I'm Never Going to Give You Up, All of America ...

November 27, 2008 9:46 PM

Rick Astley and Foster's Home for Imaginary Kids conduct the largest rickroll in recorded history, when you consider how much of America tunes into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (And maybe the first live, in-person rickroll with Astley himself?) (SLYT)
posted by WCityMike (87 comments total)

I can't believe my grandmother didn't call to ask me what rick-rolling is. I bet there were a lot of befuddled septuagenarians today.

I mean, even more than usual.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:53 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

Man, Rick Astley's sold out.
posted by cthuljew at 9:53 PM on November 27, 2008 [8 favorites]

what
posted by paisley henosis at 9:59 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

Even the obvious (and bad) lip-synching didn't ruin that for me.

Also, what Peter said.

Except the part about your grandmother. I'm not surprised she didn't call me.
posted by yiftach at 10:00 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

This rickroll does indeed beat the previous record, held by Family Guy.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:09 PM on November 27, 2008

"a special musical suprise?" I know I clicked a link that said "click here for rickroll", but come on.
posted by bam at 10:11 PM on November 27, 2008 [2 favorites]

that was clearly the shining star of the whole thank-god-for-tivo-fast-forward thanksgiving day parade.
posted by Mach5 at 10:14 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

Huh.

It's interesting to think that kids today are going to grow up in a world where the internet is just as powerful cultural force as television, if not more so as more and more TV content moves to the web, and TV networks become "news brands"
posted by delmoi at 10:24 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

I was at home with 3 generations of family, and I'm pretty sure I was the only one there who knew what was happening.
posted by wayside at 10:32 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

that was clearly the shining star of the whole thank-god-for-tivo-fast-forward thanksgiving day parade.

It's supposed to leisurely paced (ok, plodding) and cheesy as anything.
posted by longsleeves at 10:33 PM on November 27, 2008

*be*
posted by longsleeves at 10:35 PM on November 27, 2008

Now that Rick has rolled himself on national television, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Our long internet nightmare is finally over.
posted by WolfDaddy at 10:40 PM on November 27, 2008 [11 favorites]

My favorite part was when the announcer said "Rick Astley, singing the RickRolling phenom Never Gonna Give You Up!" I know all the words, but that sentence makes no sense.
posted by sugarfish at 10:43 PM on November 27, 2008 [7 favorites]

I wonder what it's like to be Rick Astley, literally a human practical joke.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:45 PM on November 27, 2008 [12 favorites]

The rickroll can now officially join Chuck Norris jokes in the list of dead internet memes, and for the exact same reason. About damned time.
posted by paradoxflow at 10:53 PM on November 27, 2008 [8 favorites]

"That was Rick Astley performing the Rick Rolling phenom Never Going to Give You Up!"

Rick Rolling has jumped the shark...
posted by GratefulDean at 11:02 PM on November 27, 2008 [9 favorites]

Please go away Internet culture.
posted by dgaicun at 11:03 PM on November 27, 2008 [2 favorites]

"I also do bar mitzvahs!"
posted by stavrogin at 11:04 PM on November 27, 2008

I'm glad he can poke fun at himself. Good lesson, there.
posted by batmonkey at 11:08 PM on November 27, 2008 [4 favorites]

Rick Astey and Foster's Home for Imaginary Kids...

Rick Astey? No. Rick Astley.
posted by ericb at 11:09 PM on November 27, 2008

Barry Manilow kills Rick Astley!
posted by ericb at 11:12 PM on November 27, 2008

*be*

more like /b/

I just watched Carpenter's The Thing again and these fricking memes are like the alien cells - a straight citizen gets some /b/ on him and the next thing he's shouting DESU DESU DESU with the dog heads and tentacles bursting out so nasty.

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-(
posted by fleetmouse at 11:15 PM on November 27, 2008 [14 favorites]

I wonder how much he got paid for that.
posted by bardic at 11:23 PM on November 27, 2008

I still think the meme is fun. And this was a cute and unexpected way of pulling it off.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Kids...

It's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.
posted by amyms at 11:25 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm amazed they referenced the theme to The Courtship of Eddie's Father. What kids would know that?
posted by jfrancis at 11:32 PM on November 27, 2008 [1 favorite]

-Foster's Home for Imaginary Kids...

