It doesn’t have any kind of weight behind it, as such. But maybe that’s the irony of it.

March 25, 2008 4:40 PM

An interview with the artist behind one of the most linked-to videos on the internet.
posted by flatluigi (60 comments total)

Interview? I feel cheated.
posted by absalom at 4:44 PM on March 25, 2008

ooh... this video is no longer available...
posted by Navelgazer at 4:44 PM on March 25, 2008

Still, good interview. I've been curious as to his thoughts on the matter.
posted by Navelgazer at 4:49 PM on March 25, 2008

Oh, wait, I retract that. I'm an idiot, I was thinking the text was all there was. God, what a dumbass.
posted by absalom at 4:51 PM on March 25, 2008

I like pie.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 4:55 PM on March 25, 2008

It's awesome that someone finally interviewed him about the RickRoll in conjunction with the Anonymous movement, and it's good that he has a sense of humor about the whole thing.
posted by mrbill at 4:59 PM on March 25, 2008

From yesterday's New York Times: The ’80s Video That Pops Up, Online and Off.
posted by ericb at 5:01 PM on March 25, 2008

ericb, thanks. This video from that is priceless, especially the cheerleaders.
posted by flatluigi at 5:03 PM on March 25, 2008

He sounds like a cool guy. Good sense of perspective. D'you know what I mean?
posted by danb at 5:06 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Man, he looks really different now, too. Not sure I would have recognized him.
posted by jbickers at 5:07 PM on March 25, 2008

Always thought his voice sounded like "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"-era Cher, but higher.
posted by Dizzy at 5:08 PM on March 25, 2008

Rick Astley lyrics as infographic
posted by adamrice at 5:14 PM on March 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

Speaking of pop up videos...
posted by inconsequentialist at 5:17 PM on March 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

Video version of the interview here.
posted by DU at 5:30 PM on March 25, 2008 [2 favorites]

I don't even want to know what video is "one of the most link to".
posted by Doohickie at 5:44 PM on March 25, 2008

You just rickrolled MetaFilter! You bastard!
posted by loquacious at 5:46 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Thank you inconsequentialist for the pop-up video in in which we learned that Rick Astley had said "videos are too repetitive." NOW you tell us.
posted by wendell at 5:51 PM on March 25, 2008

loquacious: You just rickrolled MetaFilter! You bastard!

That leads to an interesting philisophical question: Is it a rickroll if you're expecting Rick Astley?
posted by flatluigi at 5:56 PM on March 25, 2008

I'm just really glad he's all cool about it.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:56 PM on March 25, 2008

Another great Rick Astley video.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 6:04 PM on March 25, 2008

“Listen, I just think it’s bizarre and funny. My main consideration is that my daughter doesn’t get embarrassed about it.”

That's rather sweet, actually.
posted by oddman at 6:13 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh, no. I ain't clicking on any of those links thank you very much.
posted by paddysat at 6:25 PM on March 25, 2008

That leads to an interesting philisophical question: Is it a rickroll if you're expecting Rick Astley?

I have no idea. But I do know I just lost The Game.
posted by loquacious at 6:30 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hey Loquacious, here you go.
posted by oddman at 6:33 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

This just in: Rick Astley demands YouTube take down "Never Gonna Give You Up" due to copyright infringement. This could shake up the entire internet.
posted by porn in the woods at 6:39 PM on March 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

It's Rickrolls all the way down.
posted by Tube at 6:45 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

oddman, something is wrong with that link. All I see is static, hey... WTF!? DID YOU JUST LINK ME TO SNOWCRASH!?
posted by loquacious at 6:48 PM on March 25, 2008

You are a bad man, porn in the woods.
posted by salishsea at 6:49 PM on March 25, 2008 [2 favorites]

These are the things I could do without. C'mon! I'm talking to you.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 7:00 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Astley in the noose,
He hasn't got a use,
But at least he trying,
Trying to be someone,
Trying to take it like a man,
If you can, sing in alto.

Oh Astley what's the use?
My patience is at its roof,
It's at its ceiling,
It's just this feeling,
That given half a choice,
A life without your voice,
Seems more appealing.

The Wonder Stuff
posted by mds35 at 7:00 PM on March 25, 2008

Marie Mon Dieu: These are the things I could do without. C'mon! I'm talking to you.

Hey! I take offense to that; Tears for Fears rocks.
posted by flatluigi at 7:03 PM on March 25, 2008

You did?
posted by kuujjuarapik at 7:06 PM on March 25, 2008

guard: down.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 7:11 PM on March 25, 2008

Hey! I take offense to that; Tears for Fears rocks.

I agree, no offense meant! They are my counterpoint to Rick Astley because they are good. Now I can go to bed with Shout in my head instead of the Astley song.

"Everybody wants to rule the blue."
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 7:20 PM on March 25, 2008

Rickrolling is a descendant of an older Internet joke called duckrolling. A Web site or blog post would offer a link to something popular — say celebrity photos or video gaming news — that led unsuspecting viewers to a bizarre image of a duck on wheels.

