensinainciusol singing the major general's song is a great idea, horsemuth. And it'll be a synch for the Providence crew to participate since I know for a fact that The Great Big Mulp knows the entire song by heart.
posted by Kattullus at 1:20 PM on December 19, 2009

Can you dance to that...? That's my main criterion.
posted by kathrineg at 1:23 PM on December 19, 2009

Gilbert and Sullivan represent!

Hell yeah, you can dance to it. (In fact, I have a dance remix of it somewhere...)
posted by ocherdraco at 1:39 PM on December 19, 2009

Those Italians in the videos seem to be able to lip-synch to prisencolinensenainciusol pretty oll raigth. I don't see why we couldn't.

That being said, I'm only in if the song is funky. prisencolin is funky. Bicycle and/or Fat Bottom Girls are funky. Dancing in the streets is not funky. The major general's song, as much as I like it, is somewhat lacking in the funk department. We could get some mefimu people together and make a funk-ified version ourselves.
posted by Jon_Evil at 1:43 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm a digital compositor, so if we do the "film the monitor to transition to the next segment" thing, I can make the transition seamless. Or add any other visual effects that seem like a good idea.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:47 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ooh, good point about funkiness, Jon. G&S is many things, but it is not inherently funky.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:08 PM on December 19, 2009

Filming people on bicycles at speed is hard. It might make a good shot or two, but a strong theme like that for the whole video seems like it would be adding difficulties to an already difficult project.

"Prisencolinensinainciusol" is an awesome song, and an awfully large number of people here agree. You've seen upthread the excitement that just mentioning the song as a possibility has engendered. This is its primary advantage over anything else that's been suggested so far. Having said this, the arguments against its use here are strong. If someone can think of a more appropriate song that generates anywhere near that kind of excitement, then we should go with it. Something maybe recorded by a MeFite? Any mashup artists here? For once, I'd like to be able to sort posts (say, to music.metafilter.com) by number of favorites. Failing that, I think we should fall back onto "Prisencolinensinainciusol" as an imperfect but enjoyable alternative.

Emphasizing the scale of MetaFilter is a must here. Large gatherings should have longer shots, hopefully in recognizable places. But I think there should also be room for briefer shots with fewer places, especially if the shots are recognizable, interesting, or cleverly staged. Can we get that guy who ran the Antarctica "meetup" involved?
posted by ErWenn at 2:32 PM on December 19, 2009

All I can say to this, not knowing any of the songs you lot are talking about, is that one shalt always filter.
posted by jonathanstrange at 2:36 PM on December 19, 2009 [2 favorites]

Oh, wait. You can look at the most favorited music.metafilter.com songs. Somehow, I think "Punch 'Em in the Dick" might not be the best choice. Nor that...thing in second place.

I vote for this.
posted by ErWenn at 2:44 PM on December 19, 2009

We're certainly never going to get a song that everyone agrees on - the fact that Presinsdkjfnaeirlg has as much support as it does is probably as close as we'll ever get to any sort of mandate. But it's still a poor choice for this purpose. I'd personally rather have a crappier song that would work for this than a clever song that won't work very well.

No I don't have a better suggestion. Actually, yes I do. We Are The World. Everyone who signs up gets one line (or as a group gets a group of lines), the biggest meetup(s?) we can organize get the gang-chorus fade-out at the end. We figure out a way to monetize it, and send more money to charity.

It's a hooky song with it's heart in the right place, yet is super cheezy, and STILL sort of awesome in the way '80s stuff is perplexingly awesome.

And MetaFilter is the world, and the children, etc.
posted by dirtdirt at 3:10 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

We could all wear quirky hats and hopefully we might end up on BoingBoing! *crosses fingers and prays furiously*
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:24 PM on December 19, 2009

Isn't Buttfuck Baby Jesus the obvious choice?
posted by found missing at 3:26 PM on December 19, 2009

New York (0:00-0:32)- In: shot walking through a door, Out: Throw a ball (coordinate prop with Chicago director)
Chicago (0:32-1:01)- In: Catch ball (coordinate with New York Director, Out: Man in black jacket walks in front of camera
Los Angeles(1:01-1:23): In: Man in black jacket walks in front of camera, etc. and so forth...