-It's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.

You're both wrong: it's Foster Home for Imaginary Kids.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:32 PM on November 27, 2008

Marisa, stop impeding the important work I'm doing here of correcting incorrect cartoon titles! This was the one thing I was able to be "right" about today and I won't have you ruining it with your silliness!

*practicing for dysfunctional family holiday dinner conversation, which, for me, is tomorrow*
posted by amyms at 11:38 PM on November 27, 2008 [3 favorites]

Rick Rolling has jumped the shark...

It jumped the shark approximately 5 minutes after it started. Well, it stumbled over the dead catfish in the ditch, at least.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:39 PM on November 27, 2008

I'm amazed they referenced the theme to The Courtship of Eddie's Father. What kids would know that?

Written/sung by the late-great Harry Nilsson
posted by ericb at 11:41 PM on November 27, 2008

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-(

I hear Madagascar closed their ports shortly afterward.
posted by Avelwood at 12:04 AM on November 28, 2008 [24 favorites]

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-(

World War /b/?
posted by Spacelegoman at 12:22 AM on November 28, 2008 [5 favorites]

I still maintain that duckrolling is superior to rickrolling, but still, good prank.

But what will happen once the world at large loses their perception of 4chan as a whimsical, playful place where everyone makes LOLcats and rickrolls all day? What will happen when they discover the OTHER stuff, when people are being arrested for it i the "real world?"
posted by JHarris at 12:27 AM on November 28, 2008

*practicing for dysfunctional family holiday dinner conversation, which, for me, is tomorrow*

Ah, mine is this weekend, I better polish up, too:

"She was ALWAYS the favorite, that's why! Admit it! God, this family NEVER changes!"

*throws plate of food at wall, storms out of the room, slams door*
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:37 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Can we finally kill this thing and bury it?
posted by chillmost at 12:45 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Twin Cities' newsman and professional buzzkill Bob Collins unsubscribed from and blocked the twitter accounts of anyone who even mentioned the rickroll today.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:49 AM on November 28, 2008

I have to admit that I kinda adore Foster's for this reason. In their regular cartoons, they often manage to incorporate older-kids/adult humor in with younger-kids humor, which I appreciate. Also, I really enjoy the superflat aesthetics, but that's just me.
posted by LMGM at 12:57 AM on November 28, 2008

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-(

No way, the President of Madagascar has disconnected his nation from the Internet, they'll be safe there.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:46 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

I still love this song. But time has not been kind to Mr. Astley, and he forgot his dance :(
posted by phylum sinter at 2:38 AM on November 28, 2008

Needed to end with the browser being furiously closed about 3 seconds in.
posted by cillit bang at 3:14 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-(

Not me, dude. I'm immune. I'm never gonna pick it up, never gonna

Uh-oh.
posted by pracowity at 3:16 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

MACY'S PARADE 2026: Inflatable mathowie balloon leads legions of marchers hoisting plates of beans.
posted by ColdChef at 4:12 AM on November 28, 2008 [5 favorites]

I LOL'd. I can't help it, I love internet memes. If only there were a way to bring the Ha! Ha! Guy to life....
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:30 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

You guys have no sense of humour.

That was awesome.
posted by Mephisto at 4:30 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I wonder what it's like to be Rick Astley, literally a human practical joke.

He's actually highly amused by it -- I read an interview someone did with him about the phenomenon, and his attitude is largely to just shrug and enjoy the ride. I think his exact words were, "it's just one of those daft things that's so brilliant about the Internet."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:44 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

The major irony is that for a long while Astley effectively vanished because he was sick of being a pop-star and was a noticeable absence from the Remember The 80s! type tours. Just before the rick-rolling took off he had started to perform again but only because his kids had never seen him sing live. Though, from an interview I remember, he's now kinda bemused by the whole Rick-Rolling thing, and judge from the clip he's taken it well.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:44 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

It is Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends...Just so you know.

