After SEK forever ruined the Count for me, I was lucky enough to happen upon a link to this vid in the comments at unfogged (No, Wolfson, I can’t figure out exactly where. But there, you just got your hat-tip, okay?). So, hip people, do we like this Feist character? Because I’m not so sure. I think she may hate America. And it troubles me that she can only count to four. What’s up with that?
[Update: Also, this appears to be the 666th post on this blog. Coincidence? You'll have to judge for yourself, of course. For my part, though, I worry.]
[Update II: Turns out I didn't see it in the comments; it was a post over at Unfogged. I truly am an idiot. And I'm very sorry, Stanley. I hope you can forgive me. In my defense, you put the video below the fold. So it was hard to find.]
16 comments
July 20, 2008 at 5:19 am
NewMexiKen: 1-2-3-4
[...] Link via The Edge of the American West. [...]
July 20, 2008 at 5:35 am
A White Bear
I dislike the way she never sings on the beat. Also, I don’t care how skinny you are, you still look stupid in high-waisted pants.
July 20, 2008 at 7:09 am
Michael Elliott
Are we disturbed that Sesame Street now resembles in iPod commercial? Or is that a good thing?
July 20, 2008 at 7:48 am
eric
Sesame Street doesn’t ordinarily look like that. I don’t know where Ari fetched this abomination, but clearly it must come from SS’s worst hits.
July 20, 2008 at 8:09 am
JPool
I generally find Feist pleasant but not particularly compelling. I am not dismayed when she comes on the radio or the whatnot, but I don’t imagine choosing to put on an album of hers.
However, I forgive Leslie Feist all of her musical shortcomings (though in this particular song the off the beat singing is compensated for me by the use of banjo) for the joyful and unashamed way she performs in this segment. I want to dance with muppet chickens!
Similarly, the surely rehearsed yet still winning grin at the end absolves her of any fashion shenanigans. I don’t find the pants particularly high-waisted, though they don’t fit her well, and I love the blouse, but don’t understand it being worn with black pants and shoes. But whatever, she gets to sings on Sesame Street, and isn’t going to act too cool for school about it.
And by the way son, tell you mother, SATAN!! SATAN!! SATAN!!
July 20, 2008 at 8:36 am
ari
I like the chickens very, very much. The banjo also is quite nice. Feist? Perhaps not so much.
Sandie sends along this clip, via e-mail, which includes banjo, happy dancing, and better costuming. I’m particularly charmed by the fact that Michael Stipe seems, to me at least, ill at ease at the beginning of the clip but settles into the odd situation (hanging out with Muppets) by the end.
July 20, 2008 at 10:01 am
Neddy Merrill
Ari, I would feel bad about stepping on this, except that I don’t. Curse the collective you for prompting me to conduct my way through this in my office; I pronounce concerns about her relationship to the beat to be exaggerated. Also curse years of graduate school for making me think “ah, counting to four– now I’ve got another cute example of a life project fulfillment of which might not increase well-being.”
July 20, 2008 at 10:09 am
rja
Expert review from the resident four year-old: “Cool. Do you have the REM one from Sesame Street on your computer? It’s better.”
July 20, 2008 at 12:46 pm
washerdreyer
One degree of separation from both the video in the post (because of the Colbert/Cookie Monster connection) and the REM one in the thread, have you guys seen Colbert interviewing REM while sitting on a strangely tall stool? Compelling.
July 20, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Cala
I pronounce concerns about her relationship to the beat to be exaggerated. Also curse years of graduate school for making me think “ah, counting to four– now I’ve got another cute example of a life project fulfillment of which might not increase well-being.”
I agree. It’s not like she can’t find the beat; she just knows where it is, no need to rush.
My advisor illustrated ostension vs. definite description via ‘Avril Lavigne’ and ‘the world’s most annoying singer who sings that really annoying Sk8erboi song.’ One, two, three, four seems sane by comparison.
July 20, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Vance Maverick
To me, she’s a talented singer whose material is very, very thin, and who partly compensates with mannerism. She nails many of the beats here, for what it’s worth, just not very many in a row. The syncopation/rubato is fetching but perhaps an aspect of her mannerism….
July 20, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Vance Maverick
I showed this to my daughter, and before 30 seconds were up she asked to watch some Pingu instead. Unfortunately one of the episodes I picked was Pingu’s Dream, which is genuinely terrifying.
BTW, do they change the name of Pingu’s little sister in Spanish-speaking countries?
July 20, 2008 at 11:16 pm
ari
That was a scary episode. Still, anything involving claymation penguins can only be so frightening.
July 21, 2008 at 7:56 am
Vance Maverick
You’re supposed to be afraid with the penguin, not of it….I question your paternal empathy.
July 21, 2008 at 8:40 am
ari
It’s just that I find the very presence of claymation penguins reassuring. Claymation penguins allay all of my fears, you see. They always have.
July 21, 2008 at 10:16 am
Galvinji
Claymation penguins allay all of my fears, you see. They always have.
Even when they are villains?