Now on ScienceBlogs: Spirited Debate with Ray and Kirk
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
• a longer profile of yours truly
• my calendar
• Nature Network
• RichardDawkins Network
• facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Atheist Nexus
• the Pharyngula chat room
(#pharyngula on irc.synirc.net)
• Quick link to the latest endless thread
I don't think evolution should be taught as a fact but as a theory that some people believe in. i don't really know about this though, i haven't thought about it really but there's no way it should be taught as the truth.
[Mark Goodwin, on talk.origins, 10/17/1994]
« The Courtier's Reply | Main | Good timing »
Category: Weirdness
Posted on: December 24, 2006 10:35 AM, by PZ Myers
I am horrified. The J Train tries to ruin Christmas Eve with this…abomination. Don't watch it if you value your eyes, ears, sense of equilibrium, and sanity. It's Celine Dion doing AC/DC.
And here I've been using Cthulhu as a signifier for incomprehensibly monstrous alien horrors. There's a new standard.
Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/28983
Sign in or register with TypePad. Sign up with Movable Type.
Comments
Posted by: Wally Whateley | December 24, 2006 11:16 AM
Oh god, I couldn't watch. I watched 'til I realized she was going to try to cover "You Shook Me All Night Long," then I had to shut it off. That's like casting Carrot Top as Rick Blaine in "Casablanca". It's like hiring Piers Anthony to rewrite Shakespeare.
If I'd been in the audience, I really think I'da tried to kill her.
Posted by: Tom Morris | December 24, 2006 11:35 AM
Woah. That does for one's ears what reading William Dembski's blog does for one's brain.
Posted by: rlrr | December 24, 2006 11:35 AM
The horror. The horror.
Posted by: Bob O'H | December 24, 2006 11:36 AM
The audience shots are most amusing: these guys clearly have no idea about the original version.
My comparison would be like asking Elmer Phud to sing Die Walküre. It works, but only in some bizarre twisted universe I don't care to inhabit.
Bob
Posted by: Bob | December 24, 2006 11:39 AM
AGH! MY EYES! MY EYES!
Posted by: Ken Mareld | December 24, 2006 11:40 AM
That was as Elmer Fudd would say, 'Vewy, vewy, Scawey'.
I lasted about 30 seconds. Play this at the door on Halloween and you would get to keep ALL of the candy.
May the invisible tentacles of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (but with Swedish meatballs) touch your mid-brain.
Ken
Posted by: Mike Haubrich | December 24, 2006 11:45 AM
You are one sick puppy for putting this up. I could have handled it better if she had tried to re-interpret this as a ballad or something slow and syrupy, as perhaps Norah Jones would have had the good sense to do.
But no, this spoiled brat, who married her Svengali, tried to play it straight up.
Have you no sense of shame, sir?
Posted by: PZ Myers | December 24, 2006 11:47 AM
Why, no. No, I don't.Posted by: Tony P | December 24, 2006 12:04 PM
Oh great greasy gonads of a non-existent god, you had to find that nugget and then propagate it? Please hold on whilst I get my vomit bucket.
Posted by: Mnemosyne | December 24, 2006 12:17 PM
I tried to make my husband watch it last night, but he threatened to divorce me if I did.
It was worse for him because that was what he wanted as the first dance song at our wedding.
Posted by: John | December 24, 2006 12:27 PM
I'm gonna be a realist, here. Celine both looks and sounds like Ben Johnson. Any horror you experience from this version is from properties inherent to the song.
Posted by: John | December 24, 2006 12:29 PM
Celine both looks and sounds like Ben Johnson
Obviously, I meant Brian Johnson. Duh.
Posted by: ckerst | December 24, 2006 12:36 PM
MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! PLEEEEAAAASSSSSE MAKE IT STOP!!
Posted by: Orac | December 24, 2006 12:39 PM
No, actually Brian Johnson is far more attractive.
Thanks for causing me such intense pain on Christmas Eve, right before hordes of family are due to descend upon my parents' house. The screech was just horrible enough that I'm starting to wonder if the trepanation guy wasn't right after all. I need to let the pressure out.
Posted by: PZ Myers | December 24, 2006 12:55 PM
No, don't trephine yourself. When I stumbled onto that horror on the J train, I knew there was only one way to vent: post it on my site and spread the evil.
Posted by: kmiers | December 24, 2006 12:57 PM
Absolute, unequivocal proof that there is no god. Pass the eye-bleach (and some knitting needles for my ears).
Posted by: Pirate Dan | December 24, 2006 12:58 PM
Actually, I thought Ben Jonson was pretty accurate. I'd say she looks a lot like a dead dramatist who has spent nearly 370 years buried under Westminster Abbey.
Posted by: redneck | December 24, 2006 1:10 PM
Just my opinion but I think yer all over-reaaaaccctttinnng
Posted by: windy | December 24, 2006 1:13 PM
Actually I quite liked it.
