Friday, January 27, 2006

Devo-lution

This is just demented. Devo. 1980's prog-rock nerd group famed for flower-pot hats, yellow jumpsuits and, err, "suggestive" songs. Reincarnated as telegenic pre-teen Disney Mouseketeers singing an album full of Devo classics plus a couple of new Devo originals in a new album for children on the Disney label. With not only the permission of the original members of Devo, but with their full support -- the original members played the actual instruments on the album while the kids of "Devo 2.0" sang.

If it is a gag, it is a wonderfully delicious one. Devo managed to get Disney to bankroll the gag, even to the point of making videos (directed by Devo's bassist, Gerry Casale) where twelve-year-old kids who obviously have no idea what they're singing about dance around and pretend to play instruments while singing "whip it, whip it good!". Heck, these kiddies aren't even old enough where whipping it would be fun (ehheheheheheheh!). And DISNEY bankrolled this. DISNEY! BWAHAHAHAHAH!

Duty Now For The Future! Devolve Or Die!

- Badtux the Amused Penguin

Posted by BadTux at 1/27/2006 10:40:00 AM

13 comments:

  1. SB Gypsy27/1/06 6:17 AM

    How very strange - wonder what the usual purveyors of Disney will think about that. I've never heard Devo, but the funny thing is, alot of those euphemisms have triple meanings: "beat it" also means "go away now!". It would be interesting to see the lyrics and read from both points of view.

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  2. Ole Blue The Heretic27/1/06 11:14 AM

    Strange indeed, but like gypsy said, perhaps they will get different meanings.

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  3. Anonymous27/1/06 2:44 PM

    "Beat it?" Isn't that Wacko Jacko? You mean "Whip it," right?

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  4. BadTux27/1/06 4:51 PM

    Woops, you're right, Aaron! I'll fix the post when I get home and can see straight.

    Either way, it's just as funny. Especially when you see the video and watch the child actress "front man" for the group singing the song while spastically jerking around. It's absolutely horrifying in its appalling badness... but also strangely, uhm, hilarious I guess is the word!

    - Badtux the Embarassed Penguin

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  5. Sue London27/1/06 8:31 PM

    So wrong on so many levels. What's next? ZZ Top Jr.?

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  6. BadTux27/1/06 9:27 PM

    Hmm, yeah, getting Mousketeers to sing the Tube Snake Boogie would be rather, uhm, slinky, but you're thinking too small. The next band to get the Kidz Bop treatment should be... METALLIKIDS!

    I can't wait to hear the Disney treatment for "Enter the Sandman" heh heh heh...

    - Badtux the Snarky Penguin

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  7. SB Gypsy28/1/06 9:12 AM

    woo - whip it probably doesn't have any harmless meanings..

    LOL, Tube Snake Boogie is way badder than Enter the Sandman!
    Although, the second would be very hard on young vocal cords, to sing that low.

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  8. Fran / Blue Gal28/1/06 10:33 AM

    Jerry Casale is nothing if not a marketer. Good for him, even if it does mean the end of civilization.

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  9. Fran / Blue Gal28/1/06 4:23 PM

    I guess you're right about the spelling, Badtux. Gerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were students of my dad in the Art Department at Kent State. Gerry wore an all white suit ten years before John Travolta, showing all those psychadelic hippies just how far ahead of his time he was. My mother says (don't believe her) that he has illegitimate children all over Kent, Ohio. I don't believe it, but there's more plausability there than at most of what comes out of Scotty McClellan's mouth, anyhow.

    Lovin the blog, Badtux. Keep the faith.

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  10. Jim Yeager28/1/06 6:19 PM

    And I thought Devo couldn't sound any worse.

    I recall Disney signing on Insane Clown Posse for a really brief period during the 90s. Don't those people check out bands beforehand? Metallica could get a gig with Disney if they just changed their name...

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  11. That guy29/1/06 6:35 PM

    Well, it looks like de-evolution in action to me.

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  12. drumwolf30/1/06 12:52 PM

    I recall Disney signing on Insane Clown Posse for a really brief period during the 90s. Don't those people check out bands beforehand? Metallica could get a gig with Disney if they just changed their name...

    Insane Clown Posse were not signed by Disney itself, they were signed to Hollywood Records which is a "regular" (i.e. not specifically for kids) label that just happened to be owned by the Disney corporation. That's not the same as being signed by Disney for the Walt Disney Records label that is marketed for kids, which is the case with Devo 2.0.

    But as for Metallica, I'd say at this point they've gotten so tame that they probably might not even have to change their name to be considered for Disney.

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  13. Anonymous31/1/06 4:55 PM

    I now believe there is hope for the next generation. Thanks for the laugh.

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