Best video ever

December 3, 2008 9:25 AM

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you: a walrus playing a saxophone.

I know it's just pantomiming. But it's still the best walrus-on-saxophone action I've seen all week.

posted by baphomet (43 comments total)

Saw this on Digg. Favorite comment:


This was a ***** disappointment. I thought that ***** walrus was actually going to play that ***** saxophone.

2nd favorite comment:

They only had to beat him 73 times to learn that ... awesome !
posted by Joe Beese at 9:28 AM on December 3, 2008

Yes. Yes you may.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:28 AM on December 3, 2008

Meh, pantomime. Dolphins Sing the "Batman Theme."
posted by terranova at 9:30 AM on December 3, 2008

I liked the Thai Elephant Orchestra more.
posted by mannequito at 9:33 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Watch out, Kenny G...
posted by Kimothy at 9:36 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Over at PETA, somebody's head just exploded.
posted by bicyclefish at 9:36 AM on December 3, 2008

I think that is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.
posted by unSane at 9:37 AM on December 3, 2008 [10 favorites has favorites]

Dolphins Sing the "Batman Theme."

I don't want Dolphins anywhere near Batman. They might get ideas.
posted by The Whelk at 9:37 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

The Beatles once penned the song "I am the Walrus" but now this whiskered marine mammal has proved that the animal kingdom can blow its own trumpet.

plsdiekthx
posted by DU at 9:39 AM on December 3, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]

That's fine but I'm not releasing it unless we can cut around the beer belly.
posted by Manhasset at 9:39 AM on December 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Ah, the power of fish.
posted by ZaneJ. at 9:40 AM on December 3, 2008

Over at PETA, somebody's head just exploded.

Maybe it was all the naked ladies. But PETA seems to have converted me as far as performing animals are concerned. My reaction to the vid wasn't "Oh, isn't that cute! It looks like it's playing that saxophone!". It was "If it could trade those hand-fed fishes for freedom, would it?"
posted by Joe Beese at 9:41 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

A walrus with whiskers
is not a good pet.
And a sax-wielding walrus
is worse even yet.
When a walrus mimes jazz tunes
through tough rough wet whiskers,
your audience’s ears
will get blispers and bliskers.
posted by pmbuko at 9:45 AM on December 3, 2008 [8 favorites has favorites]

Unless it's playing Yakety Sax, why bother?
posted by schoolgirl report at 9:45 AM on December 3, 2008

Best video ever

Just cause you say it, doesn't mean you'll win the contest.
posted by gman at 9:46 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I don't know about you, but I was more enthralled by his handler's performance. Everybody do the Trainer Dance!
posted by phunniemee at 9:48 AM on December 3, 2008

Damn. I thought it was gonna be Bill Clinton.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 9:49 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think that is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

It was a downer. For happier performing mammal action, go here.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:53 AM on December 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

While Hillary waits for confirmation, isn't Bill presumed to be behaving himself?
posted by dhartung at 9:53 AM on December 3, 2008

DAMN YOU GUY!
posted by dhartung at 9:54 AM on December 3, 2008

Mua-hahahahahahaha!
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 9:59 AM on December 3, 2008

She's probably singing the Buckkit Blues.
posted by fontophilic at 10:04 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think that is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

Seconded. I don't know why that bummed me out, but there you have it.
posted by piratebowling at 10:04 AM on December 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I didn't care much for the walrus, but I wouldn't mind getting one of these Defecating Christmas Obama's that were linked from that page.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:12 AM on December 3, 2008

She's playing the Lost Bukkit Blues, no doubt.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:13 AM on December 3, 2008

[Memo to self: read thread before posting.]
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:14 AM on December 3, 2008

I'm consoled by the fact that one day that walrus will have her revenge; she will turn to the trainer and say, in a solemn voice, "You know, it's not me that they are laughing at. Look at yourself; no grown man should ever be dancing like you are. Have some self respect for Christ's sake."

She will probably then blow a huge zerbert in his face, just because it's always a crowd pleaser.
posted by quin at 10:14 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

That is not the best video ever by a googolplex lightyears. No sir. This is not the best video ever either, but it's a whole crapload better than that awful walrus torture video.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:17 AM on December 3, 2008

Previously.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:19 AM on December 3, 2008

For me, that goes into the "bears on bicycles" bin. I hate watching wild animals perform stuff like that. Get some footage of a dog doing it and I'll be happy enough.
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:24 AM on December 3, 2008

Fake.
posted by Paid In Full at 10:25 AM on December 3, 2008

I can't believe I'm the first to say "goo goo ga joob."
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:33 AM on December 3, 2008

Animals are cool on their own, just being themselves. You don't have to teach them stupid tricks and make them act like clowns for people to be interested. I'd rather my kids didn't get the impression that nature's creatures are here merely for our entertainment.
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 10:36 AM on December 3, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]

John Lennon played the saxophone?
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 10:41 AM on December 3, 2008

Come on man, the walrus was PAUL. Get a clue!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:51 AM on December 3, 2008

Here are some pictures I came across while trying to determine whether Sara is, in fact, mistreated.

I didn't find anything about how she was trained, but I did come across this amusing tidbit in a blog:

Here is what Chris Rock said after famous animal trainer, Roy Horn, was mauled by Manticore, one of his white tigers, back in '03:

"That tiger ain't go crazy; that tiger went tiger! You know when he was really crazy? When he was riding around on a unicycle with a Hitler helmet on!"

posted by greenie2600 at 10:53 AM on December 3, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

Amazing - looked pretty happy to me
posted by fbtucker at 11:21 AM on December 3, 2008

I would be more impressed if that walrus could actually play the opening of Careless Whisper, as a nice introduction to a narwhal George Michael.
posted by ob at 11:31 AM on December 3, 2008

I have a few problems with this. First off, he’s not wearing a derby (I don’t know why I should have to explain that).

Secondly, it’s not a “were doing this now” of the order that a lion in a sidecar is.

Third, animals shouldn’t have to work for a living. But if we’re going to make them work, why is it always in the entertainment industry? Perhaps the walrus, or the walrus’ mother, had dreams he would become an architect or a physical therapist. Oh, maybe you can’t be a brain surgeon with those flippers, but you could give a hell of a massage.

Fourth - if not yakkity sax - at least Nightrain. With a hippo stripper.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:51 PM on December 3, 2008

That was simultaneously pleasing and depressing and it made me cry.

Christ, I hate the holidays. They turn me into a weeping monster.
posted by sugarfish at 3:42 PM on December 3, 2008

Wasn't she in the band in Jabba the Hutt's palace?
posted by robotot at 4:27 PM on December 3, 2008

I won't believe this walrus is sad until there's a video of him performing Harlem Nocturne.
posted by StrangerInAStrainedLand at 6:30 PM on December 3, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Wow; saddened by video, warmed that my strong reaction was shared and articulated by others. Definitely made me feel very sad.
posted by stevil at 9:20 AM on December 14, 2008