I don't get it. Neither of those guys look like Rick Astley. There's no music. Everyone said there'd be music ... ? posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:02 PM on September 15, 2008
"I don't want to say the financial situation doesn't look good" testified Bernanke to Congress via satellite from the Cayman Islands. posted by netbros at 9:03 PM on September 15, 2008
I have been misled!
All this time I thought Bernanke was 55! More fool I. posted by Lemurrhea at 9:03 PM on September 15, 2008
Is this something I'd have to have even the slightest understanding of American economics to get? ....Spencer?
If so, can those who got it explain it? Spencer? posted by Ms. Saint at 9:29 PM on September 15, 2008
What's so hard to get about this?
It's a well acted (almost certainly student) latter day absurdist short probably intended to be mildly disturbing except for people called 'Spencer' or their close loved ones, who will find it somewhat more disturbing than that. It works. I was duly disturbed. Mildly. My name is not Spencer.
I hope my friend Spencer does not see this video.
Mind you I found the remix unbearable. But that was an attempt to recontextualise this homage to the past century of avant garde work as a contemporary anti-intellectual glorification of ahistorical nihilism, complete with the spoon to feed you with. Fuck that noise. It could have missed the point further but not by much further. posted by motty at 9:52 PM on September 15, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]
Weak and pointless. Disturbing? Not even close.
Well, maybe if being completely underwhelmed and bored for 3 minutes is your idea of being disturbed. posted by crunch buttsteak at 9:56 PM on September 15, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]
It's a well acted (almost certainly student) latter day absurdist short probably intended to be mildly disturbing except for people called 'Spencer' or their close loved ones, who will find it somewhat more disturbing than that. It works. I was duly disturbed. Mildly. My name is not Spencer.
Is that it? That's retarded, then. I thought there might have been some sort of point I was missing vis a vis the real Ben Bernanke, but if it was just, metaphorically, a couple of jack asses yelling "Hey lookit us we is weird!!1" as loud as they can, and using a famous person's name to garner additional attention for themselves, then fuck them. posted by Caduceus at 9:56 PM on September 15, 2008
where's the news about merril lynch and lehman? posted by infini at 10:12 PM on September 15, 2008
[this is good] posted by knave at 1:05 AM on September 16, 2008
nah, not really. posted by sharpener at 1:21 AM on September 16, 2008
[this is good if you're a 14-year-old boy] posted by blendor at 1:53 AM on September 16, 2008
[Or you have been one. Or know one. Or can appreciate two young people doing something straight over-the-top just for the sake of doing it. Or like turtles.] posted by humannaire at 2:16 AM on September 16, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]
Spencer has no shoes on. This makes it for me. posted by Catfry at 4:55 AM on September 16, 2008
Hey, I didn't know they re-made Gothic !
I don't get the hate here. Have you never been 14? or high? or a drama geek? Sure it goes on too long and can't sustain the mood, but this is some delightful kitchen-sink absurdism. A high school version Bruce McCulloch's odd monologues.
I understood very little of this, but I'll give it a pass for "I need your teeth... For the Federal Reserve." posted by Benjy at 7:13 AM on September 16, 2008
[this is luscious] posted by Jeremy at 7:46 AM on September 16, 2008
I really loved it too, for what it's worth, Spencer. posted by adrober at 8:12 AM on September 16, 2008
I haven't even finished much but the Prokofiev is going to pull me through regardless of the quality of the rest. posted by six-or-six-thirty at 8:18 AM on September 16, 2008
Oh no it stops! Sporadically. Ok wait it's back. We're good. posted by six-or-six-thirty at 8:20 AM on September 16, 2008
[this is]
[and it shouldn't be] posted by elfgirl at 8:43 AM on September 16, 2008
Weak amateur drama is weak, amateur. posted by rusty at 8:50 AM on September 16, 2008
The thougth of Ben Bernanke telling the market, 'You've already got enough apple sauce, there's plenty on your plate!' gives me pleasure. Not that that's particularly realistic, Bernanke seems happy to supply all the applesauce the market wants. posted by Catfry at 10:13 AM on September 16, 2008
I didn't get it either. But that aside...I think I have to agree with Large Marge. If a single youtube post to this is "best of the web," I think we need to call metafilter a failed experiment. posted by cjorgensen at 10:28 AM on September 16, 2008
You know, I would have been fine with it if it hadn't been named Ben Bernanke. But I clicked on a link that said Ben Bernanke which took me to a YT video called Ben Bernanke, so I feel like I was justified in expecting it to actually have something to do with Ben Bernanke.
