Inane VH1 List Shows, C/D?

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I'm watching "40 Awesomely Bad #1 Songs" now.
They're wrong about everything as usual. Most of these songs kinda kick ass in their own way. Does the entertainment value of these things outway the pointless redundancy of dragging ol' Henry Rollins' graying talking head onscreen once again to explain why he thinks Richard Marx sucks? Somehow for me the answer is yes, I can't stop myself from watching these....

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)

New "bask in the revisionist history of Z-list celebs' worthless opinions" answers.

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Except Richard Marx does really suck. Some things I refuse to change my mind on! (Whether or not Rollins' music sucks even more would be an interesting argument.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Well yeah, he does. But c'mon ROCK ME AMADEUS?

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I caught a little of that show last weekend and there was this one young man singer they were talking about and the announcer had this long monologue about how great he was and he ended it by saying "and if such and such continues, this guy could be the new Michael Bolton!" and I laughed out loud. Like what an honor to be the next Michael Bolton! God forbid!

― Bimble..., Friday, 31 December 2004 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Now they're ripping on Yes...

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Dexy's Midnight Runners? I'm crackin' skulls.

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

But...Falco is great!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 31 December 2004 02:59 (twenty-one years ago)

yes em, that's what I meant.
Ace of Base, Spice Girls...MC SKAT KAT

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Shaggy rules! Cher "Believe"! Fuck these people.

― Steely Zan (AaronHz), Friday, 31 December 2004 03:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll included "What's Going On," which made my dad grunt and mumble "that's not rock, that's POP!"

(Then they listed "American Pie" at #10 or something and he promptly left the room.)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 31 December 2004 03:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The absolute duddest of the dud.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 31 December 2004 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

My god, that was dumb. I could tell the moment that narrator lady went on about (paraphrasing) "putting keyboards in your song is problem enough" when talking about EMF's "Unbelievable". A great deal of those songs did suck (me being not the biggest fan of the 1980s talking), but most of the jokes about them were lame as hell. I KNEW the moment "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was going to be featured that someone would make a joke about "gosh, what's worse, having a lonely heart or a broken heart? One of 'em's much better than the other, gee whiz!" That wasn't even marginally funny on MST3K. (Then again, the bit where the SOL kept getting plagued by the orchestra hit was a riot.)

Scott Ian was kinda funny, though. Going on about how he thought it was cool about how "Maneater" was about some female werewolf, and then becoming crestfallen when he found out it was just about some golddigger.

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Friday, 31 December 2004 04:44 (twenty-one years ago)

these shows are mind-numbingly stupid, but the i love the '80s ones are like heroin to me. i knew the "awesomely bad" concept was stupid the day they harshed on rick astley's "never gonna give you up" -- not for being a bad song (it's not... it's a fucking MASTERPIECE), but because they didn't like astley's hair or something.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 31 December 2004 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

hah! as if somebody in ten years isn't going to look at THEIR hair-gel sculpted do's and nerd-glasses chic and crack "what were these people thinking?" Hey, I always liked that Rick Astley song, too.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Friday, 31 December 2004 12:49 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah at least those flashnback shows have some interesting raw footage in them. The talking heads on VH1 are, on the whole, breathtakingly valueless. "Then THIS GUY goes up to THAT GUY and we're like, WUHHHH???"

Is Michael Ian Black still doing his droll shtick? Like if a song was about a prostitute getting stabbed in a park over a hot dog he'd go (deadpan) "having been a prostitute in central park for twelve years, its good to know that someone might stab me over a hot dog." Rinse. repeat.

So glad I don't have TV.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 13:13 (twenty-one years ago)

they can't afford Michael Ian Black anymore

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Friday, 31 December 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

VH1 TELL ME WHAT TO THINK ABOUT SILVER SPOONS CUZ I JUST DON'T KNOWWWWW

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

It's so hilarious when they discuss a show or movie that had an eccentric concept or used lots of colors and all the comedians say "Hey man... I have an idea for a show/movie... (mimes doing drugs)... it's about (whatever show/movie is about)"

That never gets old! Ever!

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic as fucking classic gets.

I Love the 90s Part Deux, 18 days and counting.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

on some of the shows they have this critic whose last name is levine, i think, he looks like he escaped from here.

― keith m (keithmcl), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I keep waiting for ilxors to show up on these shows (if they haven't already!)

― tokyo rosemary (rosemary), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe Yancey tried out for it! The ho!

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd do it if they gave me creative control

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I will readily admit that I find Michael Ian Black's deadpan irony hilarious. I don't care if he's a one-trick pony.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 31 December 2004 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The whole "Good lord, what were they THINKING???!!!" schtick gets irritating after about 5 minutes, because (as has been pointed out upthread) ANY pop culture or fashion trend looks silly after ten years.

