Back Off, Haters
April 14, 2009 3:07 PM Subscribe
Youtube singing sensation Miranda branches out into music videos. Single Ladies, Genie in a Bottle, Dancing Queen. Want to sing like Miranda? Of course you do. Lucky for you, she gives singing lessons.
Per YouTube comment: This girl may be a comic genius.
posted by rokusan at 3:14 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by rokusan at 3:14 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
I love her sing-ging.
posted by everichon at 3:15 PM on April 14, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by everichon at 3:15 PM on April 14, 2009 [4 favorites]
Phew. For a moment I thought I was out of date with the latest youtube phenomena.
I felt old!
posted by qvantamon at 3:21 PM on April 14, 2009
I felt old!
posted by qvantamon at 3:21 PM on April 14, 2009
More of an eye-rolling and face-making sensation. Girl can mug for the camera, that's for sure.
posted by GuyZero at 3:23 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by GuyZero at 3:23 PM on April 14, 2009
I'd like to step in early on in the thread, and say that it's not cool to make fun of people with personality disorders -- delusions of grandeur, narcisissm, etc. Except in this case.
posted by not_on_display at 3:23 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by not_on_display at 3:23 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
excruciatingly funny.
posted by progosk at 3:24 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by progosk at 3:24 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Having seen Dancing Queen I am gonna give my vote to "deliberately comic". And "awesome".
posted by everichon at 3:25 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by everichon at 3:25 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
What makes teenage girls sneer and whine all the time? I get the distinctive impression that they do these things not despite how annoying they are, but in ignorance of it.
posted by idiopath at 3:26 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by idiopath at 3:26 PM on April 14, 2009
I wanna hear her do Chocolate Rain!
posted by chillmost at 3:27 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by chillmost at 3:27 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
I didn't even get past the first verse of the Shakira song before I had to run and call the 800 number to join the Haters Club.
I should have my Membership Card, Decoder Ring and Ear Plugs in 6-8 weeks.
Oh, and I think we're being pretty liberal with our use of the word "sensation".
I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Especially when it comes to Miranda.
posted by willmize at 3:29 PM on April 14, 2009
I should have my Membership Card, Decoder Ring and Ear Plugs in 6-8 weeks.
Oh, and I think we're being pretty liberal with our use of the word "sensation".
I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Especially when it comes to Miranda.
posted by willmize at 3:29 PM on April 14, 2009
I'm going out on a limb here and saying this is a joke. Hopefully. Either that or her delusions of grandeur know NO bounds.
Watching her facial expressions is painful. Well, so is her singing, but that's a given...
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 3:31 PM on April 14, 2009
Watching her facial expressions is painful. Well, so is her singing, but that's a given...
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 3:31 PM on April 14, 2009
Embarrassing.
"Youtube singing sensation" is like saying "best new American car".
posted by Zambrano at 3:32 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
"Youtube singing sensation" is like saying "best new American car".
posted by Zambrano at 3:32 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Possible viral? I mean she's been at it for over a year, but five months ago she posted a link to her Myspace and the background is a Zune ad.
Otherwise, it is performance art/comedy or she may have some sort of personality disorder. The videos get odder as time goes on, too.
posted by defenestration at 3:32 PM on April 14, 2009
Otherwise, it is performance art/comedy or she may have some sort of personality disorder. The videos get odder as time goes on, too.
posted by defenestration at 3:32 PM on April 14, 2009
Well, you're not really going out on a limb saying that it's a joke. If you have any vocal training, you realize that her "music lesson" goes directly down the list of bad sing-ging behaviors and hits all of them. "Caro Mio Ben" is pure genius.
(Also, there's a comment on YouTube where someone makes a snarky reference to "if only people knew what a good singer you really are" or something like that - which leads me to believe that this is her catharsis. And for those of us who have to regularly listen to this kind of crap with no hint of irony, it's similarly cathartic.
posted by greekphilosophy at 3:41 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
(Also, there's a comment on YouTube where someone makes a snarky reference to "if only people knew what a good singer you really are" or something like that - which leads me to believe that this is her catharsis. And for those of us who have to regularly listen to this kind of crap with no hint of irony, it's similarly cathartic.
posted by greekphilosophy at 3:41 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
There is no way this is for real. This is just short of an SNL character.
posted by piratebowling at 3:41 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by piratebowling at 3:41 PM on April 14, 2009
I refuse to believe that anyone can convincingly sing that horribly on purpose. But if she is doing it on purpose, she has quite a gift because that is not easy, man.
posted by FelliniBlank at 3:43 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by FelliniBlank at 3:43 PM on April 14, 2009
Anyone else have PJ Harvey spring to mind the instant you saw her face?
