Auto-Tune the News #6. I know the Autotune folks aren't exactly new to Metafilter, but, damn, this one's pretty catchy, and it's about the only time I've loved what came out of Rep. Boehner's mouth.
posted by WCityMike on Jul 13, 2009 - 71 comments

Michael Jackson penned and recorded lots of songs, many of which remain unreleased. Perhaps the most infamous, and rarest recording, is his version of Behind the Mask. Legend has it that upon hearing Yellow Magic Orchestra's original track, somewhen around 1979, Quincy Jones fell in love with the track, and he and Michael worked together on their own version. Jackson wrote new lyrics for it - adding to those of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Chris Mosdell - and eventually recorded it during his Off The Wall sessions. For unknown reasons the track never made the final cut of, arguably, Jones' and Jackson's greatest work. Not long afterwards Greg Phillinganes, Jackson's keyboard player, released his own version of the song, which was later taken up and re-recorded by Eric Clapton for his 1986, Phil Collins produced album, August. The track has since been recorded/remixed by Human League, Senor Coconut, Orbital and others. Does an original Jones/Jackson recording of the song even exist? Perhaps, as the world continues to mourn the star's sad death, someone will finally allow us a listen.
posted by 0bvious on Jul 1, 2009 - 31 comments

Saturday Night Live comedic actress Victoria Jackson (whose website, upon entering, acoustically informs you of her non-bimbohood) appears on Sean Hannity's show with a rather large amount of enthusiasm and a torrent of very enthusiastically stated, if somewhat stream-of-consciousness, insights (YouTube, transcript).
posted by WCityMike on Jun 9, 2009 - 75 comments

It's time to start planning for this year's Thrill The World! [more inside]
posted by hippybear on Jun 1, 2009 - 9 comments

Colin is a new British horror film told from a Zombie's point of view. It was made for £45 and apparently it went down well at Cannes . Peter Jackson's first film Bad Taste did a similar thing. This documentary features Jackson's parents talking about taking the film to France.
posted by debord on May 19, 2009 - 90 comments

In April, an extraordinary auction will provide an unprecedented look into the private world of Michael Jackson. More than 2,000 items, ranging from personal effects and costumes to pieces from Jackson's private art collection as well as fittings and furnishings from his Neverland ranch, will be up for sale. The auction is so extensive, a six-volume book was printed just to detail every lot. [more inside]
posted by Ugh on Feb 15, 2009 - 36 comments

You know, sometimes, you want to read about an upcoming economic nightmare, sometimes, you want to read about Obama's transition team, sometimes, you want to read about the Rifleman's Creed, and sometimes, you just want to see squirrels dance to Michael Jackson (SLYT).
posted by WCityMike on Nov 11, 2008 - 25 comments

Yet another Thriller cover. One man. 64 channels of a cappella. SLYT
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur on Oct 31, 2008 - 30 comments

Night time at Neverland.
posted by miss lynnster on Mar 11, 2008 - 26 comments

Alison Jackson takes paparazzi shots of celebrity lookalikes. (NSFW) [more inside]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane on Dec 19, 2007 - 8 comments

He once stopped a school bus on a busy interstate because he “needed a hug” from the kids inside. He’s been known to strap weapons to his chest and leg that he has no authority to carry or conceal, then wear them in public. He once bulldozed an elderly woman’s house, promising to build her a better one. He then forgot to build it. He recruited a team of kids to torch a row of dilapidated shotgun houses, without clearance or first turning off the utilities. Meet The Worst Mayor In America.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Oct 23, 2007 - 81 comments

In the year 1982, Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records[wikipedia], is the greatest selling album of all time. The 14 minute music video [youtube] was the longest/most expensive at the time, and was directed by filmmaker John Landis.[imdb] Details of the video here[wikipedia] Now onto the show. [all youtube links] Thriller with Legos. At a wedding. The tv show Good Morning America on the wedding version. At walmart. At another wedding. In Final Fantasy. More animatics. Professional dancers. More dancers. And More. Yup, more here. Even more dancers. Sigh. Even more dancers. And it's not just for 2 year olds. College students too. Penn State's Blue Band. The Bollywood Version. They even do it in Prison.
posted by filmgeek on Jul 20, 2007 - 30 comments

"It is an army bred for a single purpose; to destroy the world of men."
posted by dazed_one on Jun 4, 2007 - 22 comments

Captain Jackson (not to be confused with the other one), along with his teammates Crimefighter Girl and the Queen of Hearts, patrolled the streets of Jackson, Michigan and made celebrity appearances and public service announcements while working in hand with Jackson police. But it's time to turn in the cape: after a DWI, the Captain's identity is revealed. While not exactly Batman, Captain Jackson was one of the few real-life superheroes working to help the public in costume. Will someone take up the tights? A few tips for aspiring superheroes.
posted by luftmensch on Jan 25, 2006 - 14 comments

Is it too early to start throwing out the phrase "Kong Bomb?" Is Peter Jackson the next Michael Cimino?
posted by JPowers on Dec 16, 2005 - 162 comments

The *Original* King Kong Model is Animated One Last Time (large Quicktime video).
posted by JPowers on Oct 22, 2005 - 16 comments

Nevermind the Pollocks . Splattery Friday flash fun.
posted by Gamblor on Sep 23, 2005 - 18 comments

