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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: William Shatner

  • Cringeworthy musical moments on classic TV…

    Cringeworthy musical moments on classic TV…

    This morning, I saw a YouTube video that totally inspired me to write about cringeworthy musical moments on classic TV…

    Forgive me. I’m having issues coming up with a good topic today. When this happens, I often turn to YouTube for inspiration. The very first thing I found was a classic video from 1978.


    Here’s William Shatner performing “Rocket Man” while smoking a cigarette and backed up with a disco version of Elton John’s and Bernie Taupin’s classic song.

    Some people claim this video is unwatchable, but I find it strangely fascinating. I sit here and wonder what possessed someone to ask William Shatner to act out this song. On the other hand, it’s kind of hilarious, especially when he gets all boogiefied with his bow tie undone. Bizarre and definitely cringeworthy.

    Never one to pass up an opportunity to be cringeworthy, Donny Osmond also makes this post when he sings this truly horrifying cover of “Johnny Be Good”. He’s changed up the lyrics, though, to honor the then nearly elected U.S. President, Ronald Reagan.


    This is godawful. I notice that no one in the audience seems to get into this number. Is it just because they’re straight-laced Republicans? Or is it because this number is truly cringeworthy?

    Marie Osmond does her best to rally the crowd, but it all kind of falls into a cheesy kind of hell. I like the guy sitting behind Reagan, who looks like he might need to pull the underwear out of the crack of his ass.

    In 1975, the late country singer Charlie Rich showed up for the 1975 Country Music Association awards completely bombed out of his mind. Watch how he presents the Entertainer of the Year award…


    I like how Glen Campbell introduces Charlie Rich while holding a lit cigarette. Everybody smoked in the 70s, didn’t they?

    And because everybody smoked, Mr. Rich had a cigarette lighter with him, which he used to light John Denver’s winning ballot on fire. I’ve read that poor Charlie’s career suffered due to that little stunt. I also love the way Glen Campbell looks nervously at the camera… which immediately reminds me of this scene from 2005.


    I remember watching this live in 2005 when Kanye West went off script…

    Poor Mike Myers looks like he wants to just fall through the floor. Bless his heart. Totally cringeworthy, although I can understand why many people were fine with what Kanye West said.

    Kanye West was also at the forefront of cringeworthy at the 2009 MTV awards, when he totally dissed poor Taylor Swift, who was just trying to graciously accept an award…


    I’m not a Taylor Swift fan, but I thought she handled this fairly gracefully. If I were her, I’d be itching to kick Kanye in the cojones.

    Here’s a relatively mild clip from the ACM awards from 2003. Vince Gill presents an award to Toby Keith…


    If you recall, Toby’s name was referenced on a t-shirt worn by a certain Dixie Chick.

    Maybe not as cringeworthy as Kanye’s antics, but I do like the way Vince and Reba banter back and forth.

    And finally, here’s a clip from 1993 starring RuPaul and Milton Berle…


    I don’t remember when this happened… but dayum! Definitely cringeworthy. I think RuPaul won that round, too.

    I’m hoping to get out this weekend and find some fresh inspiration for my music posts. For now, I hope your weekend isn’t cringeworthy and you don’t spend it watching TV.

  • New Releases 4/15/08: The Emancipation of Mimi’s New Album

    Yep, it’s April 15th. Hope your taxes are done! With freshly received refunds in hand (hopefully), let’s mosey on down to the record store, shall we? Here’s what’s new this week.
    Mariah Carey-E=MC2: The most highly anticipated release of the year thus far has finally arrived, and I’m sure Mariah is having a good laugh thinking about the fact that five years ago, her career was considered dead. At any rate, her 10th studio album features Mariah’s usual mix of hip-hop influenced club bangers and emotional ballads. Guests include Young Jeezy (ugh), T-Pain (ugh) and Jermaine Dupri (ugh). It’s still my contention that Mariah has yet to make a definitive album, and that the best album she’s released to date has been her first, but I must say that I’m fairly intrigued here.
    The Naked Brothers Band-I Don’t Want To Go To School: Is it me, or is The Naked Brothers Band the most inappropriate band name for a bunch of pre-teens in recorded music history? That’s just inviting the pedophiles to come on board. Anyway, from the little I know about these kids, they’re Nickelodeon-endorsed, and they’re sort of like a more garage-y, less talented version of “Mmmbop”-era Hanson. The little girls will go apeshit for this, I’m sure.
    Apocalyptica-Worlds Collide: I thought these guys were just a vaguely classical Metallica tribute banc, but they’re so much more! Well, the cellos are still there, but this album from the Finnish (I believe) metal album contains all original material, and also features guest appearances from Slipknot/Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor as well as the lead singers from Three Days Grace and Lacuna Coil, making this sort of a new-metal (as opposed to nu-metal) all-star album.
    Everclear-The Vegas Years: At least five if not ten years past his sell-by date, Art Alexakis and his rotating group of bandmembers are back on a major label (after a one-album detour into indieville) and they’re releasing that old standby-a covers album! It looks like the thrust here is pop/rock of the Seventies and Eighties, with Thin Lizzy, The Go-Gos and Hall & Oates among the artists/bands covered.
    Also in stores this week: a new one from WB-endorsed rockers Phantom Planet, new country act Lady Antebellum (whose name makes them sound like the latest U.K. rap phenomenon), a new album from jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, the debut album from Jordan Zevon (son of the late, legendary Warren Zevon), a new album from William Shatner (which finds him reading the book of Exodus!), and the long-awaited, much-anticipated return of White Lion (remember them? This might jog your memory: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oUR86bnKLaI)!!!
    Happy shopping, people.
    Oh, and get a full list of this week’s releases here: http://www.pauseandplay.com/cdfront.htm