The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Willie Nelson's Lost Highway
Marge_Innavera:
--- Quote from: milomorris on November 06, 2009, 10:18:43 pm ---The ketchup bottle?? It suggests someone who was so shocked/surprised at experiencing something that s/he dropped the bottle they were holding. Its kinda old-school slapstick. Like when "sis" announces that she is pregnant, and "dad" drops his glass of water.
--- End quote ---
There's no context for that in the song; and for the benefit of our non-American members, dropping a ketchup bottle in moments of surprise and shock is not an American idiom. I doubt any American on this thread has heard of that before now. And I also doubt anyone here seriously believes that the resemblance to a blood spatter is a coincidence.
Marge_Innavera:
--- Quote from: Lynne on November 06, 2009, 10:32:51 pm ---I hope you're right that it's meant as a parody, but I don't buy it.
--- End quote ---
I don't either, but it sounds familiar.
Back in the 1970s, there was a kerfuffle about violent and generally offensive lyrics in popular music, much of it led by Tipper Gore. During the media coverage it became a cliche for rock musicians questioned about offensive lyrics to claim that they were a "spoof." That was even satirized a little later in the faux-rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap when a member of the band (generally modeled on Deep Purple) defends the lyrics of a song titled "Smell the Glove." ::)
Ellemeno:
Ugh.
I bet he was teased - or worse - for having a song in BBM and then doing Cowboys Are Secretly Fond of Each Other, and this is his reaction to distance himself.
I agree with Paul, I've never liked Cowboys Are Secretly Fond of Each Other, it's disrespectful of gay men AND women, in the way it conflates the two.
One thing in fairness, or accuracy, the ketchup splat is NOT Willie Nelson's version.
But still, what the fuck?
I'm proud to see Brokie names I recognize in the comments section of the YouTube video. I'm about to go add mine.
milomorris:
--- Quote from: Marge_Innavera on November 07, 2009, 02:10:12 am ---There's no context for that in the song; and for the benefit of our non-American members, dropping a ketchup bottle in moments of surprise and shock is not an American idiom. I doubt any American on this thread has heard of that before now. And I also doubt anyone here seriously believes that the resemblance to a blood spatter is a coincidence.
--- End quote ---
I never said dropping a ketchup bottle was an American idiom. I said eating ketchup with fries is an American idiom. I said dropping a glass of water (or anything really) is a stock, old-school, slapstick gag. I'm sure plenty of people around the world, including Americans, are familiar with that.
I suppose some could interpret the ketchup as a blood splatter if they were looking for yet another reason to perpetuate an attitude of victimhood. I remember years ago, there was a TV commercial for Hefty trash bags. A white lady in suburbia takes a bag of trash out to the curb, and a black sanitation worker picks it up and tosses it into the back of the truck. They smile at each other and wave. A few black folks claimed that commercial was racist.
Besides, blood splatter patterns have unique characteristics because of the consistency of blood, and the fact that it is under pressure inside the body. Splattered blood doesn't just come out looking like a blob. It typically includes directional patters. Of course now someone is sure to come up with a picture of a blood stain that looks just like the ketchup to "prove" me wrong.
People see what they want to see.
Monika:
--- Quote from: Ellemeno on November 07, 2009, 05:18:28 am ---Ugh.
I bet he was teased - or worse - for having a song in BBM and then doing Cowboys Are Secretly Fond of Each Other, and this is his reaction to distance himself.
I agree with Paul, I've never liked Cowboys Are Secretly Fond of Each Other, it's disrespectful of gay men AND women, in the way it conflates the two.
One thing in fairness, or accuracy, the ketchup splat is NOT Willie Nelson's version.
But still, what the fuck?
I'm proud to see Brokie names I recognize in the comments section of the YouTube video. I'm about to go add mine.
--- End quote ---
I will too.
I´ve sent a mail to an address on Willie Nelson´s website as well. Not that I think he´ll read it of course, but it felt good.
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