Also: Rick Astley and the whole Stock / Aitken / Waterman roster are due for their critical revisionist deification, now that the 80s are OMGBACKBACKBACK.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 31 December 2004 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread is not about the retrospectives, it's about the lists!

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 31 December 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

a friend just e-mailed me to ask if I caught Jann Wenner and Joe Levy on the Charlie Rose show last night, discussing the 5,000 greatest songs of the 60s or whatever it was. Thankfully, I didn't.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:11 (twenty-one years ago)

ANY pop culture or fashion trend looks silly after ten years.

EXCEPT! for the Ramones.

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

(Wait, scratch that; all the hardcore kids probably laughed at their hair)

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I will readily admit that I find Michael Ian Black's deadpan irony hilarious. I don't care if he's a one-trick pony.
-- C('ing on)urt1sss (curtis.stephens@gmail.com), December 31st, 2004.

OTM, he is the reason those specials are bearable!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

(Wait, scratch that; all the hardcore kids probably laughed at their hair)
-- What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatri...), December 31st, 2004.

todays "hardcore" kids fashion is the MOST embarrassing!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I watched this show last night. Pissed off approximately nine or ten times by it, annoyed by it more times than I am able to count. "Eye of the Tiger"??? Fuck you! "Owner of a Lonely Heart!" Kiss my ass! Even when they do get a truly bad song, they have no idea what makes it a really bad song. I guess these comedians have to pay the bills too, but a lot of the songs they were really really reaching for things to joke about.

I wait with bated breath for I Love the 90s Part Deux.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

a friend just e-mailed me to ask if I caught Jann Wenner and Joe Levy on the Charlie Rose show last night, discussing the 5,000 greatest songs of the 60s or whatever it was. Thankfully, I didn't.

ironically I was discussing this list with a big Charlie Rose fan last night. I half wish we knew about the show. Hell, we were watching The Chronicles Of Riddick. It couldn't have been much worse.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

nobody's ever been able to provide me with a convincing reason why "we built this city (on rock and roll)" is a bad song.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:17 (twenty-one years ago)

gated snare.

― chaki in charge (chaki), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

you can't really argue that

― chaki in charge (chaki), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

The fake helicopter announcement drop-ins on some versions I heard ("it's the traffic report here in (city of your choice), the greatest city in America!") and that bit in the video where the Lincoln Memorial guy gets up to pump his fist and look like an idiot are further crimes.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

something about the mamba

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

rockists.

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

crappist

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

There is bitterness afoot.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

or humor!

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 31 December 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

gated snare.

Pfft. On those grounds we'd have to chuck out a load of 80s greats. Hell, even the Smiths and New Order had gated snare drums on their records. They're simply production trends of the era, just like how in 20 years we'll roll our eyes at the now de rigueur Auto-Tune-on-everyone-whether-they-can-sing-in-key-or-not.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I wait with bated breath for I Love the 90s Part Deux.

They better not ignore all non-Nirvana rock again this time.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Stiltskin need some big ups.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 31 December 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

and the Dylans!

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

The Canadian version of VH1 (Much More Music) airs their own versions of these "list" programs, and they're a mixed bag. If they're on, I usually end up watching them because, as I have previoiusly stated on ILX, I'm a sucker for lists (so is Dr. Bill, which is surely why he seems to be the only other person here who is vociferously defending these shows).

The top one-hit wonders of the 80's were on yesterday and it's a particularly frustrating one, complete with acts that had more than one hit and an overload on "ha ha the 80's were so goofy, look at that hair"-ish comments of ironic detatchment from supposed critics in lieu of actual insight.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll watch just about any VH1 list just about any number of times.

The only one's that been giving me trouble is that top 100 red carpet moments. That's kind of a stretch.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

that "best week ever show" is kinda lame

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

For the first couple months I thought it was the best thing ever. It was like a weekly I Love the 80s, except with only the best commentators and instantaneous.

Then a bunch of the good commentators left and they got annoying ones to replace them, and the tone of the show changed a bit. Still good, but I don't like it nearly as much now.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

paul f tompkins is cool, but everyone else....L-A-M-E

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 31 December 2004 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

And there are ALWAYS a jillion factual errors above and beyond the question of an act's one-hit status. I always find myself yelling back at the TV set when these things come on:

"No, you cretins! Marky Mark sampled Loleatta Holloway, NOT Martha Wash! Would it have killed you to look that up??? Arrgggh!!!!"

*smashes TV set*

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 31 December 2004 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Hal Sparks should have his head cut off. Then that head should be split in twain.

― Zack Richardson (teenagequiet), Friday, 31 December 2004 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

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