If doing this, one might as well use a Mefite instead of a prop. Surely there are a few people who'd make it to two locations...why not zoom on them dancing one place and zoom out on them dancing somewhere else?
posted by aswego at 3:50 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

Is there a way we can include those of us who can't make it to a meet up because we live in Woop Woop?
posted by ginky at 4:04 PM on December 19, 2009

Ginky, I think a group of any size, even one, could register with the main coordinators for a slice of the song. The meetup aspect would just be for organizational purposes for people who wanted to be in it together. Aswego- I think that's an awesome idea. If we did wind up using this kind of system, I think the steps would be:

1. Cities that are interested in making a segment, start a lip-dub related meetup thread.
2. Each city elects a director for their segment.
3. People decide if they want to be part of the nearest/local group, in more than one group, or in as an individual (you'll be your own director). Groups and individuals can also brainstorm in/out shots.
4. Each director submits a rough number of participants, technical information and in/out shot ideas to the main coordinator(s).
5. Main coordinators assign song part, order, and in/out shots.
6. ??? (Actually this is where you shoot it)
7. Upload/send in raw footage
8. Edit
9. Profit!
posted by Thin Lizzy at 5:30 PM on December 19, 2009

I volunteer not only to be in the thing but to get an edinburgh/glasgow/etc meetup of some sort together to facilitate it. I can't direct things but I can send email, make phone calls :)
posted by By The Grace of God at 5:39 PM on December 19, 2009

We choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Prisencolinensinainciusol.

I'm in.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:36 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

To expand on my vote, this idea only works if it's a song that can get lots of nerds to shake their pasty butts. Prisencolinensinainciusol definitely does this, Thou Shalt Always Filter maybe does this, Africa and Bicycle don't.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:42 PM on December 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

If I may, I'd like to interject that Prisencolinensinainciusol is complete shit. I decided to add this after seeing more than one person claim that there's some kind of consensus about the awesomeness of this song. I might have favorited the FPP for it, but purely as a mark of its oddity and for future reference.

I'm sure there are plenty of others in the community who would be disappointed to see it used for this project who just skipped thread-shitting in its FPP.
posted by odinsdream at 6:46 PM on December 19, 2009

All I know is, if this project doesn't involve a plate of beans being passed around from MeFi to MeFi, or an extended fistfight over the identity of a portabello mushroom, I simply can't be a part of it.
posted by magstheaxe at 7:10 PM on December 19, 2009

If I may, I'd like to interject that Prisencolinensinainciusol is complete shit.

Can I just respond that you're totally wrong?
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:34 PM on December 19, 2009

If I may, I'd like to interject that Prisencolinensinainciusol is complete shit.

It's really quite an amazing song, and I've already got the extended re-edit saved for my next small gig. I honestly cannot WAIT to play it for a bar full of drunk people and watch them try to figure out the words.

NOW EVERYBODY SING ALONG!
posted by empath at 8:57 PM on December 19, 2009

omg ... it really sucks being in the last timezone of the mefi majority. I'm weighing in anyway.

I just don't get the peppy, funky songs -- is this hamburger psychology or something? Mefites 'peppy and be-boppy'?

Also a mefi Prisencolinensinainciusol video would be a bit 'preciously precocious'. The original was great to watch, but a repeat would be like a smug in-joke for the cognoscenti.

How about a parody of a Gibert & Sullivan song using this thread for details (the process IS the performance). Someone would be bound to throw in some Prisencolinensinainciusol (among other songs).

Also ... I'd rather not use "my new underwear video camera!" (mahalo mediareport) to film unicyclists eating beans while sitting/standing for 'It's a Small 'World'.

(also ... it sucks to live in woop woop)
posted by Surfurrus at 12:57 AM on December 20, 2009

we are peppy and funky, just because we are, not for ironing
posted by kathrineg at 1:32 AM on December 20, 2009

If we're looking for pop music with a perplexingly high Mefite appreciation level, there's always Lady Gaga.
posted by hattifattener at 1:42 AM on December 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Another vote for Prisencolinensinainciusol.

Oh, wait. You can look at the most favorited music.metafilter.com songs. Somehow, I think "Punch 'Em in the Dick" might not be the best choice.

Wow, I'd never heard that before. My god... the video just writes itself! (One person singing the lyrics -- probably a tracking shot as they walk toward the camera -- then a bunch of cuts showing different mefites performing titular action.) Brilliant. Maybe as a followup.