Oh, and this was great.
posted by schyler523 at 5:18 AM on November 28, 2008

Rick-rolling really had legs.
posted by wharman at 5:23 AM on November 28, 2008

Wow, Rick Astley looked like he wanted to crawl under that float. Could he possibly have looked more embarrassed?
posted by zardoz at 5:52 AM on November 28, 2008

Largest rickroll in recorded history? So it's possible there were prehistoric tricksters harnessing the power of the unexpected 80s cheese attack ??
posted by palidor at 6:11 AM on November 28, 2008

I thought ths was so funny that I had to show it to my my wife, which meant explaining the whole Rickrolling thing from square one.
She asked "why do you know this?"
I don't know
It was still funny though.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 7:28 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

Twin Cities' newsman and professional buzzkill Bob Collins unsubscribed from and blocked the twitter accounts of anyone who even mentioned the rickroll today.

Ok, ok, me saying this is eponysterical, but what a bitter DICK. Seriously, man. Lighten up. We spent most of dinner at my parents' yesterday mocking the lightsaber app on boyfriend's new iPod Touch. "But the lightsaber was free!" "Yeah, but you paid $300 for the iPod." (Laugh, giggle, snort). Sometimes people just need to chill. And anyway, Rick Astley is funny. Banninating someone for mentioning this is lame.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:34 AM on November 28, 2008

I saw very little of the parade but I did manage to catch this. It was awesome.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:34 AM on November 28, 2008

Can we at least agree that the Bloo puppet was cute? It had GOOGLY EYES.

<3>
posted by gc at 7:36 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

It made me giggle.

Mission accomplished.
posted by Samizdata at 7:40 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

America was Rickrolled.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:41 AM on November 28, 2008

I explained it to my mother while we were watching. She said, I heard what you said, but I don't understand.
posted by found missing at 7:45 AM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

Somewhere, is responsible for this.

Hopefully they made this happen out of spite after the NY Mets thing didn't happen.

Epic.
posted by peewinkle at 8:00 AM on November 28, 2008

Brilliant, but 30 Rock still wins for making a Lemonparty reference.
posted by bondcliff at 8:19 AM on November 28, 2008 [5 favorites]

Is--Is the Garfield float going to start having cheezburgers?
posted by shadytrees at 8:24 AM on November 28, 2008 [6 favorites]

I found out about this last night after dinner, when some high school friends of the people I had dinner with came over for dessert. The idea is funnier than the actual execution, I think, since it seems a little wrong for a rickroll to go on that long. He should have come out and then the whole float should have disappeared, like a closed youtube tab.

What was really funny was the way they brought it up: people my own age saying "They Rick'd the Thanksgiving parade." "What?" "That Rick Astley song?" "You mean rickrolled?" "Oh, yeah—wait, how is it? rickrolled?" Didn't you people come of age in internet times? It was like the time I had to explain to my great-grandmother that "That's okay" meant "No thanks," except these people had chunky glasses and iphones, so it was deeply confusing.
posted by felix grundy at 8:35 AM on November 28, 2008

SUCKIN ON THAT CANDY BAR SO NASTY
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 8:41 AM on November 28, 2008

(although in all fairness I just found out about this and this about a month ago.)
posted by felix grundy at 8:42 AM on November 28, 2008

It's depressing how many of my friends still think this is funny/clever.
posted by Afroblanco at 8:44 AM on November 28, 2008

It's depressing how many of my friends still think this is funny/clever.

Then I would advise you (if you are in the U.S.) to avoid watching what passes for a sitcom today (or a "funny" ad).
posted by Zambrano at 9:08 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Now that the rickroll has been presented to its widest audience possible (though I honestly wouldn't put it past the Academy Awards people to pull something like this in 09) does this mean the kids now will consider it passé and move on to the next Internet meme, which by my calculations will involve dancing cats dressed up like characters from Dirty Dancing?
posted by Spatch at 9:42 AM on November 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

I watched the video. As expected, the announcer gave the joke away. A typically American way to present "humor". It's just like their sitcoms and ads- if they don't telegraph the joke, then they explain it later- or pound the joke into your head several times to make sure you "get it".
It's like watching The Office or 30 Rock, or whatever passes for "critically acclaimed" comedy now on American TV.
posted by Zambrano at 9:49 AM on November 28, 2008

Dear Rick Astley,

I love you even more now.

