Thursday 8 October 2009

Spin around ninjas

Last night elder daughter wrapped herself in a bath sheet before her shower and excitedly told me about a literal video. I guess she forgot to tell me earlier.

Now, literal videos are one of the things that have gone sort of quasi-viral on YouTube. I saw my first one when Stevyn Colgyn featured Dusto McNeato's literal video of "Take On Me". Elder daughter, all long legs and grey towel, sat on the stairs and told me that "the guy who did the Total Eclipse of the Heart literal video did the Barenaked Ladies' One Week".

As you might imagine, I had to get her to repeat that a few times until I got the gist of what she was saying and she was really ticked off with me in short order.

"You mean Dusto McNeato?"
"No, the guy that did the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" literal video, the one you showed me."
Now I was really confused. I don't remember ever showing her anything to do with "Total Eclipse of the Heart", a song I never liked with a video I liked even less.

Which makes it, I guess, the perfect subject for a literal video. After elder daughter vanished into the mists of her shower, I checked YouTube and discovered that our mystery literal video wizard is "dascottjr" who, classy guy that he is, credits Dusto McNeato at nearly every turn, while making some pretty damn fine literal videos. Gotta love the name of the "literal singer" for this one. Update - after repeatedly getting his literal videos creamed at YouTube due to copyright issues, "dascottjr" moved this one to the safety of Funny or Die, so the below video won't work but the Funny or Die link will:I still can't for the life of me remember showing this to elder daughter. (I mean, would you forget this one in a hurry?) One of us clearly has a faulty memory.

Oops.

Anyway, here's the one elder daughter liked:Gotta love that Can/con.

"dascottjr" has done a whole mess of these things, even more than Dusto McNeato, I think, using videos from the sixties, eighties, nineties, and aughts. I like this one for The Killers:I'm now summoning up the courage to see what this guy did to "Love is a Battlefield"...

11 comments:

Jane Henry said...

Oh they are such fun Persephone! I loved the line about cloning the Fonz. Do post Love is a Battlefield if you find it. Love that song!

Persephone said...

Actually, the link is already there, Jane/Jules, just click on the hot link for "dascottjr" and it takes you to his YouTube channel where "Love is a Battlefield" is on the list. I haven't got around to watching it yet, because, alas, it was another video that I thought was a bit much to take in the first place. I mean, Benatar and her 10-cents-a-dance-girls from hell threatening a grease-ball with rictus using the dreaded Killer Shimmy? As a literal video target it seems way too easy. But, as I've said, I haven't watched it yet.

chrissie_allen said...

oh crikey Persephone! I had almost forgotten that PB "Love is a Battlefield" vid. Scary stuff..tee hee! Now i have to get it out of my head all over again. Ta much.
Those you have posted are a giggle though.

Lisa Rullsenberg said...

Coo-er, I get out the habit of blogging and commenting and up pops my pal chrissie to take over from me!

It's a tough call these 'literal videos' because as you say, they were often bonkers to start with. I may have to steel myself for love is a battlefield

Persephone said...

I took a gander at the literal version of LIAB; it's got its moments and is very clever, but isn't as funny, in my humble opinion, as some of the others.

Alan Adamson said...

Persephone, thanks so much for making me aware of this whole concept. I have wasted most of today on it. I love teh Air Supply one too.
And thank the elder daughter!

Persephone said...

Uh, you're welcome? (Sorry about wasting your day!)

Alan Adamson said...

Hey, I'm retired! I could do a lot worse. Even having seen it a dozen times, I am still laughing at the suggestion that one should not fence at night as it might hurt the gymnasts. That guy Scott is funny.
(BTW - loved your Ex experience. I think you posted about it a few days after me.)

Persephone said...

You mean you came up to Ottawa voluntarily, Alan? Glad you enjoyed it; I see you liked the bird exhibit too!

Alan Adamson said...

Voluntarily, indeed. My mother lives in South Keys, and a sister also livves nearby. And I could not have got into the CNE for free! I very much liked the bird exhibit.

Volly said...

Wow -- I've just lost my literal video virginity. What a great way to wrap up an otherwise blah week.

Thank you!

Of course, now I'll be up until 3am LMAO at these.
:)