posted by davebush at 3:44 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by davebush at 3:44 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Yeah, it's great how her make-up and lipstick get more and more obscenely bad as time goes on. The girl is definitely putting us on and having a great time doing it.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:45 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:45 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's clearly a joke, but these days you can never be sure when a musical act is playing up or doing it for real. See also that X-Factor person covering Hallelujah some months back.
posted by panboi at 3:48 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by panboi at 3:48 PM on April 14, 2009
My first instinct is that she's mocking Paris Hilton. It's the makeup and the side talking.
posted by Hildegarde at 3:54 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Hildegarde at 3:54 PM on April 14, 2009
Her top friends on Myspace are all from California and some of them musicians. She claims to be from Tacoma, WA.
My vote is comedy.
posted by defenestration at 3:55 PM on April 14, 2009
My vote is comedy.
posted by defenestration at 3:55 PM on April 14, 2009
I mean, her underwear is sticking out of her leotard in single ladies! Her eyebrow twitches with amazing frequency! Her lips get bigger in every video! SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW HER MOM SPENT ALL DAY EDITING HER DANCING QUEEN VIDEO! Girl is just making comedy, yet there are thousands of people on youtube taking her seriously. What happened to people's ability to sense satire?
posted by piratebowling at 3:57 PM on April 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
posted by piratebowling at 3:57 PM on April 14, 2009 [6 favorites]
Awesome. She's like the pop music version of the super-singers in every church congregation. With excellent costuming.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 3:58 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 3:58 PM on April 14, 2009
The anti-Boyle?
No, I'd say they're pretty close in terms of technical proficiency.
posted by Awakened at 3:59 PM on April 14, 2009
No, I'd say they're pretty close in terms of technical proficiency.
posted by Awakened at 3:59 PM on April 14, 2009
Mrs. Miller will show you how it's done, OLD SCHOOL.
I ♡ Mrs. Miller.
posted by not_on_display at 4:00 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
I ♡ Mrs. Miller.
posted by not_on_display at 4:00 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
My guess is that she is a musical theatre major at Azusa Pacific University.
posted by defenestration at 4:01 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by defenestration at 4:01 PM on April 14, 2009
if it's real, it's terrible
if it's a joke, it's terrible
posted by HuronBob at 4:04 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
if it's a joke, it's terrible
posted by HuronBob at 4:04 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
I love Miranda.
posted by tiger yang at 4:09 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by tiger yang at 4:09 PM on April 14, 2009
AH! Thank you for pointing me to Dancing Queen. That was horrifyingly funny, and definitely put me in the "intentional and hilarious" camp. Up to that point I really wasn't sure.
Incidentally, her makeup in that one instantly made me think of River Phoenix applying lipstick to Lili Taylor in Dogfight.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:17 PM on April 14, 2009
Incidentally, her makeup in that one instantly made me think of River Phoenix applying lipstick to Lili Taylor in Dogfight.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:17 PM on April 14, 2009
lonelygirl15 but with blunt pseudo-criticism (while totally co-opting the mechanism) of the WATCH-ME-AIM-AWESUM mindset of every self-publishing "artist" monkey out there, and the hating troll masses who gobble it up.
We're living in a post-ironic, memeful 2.0 age, alas. A hot-but-strangely-untalented girl with fucking clown lipstick?!! (fer chrissakes).
Had it actually been real I'd've loved it. Cute nutbar doing weird shit? SIGN ME UP. This, however, feels like I'm baited into participating in some company's viral marketing.
On preview, aha, Mental Wimp with the answer. (So maybe it's just her having some...fun and/or a vehicle for viral fame, rather than "faceless company has her do viral videos to make us buy shit.")
posted by Glee at 4:17 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
We're living in a post-ironic, memeful 2.0 age, alas. A hot-but-strangely-untalented girl with fucking clown lipstick?!! (fer chrissakes).
Had it actually been real I'd've loved it. Cute nutbar doing weird shit? SIGN ME UP. This, however, feels like I'm baited into participating in some company's viral marketing.
On preview, aha, Mental Wimp with the answer. (So maybe it's just her having some...fun and/or a vehicle for viral fame, rather than "faceless company has her do viral videos to make us buy shit.")
posted by Glee at 4:17 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
So she's not really Amy Winehouse then? Because I coulda sworn...
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party at 4:18 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Serial Killer Slumber Party at 4:18 PM on April 14, 2009
Search Colleen Ballinger.
Her picture.