-Arthur Dent
Posted by: T. Bruce McNeely | December 24, 2006 1:22 PM
Is this proof that Canada has weapons of mass destruction?
Can we expect an invasion in the near future?
Posted by: George | December 24, 2006 1:23 PM
I have no interest in playing it again, but it wasn't terrible.
Posted by: George | December 24, 2006 1:56 PM
Worse:
Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue, Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQNnuziT40I
Posted by: Hai~Ren | December 24, 2006 2:10 PM
IMHO, the only good thing about it was Anastacia.
Posted by: Chris | December 24, 2006 2:24 PM
Remember when Linda Ronstadt tried to do Lucia de Lamermoor? This was worse.
Posted by: Brett | December 24, 2006 2:43 PM
There is no god. If I wasn't convinced before, I am now.
Posted by: Smart_Cookie | December 24, 2006 3:01 PM
Okay, now I'm really ashamed that she's from Canada.
On behalf of all Canadians, I apologize. I'm truly, truly, sorry for the horror that we unleashed upon the rest of the world.
BTW - Happy Holidays PZ!!! Best wishes to you and yours.
Posted by: False Prophet | December 24, 2006 3:19 PM
Um no, she's from the "distinct nation" of Quebec. When they finally leave, we should put it in the separation agreement that she is never permitted on Canadian soil again.
Posted by: Trev_UK | December 24, 2006 3:19 PM
Thank you Celine, for destroying my belief in freedom of expression. I thought it couldn't get any worse than Rolf Harris' "Stairway To Heaven", but.....
Posted by: seaducer | December 24, 2006 3:44 PM
UGH! I used to like that song! I thought it was terrible when Britany Spears covered Satifaction by the Stones, but at least I was never a Stones fan.
Way to ruin Christmas dude, now I gotta go listen to the Muppets sing 12 Days of Christmas to get me back into the groove...
Posted by: Azkyroth | December 24, 2006 4:01 PM
Go listen to Tori Amos' cover of "Raining Blood." It's actually really delightful. ^.^
Posted by: Jared | December 24, 2006 4:18 PM
Thanks a lot, P.Z. Now I'm going to have to disappoint my family right at Christmastime by telling them that I've seen the light and now know no earthly reason to continue living.
By the way, is it just me or is there some kind of funky modulation going on with Anastasia's voice? She sounds like the vocal line from that Daft Punk song 'One More Time.'
Posted by: Dan | December 24, 2006 4:52 PM
Don't you know? Celine Dion is Cthulhu.
It's not even a very good disguise.
Posted by: Tom | December 24, 2006 5:06 PM
I actually think it was very well done. It was fast and less heavy than the original, but hey they sing in tune and have fun with it and I'd like to hear any of the "critics" sing half as well as either of these women.
I find that people don't like covers very often. I very high percentage of people always prefer the original. "Killing me softly" by Roberta Flack or the Fugees?? I like both versions except for that annoying rapper dude who keeps saying "one time.... two time"....
So I'm actually a Celine Fan. I like singers who actually have a great instrument like Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Sheryl Crow... and the list continues... Please remove Britney and Paris from the media world before slagging off performances like this one...
nuff said...
Posted by: PTman | December 24, 2006 5:10 PM
Sorry but there is worse, check out Faith Hill doing Piece Of My Heart. Celine is just a wannabe in the there is no god proof department.
http://www.hotget.com/videocode/Faith-Hill-Piece-Of-My-Heart,22221.html?PHPSESSID=21ea0bb1f734e9d9420111ceae42e68c
Posted by: allerron | December 24, 2006 5:16 PM
Yes, Celine Dion IS a Canadian Weapon of Mass Destruction.
She is sooo dangerous that we do not even store her on Canadian soil. Instead we have convinced the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to use her to brain-wash people into spending more money on gambling.
May the gods forgive us for tampering with destiny and creating such a monster....
Posted by: Baratos | December 24, 2006 5:20 PM
KKKHHHAAAANNNN! Damn you!
Posted by: Millimeter Wave | December 24, 2006 6:20 PM
LMAO...
It took me a few seconds to get what you meant, but I think it's very apposite ;-)
Posted by: J. J. Ramsey | December 24, 2006 6:58 PM
Did anyone notice that Celine Dion was doing a bit of air guitar at the beginning? It just added a touch of class to the whole thing.
Also, did anyone notice that there was something in the end credits about "Save the Music"? Yes, save the music, please, from *them*!
BTW, if you want a way to get that awfulness out of your head without doing physical damage to yourself, try watching this bit of blasphunny:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/12/a_useful_syncretism.php
Just don't imagine Celine Dion trying to imitate it.
Posted by: goddogtired | December 24, 2006 7:31 PM
What an ugly AND untalented broad! Couldn't she afford, like, talent lessons now? I know she's make a lot of money.
Posted by: Phill | December 24, 2006 7:45 PM
I didn't actually hate it, and that kinda scares me. At least she went for it all the way. It would make a good companion to a punk-rock cover of My Heart Will Go On, or Leslie Gore's version of Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap). Usually I despise Celine utterly.