Also a mefi Prisencolinensinainciusol video would be a bit 'preciously precocious'. The original was great to watch, but a repeat would be like a smug in-joke for the cognoscenti.

How about a parody of a Gibert & Sullivan song using this thread for details

Gilbert and Sullivan as less preciously precocious?

I just don't get the peppy, funky songs -- is this hamburger psychology or something? Mefites 'peppy and be-boppy'?

How many lipdubs have you seen for songs that aren't energetic pop songs? It's got to be a song that a bunch of people can get to gether and have fun singing. And actually I don't think most of Lady Gaga's songs would work to well for this. Maybe 'Just Dance', or 'So Happy I Could Die' would work. Hmm. 'So Happy I could Die' would actually work really well.
posted by delmoi at 3:13 AM on December 20, 2009

a smug in-joke for the cognoscenti.

This is yet another reason why it would be the perfect song for metafilter.
posted by ook at 6:30 AM on December 20, 2009

Despite the fact that I do love that song, I'd like to nominate Poker Face.
posted by empath at 6:56 AM on December 20, 2009

And I nominate Kokoroscan.


(Or Little Mouse)
posted by subbes at 7:23 AM on December 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think due to our distributed nature we should do Dancin' in the Streets [is there a similar song that is even more INTERnational in nature?]. It is, at least, funky. If we're making a video for other people to see, there should probably be a song that people recognize.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:54 AM on December 20, 2009

I have no idea how I managed to miss the whole Prisencolinensinainciusol the first time around, but holy shit. I'm in if we choose that.
posted by 8dot3 at 8:19 AM on December 20, 2009

Prisencolinensinainciusol is so international that it doesn't have a language
posted by kathrineg at 8:35 AM on December 20, 2009

jessamyn, sorry if that sounded rude/snarky, was not my intention!:)
posted by kathrineg at 8:50 AM on December 20, 2009

I'm going to say I think that a song that is more well-known than Prisencolinensinainciusol should be chosen because 1) a more well-known song should be chosen, and 2) I am amused by how quickly and ferociously people want to defend the choice of Prisencolinensinainciusol.
posted by 23skidoo at 9:19 AM on December 20, 2009

23skidoo, I am ready to fight

realistically, we should do my favorite ABBA song or perhaps a deep track from one of Jay-Z's moderately good albums
posted by kathrineg at 9:34 AM on December 20, 2009

I just can't visualize a peppy, bopping around high-school-style mefi video. (Altho a parody of adults trying to emulate peppy high school bopping would be funny.) What am I missing?


a smug in-joke for the cognoscenti.
This is yet another reason why it would be the perfect song for metafilter.
-- O, the ironing!

Gilbert and Sullivan as less preciously precocious?
-- O, touché! (How about a parody of Lady Gaga??)

I like the tempo of Prisencolinensinainciusol (and the 'non-language'), but the dancing/video is a bit Prussian-synchronized. I also can't imagine a video about mefites going from text to em-Bodyment of a group identity. (Am I being too literal?)

Also, I love exploring language - not to mention miscommunication. If anything, mefi is a place for people obsessed with miscommunication.
posted by Surfurrus at 9:58 AM on December 20, 2009

No I don't have a better suggestion. Actually, yes I do. We Are The World.

That is a horrible suggestion, btw.
posted by fleacircus at 11:07 AM on December 20, 2009

And if this turns into some bicycle video based set to a Lady Gaga song, then I hereby formally call for the destruction of MetaFilter.
posted by fleacircus at 11:09 AM on December 20, 2009

That is a horrible suggestion, btw.

What I meant to say is that this song is stifling, slow, insipid, and has been making people cringe and roll their eyes at the lameness of it for a whole quarter century. It's awfully sincere and sincerely awful. It has not the smallest shred of coolness to it.

Also irredeemably shitty: the Macarena.

Let's not pick a song that would be used by the popular kids at summer camp for their lame talent show bit.
posted by fleacircus at 11:37 AM on December 20, 2009

Oh god -- Lady Gaga, PLEASE! If Barbara Walters can say "bluffin' with my muffin,' so can we!

Yes. I have a Flip cam, little to no shame, and a love of karaoke. LET'S DO THIS

Me, too!

I cannot tolerate the Macarena, at least ever since the nudists who lived across the street from me in college broke out into full dance mode to it one night during a party. Really. Ugh.

