Pop music thing Will.i.am continued his impressive streak of ruining everything last night with his remix of The Who's "My Generation" for www.flo.tv. Yes, it is true, he actually changed the song's words to "Don't wanna die, I wanna get old."
The guy has already single handedly destroyed the value of U.S. currency, America's long-standing policy against torturing prisoners of war, hip-hop, summer, baseball, the environment, the economy and Toyota's safety record. Now he's exploiting the filibuster and his super-majority to delay approval of presidential nominees to bring the government to a standstill. As Paul Krugman notes in today's Times, thanks to Will.i.am's music and television commercials and his terrible dancing and costumes and obstructionism, "we're re-enacting the dissolution of 18th-century Poland."
He left out the part where they smash the TV into the floor.
I had one of those moments of aural disbelief, where I literally was so shocked at this that I could not hear it. (Had that with the space shuttle in 1986, too - couldn't see it, although it was playing right on the TV in front of me.)
will.i.am kills things.
To be fair, Will.i.am didn't do anything to The Who's reputation that they didn't do themselves during the halftime show.
Sad but true.
Rilly. Pete should've hoped a lot harder.
Those awful shortened versions of the song, and the unfortunate resemblance between Roger and the night's other star, Betty White.
"Shortened versions of songs" otherwise known as a medley, beloved by clapped-out old acts playing state fairs and on PBS.
I kept hoping they would throw something into the mix like a "I Can't Explain" or "The Kids Are Alright" that wasn't totally overplayed Classic Rawk FM.
Sure, but that was a foregone conclusion when a bunch of dead people and a Spinal Tap drummer were selected to put on the half-time show. It was never going to end well. But it was high comedy when they were bellowing out "Teenage Wasteland," what with them being all 65 and shit.
Perhaps the modified lyric was a subtle dig!
Would it be too cynical to suggest that the Half a Who maybe possibly was selected because its catalog is prominently featured in the franchise series of the network that was carrying the Big Bowlful?
How about the Saints' rallying cry, "Who dat?" I smell corporate tie-in "synergy."
All my super bowl commercial reactions are contrary to internet consensus! (You really can't imagine my horror. Really. Gosh.) I love the Who and couldn't name a will.i.am song if you put a gun to my head, but this remix doesn't really offend. The worst label I can think of for it is "unnecessary." Swapping lyrics around is neither here nor there; this mix hews pretty close to the original in tone and structure. Need I remind anyone about the days when Puff Daddy took an interest in classic rock? By comparison this is perfectly tolerable.
You can tell he's an asshole from the stupid name he chose for himself.