Who is that old dude with Elmo?
October 16, 2011 7:22 PM Subscribe
Elvis Costello sings A Monster Went and Ate My Red 2. (slyt)
Aw, Elmo is even cuter than Mary Louise Parker who danced for EC onstage at the show I saw two weeks ago!
posted by nicwolff at 8:01 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by nicwolff at 8:01 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nothing less than a post-modern meatphor class warfare...
Counting from 1 to 10 represents the masses' struggle to accumulate wealth. Cookie Monster represents the greedy one-percenters who repeatedly thwart the masses' ambitions by devouring the same red (Coincidence? I don't think so.) number in the chain of wealth accumulation.
The undergraduate "Comparative Marxism" paper practically writes itself...
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:09 PM on October 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
Counting from 1 to 10 represents the masses' struggle to accumulate wealth. Cookie Monster represents the greedy one-percenters who repeatedly thwart the masses' ambitions by devouring the same red (Coincidence? I don't think so.) number in the chain of wealth accumulation.
The undergraduate "Comparative Marxism" paper practically writes itself...
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:09 PM on October 16, 2011 [4 favorites]
Having grown up in the days when Elvis PRESLEY was not yet an old dude (which he barely started to become before he died/disappeared/wentintohiding/wasabductedbyaliens), seeing Elvis COSTELLO referred as "that old dude" is quite disturbing.
But the choice of this E.C. catalog song to Sesame-fy was perfect, Elmo in his E.C. outfit was understatedly cute and Cookie reclaimed his often devalued status as a true MONSTER. I give it two thumbs up. One, Two.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:11 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
But the choice of this E.C. catalog song to Sesame-fy was perfect, Elmo in his E.C. outfit was understatedly cute and Cookie reclaimed his often devalued status as a true MONSTER. I give it two thumbs up. One, Two.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:11 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
1. Anything that introduces young kids to the musical & lyrical awesomeness of Elvis Costello is a good thing.
2. I don't remember EC getting old. I feel old.
3. I can't stand Elmo, but :sigh: see #1.
posted by smirkette at 8:14 PM on October 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
2. I don't remember EC getting old. I feel old.
3. I can't stand Elmo, but :sigh: see #1.
posted by smirkette at 8:14 PM on October 16, 2011 [3 favorites]
And it doesn't even sound like Elvis is phoning it in.
And I don't mean to imply that he is.
posted by SansPoint at 8:15 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
And I don't mean to imply that he is.
posted by SansPoint at 8:15 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Elvis does have fairly young kids these days, so they probably got a real kick out of it, too.
posted by maudlin at 8:24 PM on October 16, 2011
posted by maudlin at 8:24 PM on October 16, 2011
I was into Elvis C as a kid, but I think my parents thought Sesame Street was too disturbing.
Anyone watch Spectacle? So good
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:35 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Anyone watch Spectacle? So good
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 8:35 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
good job on the song title. Monster Went and Ate My Number 2 would not have been a good title.
posted by mexican at 8:46 PM on October 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by mexican at 8:46 PM on October 16, 2011 [2 favorites]
When did EC start to look like Michael Richards?
posted by jwhite1979 at 9:00 PM on October 16, 2011
posted by jwhite1979 at 9:00 PM on October 16, 2011
I'm not quite old enough to rock a pork-pie, but I'm getting there.
posted by bardic at 9:38 PM on October 16, 2011
posted by bardic at 9:38 PM on October 16, 2011
That made my day. If only he could have limited Elmo to the one little perfect squawk at 0.42s.
posted by chavenet at 10:18 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by chavenet at 10:18 PM on October 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yay! Thank you!
posted by gingerbeer at 10:42 PM on October 16, 2011
posted by gingerbeer at 10:42 PM on October 16, 2011
Damn YOU!
I was the BIGGEST Elvis Costello fan from the tender age of 13. Years later, I read that Bebe Buell biography where she claims that many many many of his early songs/albums were about her. And you know what? She's crazy, but she's right. And he fucked with her from afar for years. That was during his first marriage+.
Then he divorced his 2nd wife and married that jazz chick and had some more kids, on top of the son from his first marriage, who he never ever mentions as far as I could ever tell.. Anywho.
I realized after 20+ years that Declan MacManus was exactly the type of misogynistic sonafabitch I never woulda married myself. His last album while I still loved him was When I Was Cruel. Yep.
And now this!
I have a young son who will LOVE this song in a few years. Thanks to ZenMasterThis for pointing out the politics behind this version - on flippin' Sesame Street - Elvis never fails!
----
I learned a lot about history and politics and vocabulary from Elvis Costello and Siouxsie and the Banshees in my youth. Also, Steely Dan. And to round it out later on, Moloko.
----
Please don't make me love someone I no longer respect. Even though I still love him.
Thanks.
(Peace, Love, and Understanding is my anthem. Just wish the guy who wrote is was a bit cooler to the women in his life. That is all.)
posted by jbenben at 12:21 AM on October 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
I was the BIGGEST Elvis Costello fan from the tender age of 13. Years later, I read that Bebe Buell biography where she claims that many many many of his early songs/albums were about her. And you know what? She's crazy, but she's right. And he fucked with her from afar for years. That was during his first marriage+.