Numa Numa, terrifyingly enough, has some appeal to me though. Jessamyn, can you help at all with the Romanian lyrics?
posted by bitter-girl.com at 11:51 AM on December 20, 2009

I am amused by how quickly and ferociously people want to defend the choice of Prisencolinensinainciusol

Well, besides the fact that it's getting a lot of people jazzed about this whole idea, it has a lot going for it. It's fun, it's funky, it has a good strut. And as a current weird memesong it's sort of perfectly within MetaFilter's scope. I mean, maybe people are defending it because it's just the right fuckin' choice?

It's true that there's not much in the song to hang one's hat on thematically, but I'm not sure how the Shorecrest video really relates to "Hey Ya", or how Shorewood's reverse video relates to you making my dreams come true. We shouldn't hope for the choice of song to give us the actual tying together concept for the whole thing, I think.
posted by fleacircus at 12:09 PM on December 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Prisencolinensinainciusol. Oll Raight!

I totally think this song works. We can use the chorus (?) for the large group shots, and the parts with the man and woman singing alone for the shots of single people who live in woop woop who can't get to a meet up. And we must have signs that say OLL RAIGHT!

If we are using a physical object to tie the shots together, I think it needs to be something that can be purchased all over (maybe through Amazon?) that way it will match in all the shots and we don't have to worry about shipping it to each other. Unless of course we could get one MeFite to travel all over in a 'Where the Hell is Matt' type thing. 'Where the Hell is MeFite!'
posted by TooFewShoes at 12:21 PM on December 20, 2009

And signs that say things like:

IANAL
IANYL
IANAD
IANYD
Get Therapy
Get a Lawyer
DTMFA, ect...
posted by TooFewShoes at 12:23 PM on December 20, 2009

Let's not pick a song that would be used by the popular kids at summer camp for their lame talent show bit.

Um, I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I think that the super-meme flavor of the minute song (Prisencolinensinainciusol) is a closer fit for that honor. Had this discussion been happening several weeks ago or several weeks from now we probably wouldn't be talking about Prisencolinensinainciusol. That sort of freshness dating doesn't seem wise to base this on.
posted by dirtdirt at 1:05 PM on December 20, 2009

I am amused by how quickly and ferociously people want to defend the choice of Prisencolinensinainciusol.

Count me in on the side of the Defenders!
posted by humannaire at 3:38 PM on December 20, 2009

Some people need to appear in this video twice, once as themselves and the second time lip-dubbing with a sock puppet on their hands.
posted by cimbrog at 4:41 PM on December 20, 2009 [1 favorite]

Jessamyn, can you help at all with the Romanian lyrics?

I was wondering why it sounded vaguely familiar.... I just do the Google same as anyone. But I do know how to pronounce it all but I guess so does everyone by now.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:29 PM on December 20, 2009

I mean, maybe people are defending it because it's just the right fuckin' choice?

This amuses me about a 6. You can be quicker and more ferocious than THAT, come ON.
posted by 23skidoo at 6:30 PM on December 20, 2009

Wise? This is a lip dub. It can be silly, ridiculous, and faddish. It can't be overthought and unfun.
posted by kathrineg at 7:13 PM on December 20, 2009

Pleasepleasepleaseplease someone on one side of the Prisencolinensinainciusol Divide challenge people on the other side to a lip-dub-off.
posted by 23skidoo at 7:30 PM on December 20, 2009

(for lulz and funtimes, population everyone)
posted by 23skidoo at 7:31 PM on December 20, 2009

It can't be overthought

Um, hello? We are the beanplaters, yes?
posted by mwhybark at 9:11 PM on December 20, 2009

I want to do a lip dub that is the camera person walking through all of the cars of a subway train and then getting off the subway and into times square or something and confused tourist are like "what"

that would kick SO MUCH ASS
posted by kathrineg at 9:37 PM on December 20, 2009

and it will be to this song
posted by kathrineg at 9:41 PM on December 20, 2009

as much as it's totally not the sort of music I like, I love gibberish, so I'm behind Prisencolinensinainciusol.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 9:49 PM on December 20, 2009

My vote: (I want you to be crazy ... ) 'Cheap and Cheerful' by the Kills
posted by Surfurrus at 10:15 PM on December 20, 2009

or ... for the pun of it - Totally Wired by the Fall ... (lyrics)
posted by Surfurrus at 10:26 PM on December 20, 2009

or ... is this more the 'flavor' of the plan - tribalistas (ja sei namorar)
posted by Surfurrus at 10:47 PM on December 20, 2009

Game theory suggests Prisencolinensinainciusol for maximum buy in.