Colleen Ballinger is a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in vocal performance. While at APU, Colleen engaged in intensive classical and commercial vocal training, as well as dance (tap, ballet, jazz) and musical theater studies. She has worked extensively throughout Southern California as a vocal coach and movement instructor, working with children of all ages to develop their skills in the performing arts. Originally from Santa Barbara, Colleen has spent the past four years training and performing professionally in Los Angeles. Colleen has a passion for bringing her excitement for musical theater to young people, both in private and group classes, and strives to provide her students with a positive and nurturing learning environment. (Private Teacher – piano, voice; Teaching Artist – Theatre, Dance, Music)
posted by defenestration at 4:21 PM on April 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
Her picture.
Colleen Ballinger is a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a degree in vocal performance. While at APU, Colleen engaged in intensive classical and commercial vocal training, as well as dance (tap, ballet, jazz) and musical theater studies. She has worked extensively throughout Southern California as a vocal coach and movement instructor, working with children of all ages to develop their skills in the performing arts. Originally from Santa Barbara, Colleen has spent the past four years training and performing professionally in Los Angeles. Colleen has a passion for bringing her excitement for musical theater to young people, both in private and group classes, and strives to provide her students with a positive and nurturing learning environment. (Private Teacher – piano, voice; Teaching Artist – Theatre, Dance, Music)
posted by defenestration at 4:21 PM on April 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
That was pretty easy sleuthing, by the way.
posted by defenestration at 4:23 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by defenestration at 4:23 PM on April 14, 2009
I meant Find, not Seach. Also, I see Mental Wimp was already on track to figuring it out. I figured out she went to Azusa because of her top Myspace friends. A Google Image Search of ["Azusa Pacific University" music] handled the rest.
posted by defenestration at 4:31 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by defenestration at 4:31 PM on April 14, 2009
Dammit. Search! EDIT feature, plz?
posted by defenestration at 4:32 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by defenestration at 4:32 PM on April 14, 2009
Just re-watched her Single Ladies video. I must be tired but that is fucking funny.
A talented, hot young woman who goes out of her way to hide her talents and beauty, and works equally hard at getting online assholes to rage against her. I don't care if she's trying to get famous or is indeed just having a laugh playing a talentless, goofy primadonna. I like it.
posted by Glee at 4:34 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
A talented, hot young woman who goes out of her way to hide her talents and beauty, and works equally hard at getting online assholes to rage against her. I don't care if she's trying to get famous or is indeed just having a laugh playing a talentless, goofy primadonna. I like it.
posted by Glee at 4:34 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Her face is amazing. Twitch, twitch. And her mouth is very strongly in favor of one side of her face, always trying to abandon the other.
Here's a beautifully-done response. Also hilarious. And disturbingly loud at the end.
posted by whatnotever at 4:38 PM on April 14, 2009
Here's a beautifully-done response. Also hilarious. And disturbingly loud at the end.
posted by whatnotever at 4:38 PM on April 14, 2009
Her facial expressions seem oddly muppet-like. I'm glad she's putting on a show, or I'd feel bad for wanting her to walk like Liz Lemon.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:39 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by filthy light thief at 4:39 PM on April 14, 2009
I can only describe her demeanor as what happens when flirty and sassy meet half a percocet.
posted by ob at 4:44 PM on April 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by ob at 4:44 PM on April 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
This is cringe-humor, which often freaks me out... but at least she's not picking on some hapless victim. She's just laughing at herself. And, of course, at us.
posted by darth_tedious at 4:56 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by darth_tedious at 4:56 PM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Oh, and I should say that it was obvious from the outset that this was a joke. With the average IQ and maturity level of youtube commentators being around 4 it is the perfect place for it. Superb.
posted by ob at 4:57 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by ob at 4:57 PM on April 14, 2009
Bit of a problem with sibilance there.
posted by Afroblanco at 5:00 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Afroblanco at 5:00 PM on April 14, 2009
This is a pretty good parody. She's a good comedian. My favorite part is the lightning strike in Dancing Queen.
posted by Kattullus at 5:04 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Kattullus at 5:04 PM on April 14, 2009
Just watched the music videos. Oh YouTube, how gullible are you?
posted by defenestration at 5:05 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by defenestration at 5:05 PM on April 14, 2009
Obviously her talents speak for themselves. All those haters are just mean-spirited and jealous.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:18 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by MaryDellamorte at 5:18 PM on April 14, 2009
Agreed, darth_tedious. Cringe-humour, new phrase for me, I can't fucking take it. Normally.
