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

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

WCityMike — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:46:52 -0800

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)

By: Pater Aletheias

Pater Aletheias — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:53:00 -0800

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.

By: cthuljew

cthuljew — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:53:43 -0800

Man, Rick Astley's sold out.

By: paisley henosis

paisley henosis — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:59:33 -0800

what

By: yiftach

yiftach — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:00:56 -0800

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.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:09:43 -0800

This rickroll does indeed beat the previous record, held by Family Guy.

By: bam

bam — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:11:02 -0800

"a special musical suprise?" I know I clicked a link that said "click here for rickroll", but come on.

By: Mach5

Mach5 — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:14:27 -0800

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

By: delmoi

delmoi — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:24:38 -0800

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"

By: wayside

wayside — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:32:52 -0800

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.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:33:09 -0800

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.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:35:21 -0800

*be*

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:40:44 -0800

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.

By: sugarfish

sugarfish — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:43:11 -0800

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.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:45:17 -0800

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

By: paradoxflow

paradoxflow — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:53:26 -0800

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.

By: GratefulDean

GratefulDean — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:02:13 -0800

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

Rick Rolling has jumped the shark...

By: dgaicun

dgaicun — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:03:59 -0800

Please go away Internet culture.

By: stavrogin

stavrogin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:04:26 -0800

"I also do bar mitzvahs!"

By: batmonkey

batmonkey — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:08:42 -0800

I'm glad he can poke fun at himself. Good lesson, there.

By: ericb

ericb — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:09:58 -0800

Rick Astey and Foster's Home for Imaginary Kids... Rick Astey? No. Rick Astley.

By: ericb

ericb — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:12:28 -0800

Barry Manilow kills Rick Astley!

By: fleetmouse

fleetmouse — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:15:24 -0800

*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. :-(

By: bardic

bardic — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:23:49 -0800

I wonder how much he got paid for that.

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:25:07 -0800

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.

By: jfrancis

jfrancis — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:32:27 -0800

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

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:32:50 -0800

-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.

By: amyms

amyms — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:38:54 -0800

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*

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:39:46 -0800

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.

By: ericb

ericb — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:41:04 -0800

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

By: Avelwood

Avelwood — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:04:59 -0800

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-( I hear Madagascar closed their ports shortly afterward.

By: Spacelegoman

Spacelegoman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:22:22 -0800

estimate until entire earth infected: 27,000 hours. :-( World War /b/?

By: JHarris

JHarris — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:27:57 -0800

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?"

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:37:27 -0800

*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*

By: chillmost

chillmost — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:45:52 -0800

Can we finally kill this thing and bury it?

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:49:55 -0800

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

By: LMGM

LMGM — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:57:21 -0800

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.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:46:49 -0800

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.

By: phylum sinter

phylum sinter — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:38:45 -0800

I still love this song. But time has not been kind to Mr. Astley, and he forgot his dance :(

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:14:05 -0800

Needed to end with the browser being furiously closed about 3 seconds in.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:16:04 -0800

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.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:12:35 -0800

MACY'S PARADE 2026: Inflatable mathowie balloon leads legions of marchers hoisting plates of beans.

By: The Card Cheat

The Card Cheat — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:30:07 -0800

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....

By: Mephisto

Mephisto — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:30:26 -0800

You guys have no sense of humour. That was awesome.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:44:04 -0800

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."

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:44:12 -0800

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.

By: schyler523

schyler523 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:18:34 -0800

It is Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends...Just so you know. Oh, and this was great.

By: wharman

wharman — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:23:49 -0800

Rick-rolling really had legs.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:52:33 -0800

Wow, Rick Astley looked like he wanted to crawl under that float. Could he possibly have looked more embarrassed?

By: palidor

palidor — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:11:27 -0800

Largest rickroll in recorded history? So it's possible there were prehistoric tricksters harnessing the power of the unexpected 80s cheese attack ??

By: Stonestock Relentless

Stonestock Relentless — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:28:26 -0800

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.

By: bitter-girl.com

bitter-girl.com — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:34:17 -0800

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.

By: St. Alia of the Bunnies

St. Alia of the Bunnies — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:34:50 -0800

I saw very little of the parade but I did manage to catch this. It was awesome.

By: gc

gc — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:36:10 -0800

Can we at least agree that the Bloo puppet was cute? It had GOOGLY EYES. <3>

By: Samizdata

Samizdata — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:40:56 -0800

It made me giggle. Mission accomplished.

By: rageagainsttherobots

rageagainsttherobots — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:41:26 -0800

America was Rickrolled.

By: found missing

found missing — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:45:47 -0800

I explained it to my mother while we were watching. She said, I heard what you said, but I don't understand.

By: peewinkle

peewinkle — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:37 -0800

Somewhere, is responsible for this. Hopefully they made this happen out of spite after the NY Mets thing didn't happen. Epic.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:19:46 -0800

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

By: shadytrees

shadytrees — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:24:50 -0800

Is--Is the Garfield float going to start having cheezburgers?

By: felix grundy

felix grundy — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:35:25 -0800

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.

By: Henry C. Mabuse

Henry C. Mabuse — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:41:03 -0800

SUCKIN ON THAT CANDY BAR SO NASTY

By: felix grundy

felix grundy — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:42:30 -0800

(although in all fairness I just found out about this and this about a month ago.)

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:44:48 -0800

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

By: Zambrano

Zambrano — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:08:12 -0800

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).

By: Spatch

Spatch — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:42:25 -0800

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?

By: Zambrano

Zambrano — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:49:16 -0800

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.

By: NikitaNikita

NikitaNikita — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:09:50 -0800

Dear Rick Astley, I love you even more now. Yours, N.

By: stifford

stifford — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:18:06 -0800

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".

By: Xoebe

Xoebe — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:38:18 -0800

THIS IS MOTHER****ING AWESOME. Yes, that's what I said.

By: BishopsLoveScifi

BishopsLoveScifi — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:08:53 -0800

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (line in the sand) Let us never speak of it again.

By: batmonkey

batmonkey — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:28:17 -0800

embarrassed? dude, that was stage fright.

By: argh

argh — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:06:42 -0800

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?

By: krinklyfig

krinklyfig — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:17:54 -0800

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.

By: MikeMc

MikeMc — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:30:15 -0800

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

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:31:29 -0800

Please go away Internet culture. It's like an alternate reality of unspeakable LOLcraftian horror that occasionally bleeds into our own.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:33:27 -0800

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!

By: davejay

davejay — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:15:47 -0800

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."

By: DU

DU — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:45:16 -0800

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

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:56:57 -0800

DIIIIIIEEEET COOOOOKE FOREVER!

By: Potomac Avenue

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:10:00 -0800

Next year's best float: Chevrolet Movie Theater.

By: desjardins

desjardins — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:23:41 -0800

My husband just discovered Facebook this week. I am not even going to bother telling him about this. And he works in IT. *sigh*

By: deusdiabolus

deusdiabolus — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:20:27 -0800

Rick Astley knows what he's doing. I need to buy one of his CDs now.

By: defenestration

defenestration — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:23:23 -0800

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?

By: grapefruitmoon

grapefruitmoon — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:37:38 -0800

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.

By: tehloki

tehloki — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:55:21 -0800

Rickrolling was dead a long time ago. You just saw the twice-reanimated mutated corpse of duckrolling dying for a final time.

By: JHarris

JHarris — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:51:22 -0800

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.

By: martinc6

martinc6 — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:38:32 -0800

So Rick Rolling has officially gone mainstream? I don't know what to do anymore.