It is one hell of a song, with a kick arse swingy beat

A lot of people like it - and it will be new and groovy for those who are not familiar with it

the imaginary word subtitle version can help people with the lip synching

Nobody can complain about the content - because there is none

While it's true that it doesn't automatically suggest anything on account of its lack of meaning - let me be the first person to offer a hundred bucks to the charity of his choice to Optamystic for doing one of the B&W dances linked in the video above - on video, however briefly.

Moving on...
posted by Sparx at 4:46 AM on December 21, 2009

dirtdirt: Had this discussion been happening several weeks ago or several weeks from now we probably wouldn't be talking about Prisencolinensinainciusol. That sort of freshness dating doesn't seem wise to base this on.

You continue to be completely wrong about this.
posted by anazgnos at 7:29 AM on December 21, 2009

You continue to be completely wrong about this.

Yes, we had a popular post about this several months ago. But, huh, gee, HALF of the favorites on that post are from this past week! Fascinatingl. This song hit high on Digg and Reddit the past week, and was on Boingboing on the 17th. I wonder if there is any connection between the larger zeitgeist and the support here for this song? No, it must be ONLY the post on MetaFilter, because MetaFilter is all that matters.

I suspect YOU are letting your pride in the belief that 'we' broke this song color your impression here. I don't think anybody can honestly answer me, but is it so unrealistic to think that the publicity of this song other places this week is contributing to it's popularity here, now? Even if it has just reminded them?

Oh, wait, I forgot. I'm completely wrong. No reasoning, no discussion, just wrong.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:05 AM on December 21, 2009

Stupid apostrophe.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:06 AM on December 21, 2009

Actually, I am probably significantly wrong here. Many of those favorites are from people clicking the post from THIS thread.

My larger point remains, and I remain convinced of it, even without that piece of evidence.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:11 AM on December 21, 2009

Pleasepleasepleaseplease someone on one side of the Prisencolinensinainciusol Divide challenge people on the other side to a lip-dub-off.

MeFi vs. AskMe?

Seriously, I hate the Prisencetominophenicol song. A lot. I like the two-team idea, if only so I don't have to deal with that song.

What I think it comes down to is: who is our audience? Are we performing for the public at large, or for MeFites only? If A, then not Prisenoscolsruieosgfsmfdksl. If B, then Prisoensojlds;afjdsfs.

We have several people who've volunteered to edit. I volunteered to organize on the front end. If we find a Pareaamsdklafhiosts person who wants to organize that song, then we have our teams.

Winner gets a hamburger and plate of beans.
posted by cereselle at 8:52 AM on December 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

We should definitely get into a big pissy argument about it, because that will make the project much more fun.

Because I am procrastinating, here is a tally of the thread so far (omitting songs which were only mentioned once, comments which were ambiguous or which seemed more about logistics than about we should/should not do this song, and We Are The World because OMG puke.) I didn't generally keep track of who was commenting or favoriting, so those who talk a lot got more votes, just like in real life. Any miscounts are clearly due to my own strong personal bias.

Prisencolinensinainciusol: comments: 35 for, 13 against¹. Favorites on those comments: 32 for, 6 against.
Gilbert & Sullivan Major General and/or parody of: 4 for, 3 against. 1 fave for.
"Something by Lady Gaga": 4 for, 1 against. +1 fave.
Bell Rock Jingle: 3 for.
Thou Shalt Always Filter: 2 for, +2 faves.
Fat Bottom Girls: 2 for, +3 faves.
Bicycle race: 2 for, 4 against.
Dancing in the streets: 2 for, 2 against, 1 fave.
Numa Numa: 2 for, 2 against.
A Whole New World: 1 for, 1 fave.
A Carol Through Computers: 1 for, 3 faves
The Macarena: no support, 2 pre-emptively against.

1. (six of the comments against this song were from the same person)

The clear result is that we should do the Macarena, replacing the lyrics with those from Prisencolinetcetera. Or vice-versa.
posted by ook at 9:40 AM on December 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

Well, if we're being tracked, I vote for Something by Lady Gaga. Or Punch 'em In the Dick. I also vote for Dancing in the Streets, anything by Queen, and Numa Numa. Also Toto's Africa. (Not kidding I love that song.)