Seriously, has anybody heard of "duckrolling"? I realize they can't even describe goatse in text in the NYT, but that's just stupid.
posted by swell at 7:25 PM on March 25, 2008

Updated Youtube link here.
posted by ryoshu at 7:27 PM on March 25, 2008

The interviewer is asking him, basically, "So how does it feel to be famous again after all these years?" Neither of the participants seem to get that this is the opposite of fame; it's infamy.

The reporter doesn't force him to confront the whole point of rickrolling. Which is that being tricked into watching even twenty seconds of his horrible video is the audio-visual equivalent of a flaming bag of dog shit left on your front doorstep. Astley does acknowledge that the song is "naff," but he seems to think this opinion goes against that of all those people out there linking to the video. He doesn't seem to get that this is just about the worst insult to his musical talents the internet could possibly deliver.
posted by Clay201 at 7:40 PM on March 25, 2008

He sounds like a cool guy. Good sense of perspective. D'you know what I mean?
posted by danb at 8:06 PM on March 25

I know exactly what you mean. Astley strikes me as one of those self-effacing people who thinks something is fun and just runs with it. I imagine he's happy the kids are having fun with something he did, and doesn't mind one bit that the reason they chose his video is precisely because it's so cheesy. Very down-to-earth. I can't imagine any other singer having that kind of class.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:41 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Wow, Clay. You'd think that people were linking to "With Arms Wide Open" instead of a perhaps-cheesy one-hit-wonder.
posted by flatluigi at 7:46 PM on March 25, 2008

Which is that being tricked into watching even twenty seconds of his horrible video is the audio-visual equivalent of a flaming bag of dog shit left on your front doorstep.

I don't think that's what Rickrolling is. It's not 2girls1cup, or some god-awful hair metal. Rickrolling is premised on setting up an expectation in the mind of the reader of the link before he clicks through that that he will see something that is the diametric opposite of the Rick Astley video. Even a set-up as vague and simple "Check out this video!" tricks the viewer into thinking that what they are about to see will be edgy or shocking or more than anything they've seen before.

Instead they get antiseptic happy sweet pop that is the complete opposite of edgy or any superlative. Astely isn't the edge, he never was the edge, nor did he ever intend to be. He's camped out the backfield, he ways inside friendly territory. He doesn't try to justify the video artistically, even for it's time. I suppose you could argue that some of his pop contemporaries, like the Pet Shop Boys, for example, at least made an effort to delicately approach the envelope even if they didn't push it. Astley never did that.

The video is a bit of fun, for him, for everyone else who made it, and for the listener. How many artists are trying to be something they aren't - gansta or metal or emo or whatever. He's just going to have fun, doing his little fun dance, and he'll see where it goes. Good for him.

Believe me, this song is galaxies outside of my musical taste. but I defy anyone not to smile when they watch it, and that's something.
posted by Pastabagel at 8:11 PM on March 25, 2008 [6 favorites]

OK, I'll admit it. I love getting rickrolled. Sometimes when I get caught, I let the video play on repeat a couple times in the background as I'm working. It's not quality music, I know, but that goofy dance and the cheesy lyrics and everything else about the song make me smile. Life's all about simple pleasures, you know.

Also, this is easily the best rickroll I've ever seen. And I warned you about it, because I know the rest of y'all hate getting caught by surprise.
posted by vytae at 8:26 PM on March 25, 2008 [4 favorites]

It's going to be a lot of fun watching how these former celebrities view their newfound Internet fame. Chuck Norris seemed to find a lot of humor in the Chuck Norris Facts. The original YTMND concept never took off enough to rope in Sean Connery but I don't think he'd be the type to respond to an Internet meme anyways.

I also have to admit, I quite enjoy the song and also let it play on the background plus a few repeats. Am I banned from all future meetups?
posted by junesix at 8:30 PM on March 25, 2008

It's not 2girls1cup, or some god-awful hair metal.

*slinks off to invent "Holy Diverrolling"...*
posted by adamdschneider at 8:43 PM on March 25, 2008

adamrice, I have to thank you for your comment and link (rick astley infographic).

I am having to stifle myself because others in the house are asleep, and I genuinely had tears rolling down my face as I giggled, softly but uncontrollably, for about 45 seconds. I realize it's not "that" funny, but it just struck me at precisely the right moment and in the right mood.

Seriously, I plan on printing that out at at least 17x22 and hanging it in my office. Actually, I think I'll place it as a joke slide in the next PowerPoint I give.

And I fucking LOVE Rick Astley. I did in '87 or whatever, and I still do today. This song does nothing except generate reams of happy nostalgic thoughts. Suck it, haters.

Also, I think of myself as a kinda plugged in guy... not bleeding edge or anything, but I like to think I'm "aware". With that said, how the hell did I miss Tay Zonday? The Dr. Pepper "Cherry Chocolate Rain" video is some sort of genius.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:10 PM on March 25, 2008

Seriously, has anybody heard of "duckrolling"? I realize they can't even describe goatse in text in the NYT, but that's just stupid.