This version I could actually enjoy and laugh at: the comedian owns the...cringeyness and doesn't just dump humiliation in some mark's lap.
posted by Glee at 5:20 PM on April 14, 2009
This version I could actually enjoy and laugh at: the comedian owns the...cringeyness and doesn't just dump humiliation in some mark's lap.
posted by Glee at 5:20 PM on April 14, 2009
The joke is way too subtle for me -- even though I now know it's an act, it's still not far enough from the people she's spoofing to be readily distinguishable.
posted by not_on_display at 5:44 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by not_on_display at 5:44 PM on April 14, 2009
Hate Back On, Haterz, Hate BACK ON!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 6:14 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 6:14 PM on April 14, 2009
not_on_display, this is aimed at a YouTube audience familiar with legions of terrible or moderately talented singers doing anything to be noticed on YouTube, Myspace, American Idol etc. - spamming people's pages with "listen 2 my latest video!!!", singing in underwear, clumsily covering whatever's popular, and so on.
A few of these people have become successful (label deals from MySpace pages or whatever), which is spur enough when the barriers to entry are so low as to be essentially non-existent in 2009 (possessing a webcam, personal reticence).
posted by Spacelegoman at 6:27 PM on April 14, 2009
A few of these people have become successful (label deals from MySpace pages or whatever), which is spur enough when the barriers to entry are so low as to be essentially non-existent in 2009 (possessing a webcam, personal reticence).
posted by Spacelegoman at 6:27 PM on April 14, 2009
She seems to owe most of her facial expressions and intonation to Kristin Wiig. This isn't a complaint, however.
posted by juniper at 6:34 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by juniper at 6:34 PM on April 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Thank you Mental Whimp. Walk me through your backtracking, because I almost posted an AskMe a couple weeks ago trying to figure out who she really was. Then I looked up "How do I stalk someone?" and realized that those threads never go anywhere good... So I'd appreciate a quick mention of how you got there!
posted by greekphilosophy at 6:46 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by greekphilosophy at 6:46 PM on April 14, 2009
Hilarious, except that I can barely watch it.
posted by taliaferro at 7:11 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by taliaferro at 7:11 PM on April 14, 2009 [3 favorites]
greekphilosophy: "Thank you Mental Whimp. Walk me through your backtracking, because I almost posted an AskMe a couple weeks ago trying to figure out who she really was. Then I looked up "How do I stalk someone?" and realized that those threads never go anywhere good... So I'd appreciate a quick mention of how you got there!"
That video shows up under Related Videos.
posted by defenestration at 7:31 PM on April 14, 2009
That video shows up under Related Videos.
posted by defenestration at 7:31 PM on April 14, 2009
Why am I watching these videos?
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2009
I think if she were to do a rendition of Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" it could sincerely top PJ Harvey's version of it.
posted by blucevalo at 8:18 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by blucevalo at 8:18 PM on April 14, 2009
It's definitely a joke, but it still makes me so uncomfortable to watch. Hahaha.
posted by Nattie at 8:25 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Nattie at 8:25 PM on April 14, 2009
metafilter: it's the ted mack amateur hour on steroids
posted by pyramid termite at 9:00 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by pyramid termite at 9:00 PM on April 14, 2009
Thanks defenstration. My momma in Texas would say, "If it were a snake it woulda bit you."
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2009
I think I'll never stop finding people reading YouTube comments out loud amusing
posted by Kattullus at 10:56 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by Kattullus at 10:56 PM on April 14, 2009
Wow. Is she really trolling?
posted by kayalovesme at 5:43 AM on April 15, 2009
posted by kayalovesme at 5:43 AM on April 15, 2009
I tried, I really tried, but I can't watch a whole video. It's too painful. I definitely think this is intentional comedy, but man, it hits right where it hurts.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:23 AM on April 15, 2009
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:23 AM on April 15, 2009
Oh YouTube, how gullible are you?
Just the teensiest bit more gullible than Metafilter, if the comments in this thread are anything to go by.
posted by yoink at 9:38 AM on April 15, 2009
Just the teensiest bit more gullible than Metafilter, if the comments in this thread are anything to go by.
posted by yoink at 9:38 AM on April 15, 2009
single ladies is some of the funniest shit I've seen in ages.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:44 AM on April 15, 2009
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:44 AM on April 15, 2009
I can't stand to watch more than a few seconds of any of these videos, but the stills are gold.
posted by owtytrof at 1:53 PM on April 15, 2009
posted by owtytrof at 1:53 PM on April 15, 2009
Wow. Having watched Miranda's version before ever seeing that Beyonce video, I'm really not sure Miranda's is the more ridiculous.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:17 PM on April 15, 2009
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 5:17 PM on April 15, 2009
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posted by GavinR at 3:09 PM on April 14, 2009