I'd also like to suggest something by Oingo Boingo, because they continue to be awesome. Stay is my favorite, though most people like Dead Man's Party, which I could get behind.
posted by cereselle at 9:52 AM on December 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

My point was less about making an exact tally than to demonstrate that, whatever any individual's personal feelings about the song, there is really an unquestionable consensus here; second place isn't even vaguely close.

I'm also a little weirded out that with a few exceptions the full list of songs suggested in this thread would have made a fairly accurate playlist for my junior high prom.
posted by ook at 10:34 AM on December 21, 2009

Maybe just so there's no hard feelings, we need a real, honest to goodness, vote. Like cereselle said, IRV. Actually, if you're really hardcore you go full Condorcet.

FWIW, I vote no on Lady Gaga Top 40 pop music, no on thoughtful inspirational hand-holding street-dancing music, no on recently Muppetized music (even Queen!), and yes on random ironic gibberish music. This thing needs to be self-parodying spectacle cranked to eleven. It's all about in-jokes and absurdity. Absolutely it's for the general public, and absolutely the desired reaction should be "I have no idea what I just watched, but I think I like it."

Filming parts at meetups is a good idea but for people like me who live in the middle of freaking New Mexico, solo videos have to be in too. I love the idea of passing an item from shot to shot to simulate togetherness. Or other things like that, like high-fiving somebody off-screen, and then fake-panning to the recipient of the high five with some editing wizardry. These transitions should be different every time, too, so the idea doesn't get old or predictable.

Also, there are a LOT of us. Five seconds per person is kinda lame if each person gets the whole frame to him/herself. I vote for the Brady Bunch method, so more people can participate for longer periods of time. Plus, that allows for more cool "simultaneous" interaction of different people in different places, like the video milkrate posted.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:57 AM on December 21, 2009

I love the idea of passing an item from shot to shot to simulate togetherness.

How about we pass a dick punch from shot to shot? We've got music for that.
posted by cimbrog at 11:04 AM on December 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

cereselle: "I'd also like to suggest something by Oingo Boingo, because they continue to be awesome. Stay is my favorite, though most people like Dead Man's Party, which I could get behind"

Goodbye-Goodbye. Joyous-yet-dark, dancey and upbeat, some call-and-response, easily themed and pantomimed, poppy but not too poppy, challenging but achievable, and practically incomprehensible. The best of all possible worlds.
posted by team lowkey at 11:41 AM on December 21, 2009

Also, there are a LOT of us. Five seconds per person is kinda lame if each person gets the whole frame to him/herself. I vote for the Brady Bunch method, so more people can participate for longer periods of time. Plus, that allows for more cool "simultaneous" interaction of different people in different places, like the video milkrate posted.

For "Prisen..." it seems like it would make sense to assign each individual line of each verse to an single person or small (2-3) group, and use the meetups/big groups on the choruses. It seems like you could cram as many in as you needed that way if there were a lot of participants, or scale it down.
posted by anazgnos at 12:03 PM on December 21, 2009

With two caveats:

a) Mefite population may not be quite dense enough in my area to allow me to participate
b) I made one of the Prisencolinensinainciusol gag subs on YT

I would humbly suggest that if we were to pick/write/compile an English "translation" and use that to lip sync to, and subtitle the end product with these words, the problem of not knowing the words would be largely eliminated. Also, memetastic bonus points.

You can have mine to build upon, if you want. Self-link.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:59 PM on December 21, 2009

I think I'm going to bow out of this particular effort...have fun!
posted by kathrineg at 5:06 PM on December 21, 2009

Looks like interest is flagging. I guess the Prisen. issue caused too wide a split. Ah well. Neat idea, anyway.
posted by cereselle at 9:51 AM on December 22, 2009

It fell off the front page and into the grasp of the Holidays.
posted by subbes at 6:23 PM on December 23, 2009

Yeah, I wouldn't draw too many conclusions about whether it happens or not. I think all of this depends on whether some one geographic group of MeFites gets a bug up their butts about it and makes the first video segment.
posted by Kattullus at 8:37 PM on December 23, 2009

Well, this was a big success.
posted by anazgnos at 12:28 PM on January 8, 2010