As I was reading, I just assumed that "duckrolling" was fake. I fully expected the "a duck on wheels" link in the NYTimes article to go to another Rick Astley video. They really missed out on some potential comedic genius, not to mention an uncommonly clear way to explain exactly what they're talking about.
posted by vytae at 9:25 PM on March 25, 2008

Ynoxas, if you know a bit of hip-hop you should check out the similar, brilliant site rap represented in mathematical charts and graphs.
posted by whir at 9:49 PM on March 25, 2008

Oh, and the duckroll was a real chan meme, for what it's worth.
posted by whir at 9:53 PM on March 25, 2008

"My main consideration is that my daughter doesn’t get embarrassed about it," said Rick Astley.

(I mean, beyond that every teenager is embarrassed about their parents a little anyway.)

(Ok, maybe you weren't. Geez! Never miiiiind. UH!)
posted by not_on_display at 9:56 PM on March 25, 2008

"Astley, who will be touring the U.K. in May with a group of other ’80’s acts"

I wonder how many rickrolling fans will show up for that and how big of a singalong Never Gonna Give You Up will be.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:56 PM on March 25, 2008

Calling Astley an "artist" is a bit much, he was really just a face for Stock, Aitken and Waterman's musical product. Read KLF's "The Manual". That said, it's really cool how he's got such a sense of humor about it. "Why did they pick my goofy old pop song? How funny." He could just as easily demand YouTube take it down and get indignant that his great art was being belittled.

As for the "duckrolling" thing, I think it was specific to 4Chan, where rickrolling originated. I'm glad they linked to it, I haven't heard that "Captain Jean Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise" song in forever.
posted by DecemberBoy at 12:08 AM on March 26, 2008

flatluigi

Hey! I take offense to that; Tears for Fears rocks.

Hey, that was a surpisingly good mashup!
posted by vivelame at 1:08 AM on March 26, 2008

I've never been a fan of Rick, but I must say that he's always come across as a pleasant, decent and level headed guy.
posted by quarsan at 2:12 AM on March 26, 2008

I had a hectic day yesterday. One of those days where things just really wear on, and when you've still got 6 hours left, you want to be asleep.

When I get home, I like to wind down by reading a little. This sometimes involves metafilter. I read this post, and smiled a little, it was a meta rickroll. That doesn't happen often.

I went to sleep, comfortable, and with a feeling that everything in the world was right. I dreamed. I hardly ever remember my dreams, but this one stuck.

I was walking through a parking lot. Not a large one. Maybe fifty cars or so. The area was peppered liberally with trees. Nothing huge. Nothing memorable. It was the type of parking lot you'd see in a university. Four or five cars were spread out randomly. It felt like a weekend.

The sun was out, mid morning. A warm breeze blew birdsong towards me. I was walking with John Cusack, a la Say Anything. The outfit with the long coat and boom box. Why I was walking with John Cusack, I don't know. I'll blame Canadian Bacon and Pineapple pizza. He stopped walking, and just looked at me. Not the way he way he looked at Ione Skye. More like the look of a man who has some wisdom to share.
He said, in that John Cusack everyman voice "Hey, you have to check this out!", and held the boom box up.

He hit play. The sun got a little darker, and a redheaded man appeared. Not a sudden appearance, but the dream like he's always been there, you just didn't notice him appearance.

And then I realized what the music was. And I couldn't stop bobbing my head.

I'd just been Rickrolled in my own dream.

My subconscious won.

I concede defeat, Mr Astley.
posted by fnord at 6:46 AM on March 26, 2008 [13 favorites]

I went to a Rick Astley concert once, but when the curtain went up it was just a lotta fat guys playing Doom.
posted by Dizzy at 7:11 AM on March 26, 2008 [2 favorites]

HicksRoll
posted by adamrice at 7:35 AM on March 26, 2008

I've never been a fan of Rick, but I must say that he's always come across as a pleasant, decent and level headed guy.

Totally agree. As all this Rickrolling has been spreading across the internet I've always been wondering a little bit what he's thought about it.
posted by jessamyn at 8:28 AM on March 26, 2008

Hare-brained cockamamie knuckle-headed idjit galoot.
posted by Spatch at 9:29 AM on March 26, 2008 [1 favorite]

Mr. Astley gets Rickrolled every time he gets out of bed in the morning and looks in the mirror. In fact, he's probably the most Rickrolled person of all time. So it's really no surprise that he's built up an immunity.
posted by felix at 10:41 AM on March 26, 2008

I have been fooled!

Apparently, that basketball rickroll linked above was a fake!
posted by flatluigi at 5:00 PM on March 26, 2008

The best thing about Rickrolling is that I can pretend I've been tricked into watching it, when in fact all I want to do is ROCK THE FUCK OUT.
posted by dhammond at 1:11 AM on March 27, 2008