Michael Jackson is guilty of being totally excellent in this fantastic whirlwind tour of NES games (a la Sega Fantasy VI); MJ herein imposes his 16-bit self on a huge amount of games including but not limited to Megaman, Kung Fu, Ice Climber, Super Mario Brothers 1 and 3, Dragon Warrior, Arkanoid, Track and Field, Spelunker, Final Fantasy and more. If you know the Japanese language + games, clue us in. (Flash and hardcore midi dance music warning)
posted by BlackLeotardFront on Jun 30, 2005 - 24 comments

Triumph at the Michael Jackson trial sideshow. As if Star Wars nerds weren't an easy enough target... (embedded video)
posted by Gamblor on Jun 14, 2005 - 31 comments

Michael Jackson verdict. Not guilty on all ten counts. Obligatory MeFi thread.
posted by ed on Jun 13, 2005 - 229 comments

1970 shootings at Jackson State were successfully covered up at the time. They remain a footnote to the Kent State shootings to this day. Memorials are rare. And news coverage is limited to a brief almanac item.
posted by warbaby on May 15, 2005 - 14 comments

Peter Jackson sues New Line. Over money, naturally. Can 'the little hobbit that could' defeat the mysterious Dark Lordliness of Hollywood's Creative Accountants? Well, it worked for Stan Lee.
posted by Sparx on Mar 2, 2005 - 30 comments

The Smoking Gun is leaked the 1,903 Michael Jackson grand jury testimony. Because they're our friends, they have summarized the sealed information into three different webpages: witnesses, search. and destroy?, and topless photos (not as sexy as you might hope). And of course there are the individual transcripts broken up by witness. Isn't this leak grounds for a mistrial? And what does a lightskinned brotha have to do to get a fair trial any more?
posted by tsarfan on Feb 18, 2005 - 30 comments

At age 80, Oliver "Busta Jack" Jackson's cuttin' and scratchin' has more to do with gas and dry skin, than his turntable grooves. Stayin Alive was a big hit for the Bee Gees, but for Chicago's newest rap star, it's a mission. If you think it's because Busta Jack has a violent rivalry with gangsta's on the coast, well, you don't know Jack. Busta Jack is the world's oldest rap star, and the biggest challenge about stayin' alive... Meet Busta Jack.
posted by azul on Apr 8, 2004 - 1 comment

Can Jackson buy his way out AGAIN? Ok, I agree that EVERYONE (including drug dealers and supposed terrorists) is innocent until proven guilty, but for christs sake how many hush up bribes can "wacko jacko" pay before the "pedophile of pop" lands where he belongs...IN JAIL!
posted by hoopyfrood on Nov 19, 2003 - 153 comments

Selections from My Name is Blanket, © 2046 Blanket Jackson

"It was Geller who worked with my father to arrange for the design of the device which became known as the “Soul Harvester,” and who arranged for the shipments of orphans."

An excerpt from Michael Jackson's son's future autobiography.
posted by GriffX on Feb 11, 2003 - 21 comments

The strange history of Michael Jackson's face. Kind of like the Anna Nicole show -- unbelievably frightening, yet you can't look away. Anyone catch the VH1 special the other day where they electronically blurred his cheeks? wonder why... (Link courtesy of Slate.com's "In Other Websites" featue.)
posted by Vidiot on Aug 15, 2002 - 32 comments

Michael Jackson keeps finding ways to shoot himself in the foot. The last thread about this is only 5 days old, but there he goes again.
posted by swell on Jul 13, 2002 - 20 comments

Thank Mahalia Jackson for King's "I have a dream." "On August 28, 1963, under a nearly cloudless sky, more than 250,000 people, a fifth of them white, gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to rally for 'jobs and freedom.'... Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had originally prepared a short and somewhat formal recitation of the sufferings of African Americans attempting to realize their freedom in a society chained by discrimination. He was about to sit down when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, 'Tell them about your dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!' Encouraged by shouts from the audience, King drew upon some of his past talks, and the result became the landmark statement of civil rights in America--a dream of all people, of all races and colors and backgrounds, sharing in an America marked by freedom and democracy."
posted by Carol Anne on Jan 21, 2002 - 16 comments

Something about this really makes me mad. I saw the trailer for this movie and was totally blown away. They even have a cool url. So I decided to check it out... boy was I disappointed. Sure, they have a neat intro.. but half the stuff on the site is "Coming Soon" and the link for the trailer doesn't even work! How frustrating is that?
posted by epoh on Sep 15, 2000 - 3 comments

Jesse Jackson Slams US Drug War Man, if Al would have picked Jesse for veep, I might not be voting for Nader after all.
posted by snakey on Aug 7, 2000 - 18 comments

The Today Show really pisses me off. They never have links to the stories I want to pull up (like the head of the KKK in Jackson saying "why is everyone so bigoted and full of hate when it comes to *us* trying to preserve our heritage"), but they do have stories like Allowances, sleepovers and street crossing... Is your child ready to take that next step?     Regarding the KKK piece, the story was about a Missouri Legislator planning to introduce a bill to rename a section of road "Rosa Parks Highway" in response to the KKK's participation in the Adopt-a-Highway program. While it seems pretty obvious to me that the KKK would just move to another section of road, I was a) offended by the comments of the KKK spokesman, and b) irritated by the State Legislator's lack of preparation for the interview. Why didn't he directly respond to the accusation of hate and bigotry? Why didn't he have facts on hand about the 'heritage' that the KKK was trying to preserve? Why didn't he have information about it's past and present activities and mission? Why didn't he point out that membership in the KKK is in and of itself sufficient to get you booked on the Jerry Springer Show? These things always bug me, because it's clear that groups like the KKK do quite a bit of preparation in fact distortion and spin control, but the Voices of Reason seldom do any prep work at all.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe on Feb 9, 2000 - 3 comments