Yours,
N.
posted by NikitaNikita at 10:09 AM on November 28, 2008

as cheesy as it may be,
as tired/annoyed of any internet meme I may be,
I love anytime teh internetz punches its way into the "real world".
posted by stifford at 10:18 AM on November 28, 2008 [5 favorites]

THIS IS MOTHER****ING AWESOME.

Yes, that's what I said.
posted by Xoebe at 10:38 AM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(line in the sand)

Let us never speak of it again.
posted by BishopsLoveScifi at 12:08 PM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

embarrassed?

dude, that was stage fright.
posted by batmonkey at 12:28 PM on November 28, 2008

As soon as it started, I immediately started picturing the "float notes" (or whatever they're called) provided for the commentators that they'd have to read. I somehow predicted the phrase "Internet Phenomenon", but I expected a lot more chatter on the topic. Instead, the commentators kinda quashed conversation, as if they were personally embarrassed about it. Or, maybe they just had no idea what it meant?
posted by argh at 1:06 PM on November 28, 2008

Or, maybe they just had no idea what it meant?

I think that was it. They just read the script, didn't understand that it was supposed to be something of a prank, and moved on. I think to the uninitiated, this would just look like a surprise appearance by an '80s pop star. They probably thought "rickrolling" was some '80s thing with Rick Astley, not a modern thing with him.

Anyway, I thought it was funny, although when it hits Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I think the joke has officially run its course.
posted by krinklyfig at 1:17 PM on November 28, 2008

I believe that this is what is known as EPIC WIN. I don't know if it reaches the level of the guy who had his picture taken with Chris Hansen whilst holding a picture of Pedo Bear but it's close. MOAR DESU!111
posted by MikeMc at 1:30 PM on November 28, 2008

Please go away Internet culture.

It's like an alternate reality of unspeakable LOLcraftian horror that occasionally bleeds into our own.
posted by The Whelk at 1:31 PM on November 28, 2008 [3 favorites]

does this mean the kids now will consider it passé and move on to the next Internet meme, which by my calculations will involve dancing cats dressed up like characters from Dirty Dancing?

Nobody puts Tabby in the corner!
posted by The Whelk at 1:33 PM on November 28, 2008 [7 favorites]

I only have two things to say about this:

#1: This was an excellent way to work Adult Swim onto the Cartoon Network float, given that the Adult Swim audience is young and internet-savvy; I have no doubt the AS folks thought of it.

And

#2: This would have been far, far funnier if they hadn't promoted Risk Astley in the opening credits, or telegraphed the joke with the "musical surprise."
posted by davejay at 2:15 PM on November 28, 2008

Chuck Norris jokes in the list of dead internet memes, and for the exact same reason.

LNK 2 YT VID OF CHK NRRS J/KS IN MACY PARIDE KTHX
posted by DU at 2:45 PM on November 28, 2008

DIIIIIIEEEET COOOOOKE FOREVER!
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:56 PM on November 28, 2008

Next year's best float: Chevrolet Movie Theater.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:10 PM on November 28, 2008

My husband just discovered Facebook this week. I am not even going to bother telling him about this.

And he works in IT. *sigh*
posted by desjardins at 3:23 PM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Rick Astley knows what he's doing. I need to buy one of his CDs now.
posted by deusdiabolus at 5:20 PM on November 28, 2008

Brilliant, but 30 Rock still wins for making a Lemonparty reference.


And although it wasn't internet related, they also busted out the phrase Uncanny Valley.

They definitely have a target audience for a subset of the jokes. Rogue writer? Rural juror?
posted by defenestration at 5:23 PM on November 28, 2008

Wow. I had never heard of Rickrolling before. I always find out about everything once it's no longer cool. *sigh* I guess all my base are belong to him.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 7:37 PM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Rickrolling was dead a long time ago. You just saw the twice-reanimated mutated corpse of duckrolling dying for a final time.
posted by tehloki at 9:55 PM on November 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

It's like an alternate reality of unspeakable LOLcraftian horror that occasionally bleeds into our own.

H. P. LOLCRAFT!!!

I desperately need to read a comic strip about his adventures.
posted by JHarris at 9:51 AM on November 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

So Rick Rolling has officially gone mainstream? I don't know what to do anymore.
posted by martinc6 at 10:38 PM on November 30, 2008