Then he divorced his 2nd wife and married that jazz chick and had some more kids, on top of the son from his first marriage, who he never ever mentions as far as I could ever tell.. Anywho.
I realized after 20+ years that Declan MacManus was exactly the type of misogynistic sonafabitch I never woulda married myself. His last album while I still loved him was When I Was Cruel. Yep.
And now this!
I have a young son who will LOVE this song in a few years. Thanks to ZenMasterThis for pointing out the politics behind this version - on flippin' Sesame Street - Elvis never fails!
----
I learned a lot about history and politics and vocabulary from Elvis Costello and Siouxsie and the Banshees in my youth. Also, Steely Dan. And to round it out later on, Moloko.
----
Please don't make me love someone I no longer respect. Even though I still love him.
Thanks.
(Peace, Love, and Understanding is my anthem. Just wish the guy who wrote is was a bit cooler to the women in his life. That is all.)
posted by jbenben at 12:21 AM on October 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
Just wish the guy who wrote is was a bit cooler to the women in his life.
What does Nick Lowe have to do with any of this?
posted by victors at 1:07 AM on October 17, 2011 [8 favorites]
What does Nick Lowe have to do with any of this?
posted by victors at 1:07 AM on October 17, 2011 [8 favorites]
When singing with Elmo one should not refer to oneself with the pronoun "I". Elmo never does.
posted by three blind mice at 1:51 AM on October 17, 2011
posted by three blind mice at 1:51 AM on October 17, 2011
Feist now Elvis Costello? What's with my CD collection being better represented on children's television than on the radio?
It's as if Sesame Street has joined forces with my parents in continually suggesting its about time I settled down and had some damn kids, already.
posted by midmarch snowman at 2:19 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's as if Sesame Street has joined forces with my parents in continually suggesting its about time I settled down and had some damn kids, already.
posted by midmarch snowman at 2:19 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
jbenben, the misanthropy and bitterness is part of the appeal.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 2:29 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 2:29 AM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
That man scares me, and I say that as somebody who's only a couple of months younger than him.
Maybe that's why he scares me. It means it won't be long until I'll be wearing a pork pie hat and losing numbers.
posted by SteveInMaine at 3:14 AM on October 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
Maybe that's why he scares me. It means it won't be long until I'll be wearing a pork pie hat and losing numbers.
posted by SteveInMaine at 3:14 AM on October 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
When did EC start to look like Michael Richards?
Costello turning into William S Burroughs is not something I would've predicted happening, yet here we have video proof of it.
This is a fun game: who is Elvis Costello most beginning to resemble in his old age? I was thinking George Burns, although that perhaps emphasizes the "ha-ha, old" aspect of the joke a bit more than is strictly fair.
N.B.: I am getting old myself. For example, I can still remember "George Burns is incredibly old" jokes as being the backbone of Burn's routine, which implies that I can remember seeing George Burns alive. Old.
I think I stand firmly in conformance with the consensus of my generational cohort when I say that Elmo is an interloper who I tolerate only grudgingly. On the other hand, I've enjoyed Elvis Costello's music since I was around 12, when the video for "Peace, Love and Understanding" came on MTV, and my friend Mike, also 12 years old, who was weirdly devoted to Ronald Reagan, got all bent out of shape. Costello just drove him nuts, first for political reasons, and second because Mike couldn't understand Costello's ennunciation of the lyrics most of the time. So that was also a fun game: finding music to irritate my obnoxiously conservative friend. Eventually that one became too easy.
posted by Ipsifendus at 7:27 AM on October 17, 2011
Costello turning into William S Burroughs is not something I would've predicted happening, yet here we have video proof of it.
This is a fun game: who is Elvis Costello most beginning to resemble in his old age? I was thinking George Burns, although that perhaps emphasizes the "ha-ha, old" aspect of the joke a bit more than is strictly fair.
N.B.: I am getting old myself. For example, I can still remember "George Burns is incredibly old" jokes as being the backbone of Burn's routine, which implies that I can remember seeing George Burns alive. Old.
I think I stand firmly in conformance with the consensus of my generational cohort when I say that Elmo is an interloper who I tolerate only grudgingly. On the other hand, I've enjoyed Elvis Costello's music since I was around 12, when the video for "Peace, Love and Understanding" came on MTV, and my friend Mike, also 12 years old, who was weirdly devoted to Ronald Reagan, got all bent out of shape. Costello just drove him nuts, first for political reasons, and second because Mike couldn't understand Costello's ennunciation of the lyrics most of the time. So that was also a fun game: finding music to irritate my obnoxiously conservative friend. Eventually that one became too easy.
posted by Ipsifendus at 7:27 AM on October 17, 2011
The guy is 57 and just now is starting to show his age. We should all be so lucky.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 1:46 PM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 1:46 PM on October 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
I know some kids, teenagers, and younger musicians wearing porkpie hats.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 1:57 PM on October 17, 2011
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 1:57 PM on October 17, 2011
I was thinking his hangdog sort of aging reminded me of Ron Paul but maybe that's the DC-proximity talking. Or the numbers. That's not an anti-fiat currency message, is it?
posted by phearlez at 2:39 PM on October 17, 2011
posted by phearlez at 2:39 PM on October 17, 2011
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posted by kimota at 7:56 PM on October 16, 2011