That said, it's just a YT link, so I should probably relax, and be glad that some people enjoyed it. posted by Caduceus at 10:37 AM on September 16, 2008
I think my browser is redirecting requests for metafilter to 4chan. Sucks. posted by littlerobothead at 12:25 PM on September 16, 2008
Poor baby. posted by knave at 12:46 PM on September 16, 2008
People. Tell me you are all non-theater nerds. Because high school theater nerds (like me) have become semi internet nerds now. And we EAT THIS SHIT UP. posted by blurb at 1:04 PM on September 16, 2008
Goddammit how can a thing called 'Ben Bernanke' not have anything directly and obviously to do with 'Ben Bernanke'!
Why it's almost as if these guys think they can do what they like and don't have to pander to the limited mainstream aesthetic like all the other serious creative professional people in music, film and literature understand they have to do these days. Amateurs indeed.
As it happens, the text has a great deal to do with Ben Bernanke. Watch it again. Maybe a couple of times... posted by motty at 1:24 PM on September 16, 2008
I was a high school theatre geek and now I'm a law school theatre geek, but yeah, I too was hoping it might have something to do with the actual Ben Bernanke. That said, the moment of repose followed by "I'm going to kiss you, Spencer" made me laugh. Well, that and the fact that the silent "Spencer" looks and acts almost exactly like a good friend of mine. posted by Navelgazer at 2:13 PM on September 16, 2008
I'm mostly impressed because I was the *head* of the High School "Media Club*" and we never did anything close to this odd or slick.
*Playing around with cameras for credit. Thank god we didn't have You Tube or I would be forced to undergo painful cosmetic surgery and move to Peru. posted by The Whelk at 2:19 PM on September 16, 2008
The "Ben Bernanke" monologue was largely improvised. "Ben Bernanke" is fun to say. posted by zennie at 2:59 PM on September 16, 2008
Surely the Bernanke connection is quite clear. Among other things, think 'interest rates'. posted by motty at 3:37 PM on September 16, 2008
I don't think I can relate to this is a fashion that resembles that of any other mefites. Both of these guys look equally just like me, but in different ways, and I don't need the internet posting videos of me yelling absurdities at myself. posted by cmoj at 3:43 PM on September 16, 2008
That was like the Vagina Monologues version of A Clockwork Orange. It was awesome. posted by o2b at 3:15 PM on September 17, 2008
I just wanna brush that guy's teeth. Dude. posted by zallen at 6:11 PM on September 17, 2008
My one friend who is a total drama geek would absolutely love this. I can totally see him making something just like this (and he probably has). I got a chuckle out of it in that I could relate to it in that aspect... But otherwise, just a bit too bizarro for my tastes. posted by antifuse at 7:22 AM on September 18, 2008
Also - Youtube has fucking popup ads ON TOP OF THE VIDEOS now??? I need to cock punch somebody in Youtube's ad division, right this very second. posted by antifuse at 7:26 AM on September 18, 2008
I think she seems nice. posted by fraying at 1:11 AM on September 19, 2008
oh boy, do I love absurd humor. Favorite line: "There's plenty of applesauce on your plate" posted by Good Girl Gone Blog at 4:51 AM on September 20, 2008
Just dropping back by to report my having watched this video over 25 times now.
[And it just keeps getting funnier and funnier!] posted by humannaire at 2:35 AM on September 22, 2008
This video has changed my life, but I'm not sure how. posted by pwally at 10:29 AM on September 28, 2008
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posted by zpousman at 8:55 PM on September 15, 2008