This, however, is pure, cocaine-fueled evil.
(found via WFMU's Beware Of The Blog)
Posted by: l.m.orchard | December 24, 2006 8:37 PM
A loving god would've never let this happen. We are truly overseen by Cthulhu.
Posted by: Zed | December 24, 2006 9:40 PM
Who is the dude in the halter top?
Posted by: Brian X | December 25, 2006 12:12 AM
Not the worst thing I've ever heard... spectacularly misguided, but not that badly done at all.
But then I have a far higher Celine tolerance than most. She's not my style of music, but I actually... uh... (really small letters) like... some of her stuff...
Posted by: brtkrbzhnv | December 25, 2006 4:38 AM
I thought it all right; the original was OK too. I hadn't heard it before, for I am neither old nor into rock and/or roll.
Posted by: Azkyroth | December 25, 2006 5:31 AM
Anyway, I find the singular fixation on the singer's looks mildly irritating, but mainly I'm surprised that someone actually managed to make an AC/DC song *less* enjoyable.
Posted by: Reciprocating Bill | December 25, 2006 9:26 AM
Wow. Antievolutionists can no longer argue that no one has ever seen a cat turn into a dog.
I WAS impressed by that little hopping thing on one foot she did near the beginning - given those spiky heels. But shouldn't she be in goofy short pants?
Posted by: Bob Russell | December 25, 2006 3:24 PM
As a Canadian....I hang my head in shame....
Posted by: Coty | December 25, 2006 7:02 PM
I think Cthulhu remains appropriate, as this did make me hope to be eaten first.
Posted by: David Bruggeman | December 25, 2006 8:33 PM
The 'dude' in the halter top is Anastacia. Not that anyone would necessarily know that. Was this taken from one of those misguided VH-1 Divas specials?
Oh, and William Shatner wants an apology from everyone who thought he was the worst Canadian cover artist.
Posted by: Edmund | December 25, 2006 10:16 PM
What's with the knee-jerk reaction from almost everyone? PZ says it's bad, so everyone must parrot? And why the "she's ugly" comments? Shameful personal attacks, and closed-minded "musical purist" attitudes.
The singing is actually quite good. It's a song being covered by pop artists. So the vocals and the instrumental backing both sound poppy. What did you expect? Is it not okay for different interpretations of a song to exist? Did anyone follow that link to the minor-key Christmas Carols in PZ's post above?
I think it was pulled off well. These are entertainers. As long as the fans like it, and the performers are satisfied with the quality of the performance, then all is well.
Posted by: brightmoon | December 26, 2006 12:37 AM
pop-y
good description ....that said, im not a celine hater ...so i watched ..[shrugs]
well they arent ac/dc or james brown (sigh).... we'll miss you james
Posted by: Nick Valvo | December 26, 2006 1:33 AM
I feel pretty similarly about this.
In case the object tag doesn't work in the comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4h7w-bjcKw
Posted by: Azkyroth | December 26, 2006 4:07 AM
Edmund: some of the comments make me suspect there's a bit of sycophancy to some of the responses here, but my own was motivated by the fact that this is an artist I've no particular fondness for who sings in a genre for which I have very literal tolerance, covering a song by an artist I've no particular fondness for who sings in a genre of which (loosely interpreted) I am extremely fond (my personal perception is that AC/DC, whatever role they may have played in pioneering what later became Hard Rock/Metal, are basically the lowest common denominator of metal...lyrically vapid and musically simplistic).
Posted by: J. J. Ramsey | December 26, 2006 8:35 AM
Brian X: "Not the worst thing I've ever heard... spectacularly misguided, but not that badly done at all."
I don't think the singing or the music was a real problem. It's just that Celine Dion is coming off as a bad imitator of AC/DC, right down to the air guitar thing. The presentation is off, and it just feels a bit plastic, a bit insincere.
Posted by: Caledonian | December 26, 2006 9:56 AM
J.J. Ramsey's criticism of anyone else's performance as "a bit plastic, a bit insincere" strikes me as utterly hilarious.
Posted by: J. J. Ramsey | December 26, 2006 11:34 AM
Caledonian: "J.J. Ramsey's criticism of anyone else's performance as 'a bit plastic, a bit insincere' strikes me as utterly hilarious."
If you want to gloat about a recent gross stupidity of mine, there's another thread where you can do it. Bear in mind that it was noticed because I had been less careless elsewhere.
Now if you want to have a little fun at Celine Dion's expense, well ... :)
Posted by: MpM | December 26, 2006 5:13 PM
Edmund... I am not following anyone... just like I don't get the "Rapture", you don't see the evil that has been done here.
Oh FSM... don't let her do Hendrix...
Posted by: Nandes | December 27, 2006 10:02 AM
I saw this when it originally aired.
I apologize on behalf of Canada for Celine's existence.
Long live Angus.
More Cowbell.