WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE
March 3, 2012 4:56 AM   Subscribe

Together again at last: "Neil Young" and Bruuuuuuuuce are "Sexy and I Know It".
posted by FelliniBlank (49 comments total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
 
Oh, yeah, and Bruce also did a few other songs: "Death to My Hometown", "Jack of All Trades", and "E Street Shuffle".
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:01 AM on March 3, 2012 [4 favorites]


I'm not a huge fan of either guy, but that was objectively hilarious. And props to your man for being willing to go back to the bandanna. Apropo.
posted by Diablevert at 5:06 AM on March 3, 2012


Previously
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:31 AM on March 3, 2012


Damn, I could listen to Springsteen singing "wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle" in that rough gravel voice of his all night.
posted by Georgina at 5:40 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Bruce Springsteen appears to be metamorphosing into a Muppet.
posted by hnnrs at 5:55 AM on March 3, 2012 [4 favorites]


hnnrs: "Bruce Springsteen appears to be metamorphosing into a Muppet."

You mean like this?
posted by octothorpe at 6:05 AM on March 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


That was beyond awesome. I didn't really like Jimmy Fallon that much on SNL, but dude is seriously talented. And Bruce is such a good sport.
posted by biscotti at 6:12 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


I was wondering when they'd have to start using the Robot Bruce.
posted by SPUTNIK at 6:17 AM on March 3, 2012


That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I might have to log into Facebook for the first time in months just to post that for all my old Neil Young fan friends. except sadly I am afraid they will not recognize the source material
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:26 AM on March 3, 2012


Okay, this whole time I'd assumed that they were just dolling up some actor in period Springsteen garb. But the fact that it's actually Springsteen is blowing my mind.
posted by HeroZero at 6:34 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh shit, that really was Bruce Springsteen? Jimmy Fallon is such a good Neil Young impersonator that I assumed that was a faux Bruce! Wow. Cool.

And I know that song because I have a student who sings and dances it in class daily in a really high-pitched voice. Headache inducing, unlike Bruce and Jimmy.
posted by bquarters at 6:34 AM on March 3, 2012


And aha, the previously thread linked above by Fellini explained to me why they were booing...I was wondering that! Thanks pdb.
Gator - they weren't booing. They were BRUUUUUUUUUUUCE-ing.

posted by bquarters at 6:42 AM on March 3, 2012


My sixth grade students (all boys) think it entirely appropriate to sing the song with "wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle" complete with the video motions. To their 60-year-old female English teacher. Without a trace of irony or self-consciousness. Therefore, the fact that Bruce sang it with only shoulder motions made it even more hilarious.
posted by Peach at 7:09 AM on March 3, 2012 [4 favorites]


What a goddamned stupid song. It fills me with despair. I love Bruce, though, so it's a wash.

That was a pretty funny cover, but I wonder what songs, exactly, wouldn't be funny if covered in such a way? I guess anything in the folk and/or gospel vein. It just seems like an easy joke to make, but then again I'm not scrambling to fill airtime on a nightly comedy show.
posted by m0nm0n at 7:18 AM on March 3, 2012


Oh shit, that really was Bruce Springsteen? Jimmy Fallon is such a good Neil Young impersonator that I assumed that was a faux Bruce! Wow. Cool.

Fallon spent all this past week doing "Bruce Springsteen Week", with The Boss appearing on both Monday and Friday's shows, and with musical guests going Springsteen covers the other three days.

Here's Elvis Costello doing Brilliant Disguise and Fire, Kenny Chesney doing I'm On Fire, and John Legend doing Dancing In The Dark.

And Bruce from the beginning of the week doing We Take Care Of Our Own and Wrecking Ball.
posted by hippybear at 7:25 AM on March 3, 2012 [5 favorites]


When did the giggly kid from SNL become awesome?
posted by Optamystic at 7:38 AM on March 3, 2012 [4 favorites]


"Wrecking Ball" sounds like it's going to be awesome.
posted by drezdn at 7:49 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


My Fallon theory is that the enthusiasm and giggling that made him frustrating on SNL are actually great qualities for a talk show host to have.
posted by drezdn at 7:51 AM on March 3, 2012 [15 favorites]


My Fallon theory is that the enthusiasm and giggling that made him frustrating on SNL are actually great qualities for a talk show host to have.

Absolutely. He actually seems to enjoy being a talk show host, which is a surprisingly rare quality.
posted by HeroZero at 7:57 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


When did the giggly kid from SNL become awesome?

He started to find himself sometime around the 6 month mark of his Late Night stint. The first couple of months were so shaky and frustrating, but the genius lurking behind the fear was obvious even on the very first night.

As time has progressed, he's turned into one of the most generous and engaging interviewers I've seen in such a format. He is somehow able to get guests to do things on his show, like play beer pong or do comedy musical numbers, and make it engaging rather than mocking them. He's obviously having a great time doing the show, and his joy is contageous even through the television screen.

He's got some brilliant audience participation bits, too. My favorite is "Battle Of The Instant Bands", where he assembles two rock bands out of audience members who know how to play instruments (but who have never met before), gives them 15-20 minutes to write an original song together, and then has both bands perform their instant songs "live" on national television. The winner is chosen by audience enthusiasm, and they get to keep the instruments they used as prizes. (Don't ask me how the drummer is supposed to transport his kit when all (s)he thought was happening was a ticket to a late night taping... My brain paints hilarious pictures of exactly how this prize giving works.)

I know that MetaFilter is kind of Craig Ferguson territory, but I've been watching Fallon since day one, and am thrilled to see someone "of my generation" making such a strong showing as part of this television program format which has been around basically since the beginning of the medium. At this point, he knows how to do it, and he does it from a stance of here-and-now. Rather than looking like an old fogey who is trying to appear hip by including things like twitter or video games on his show, he actually knows how these things work and uses them personally.

I hope he's around for a long time to come, because he's the breath of fresh air I've been looking for in the late night format for ages.

(Well, that and having a DVR which lets me actually watch his show on my own schedule and skip the advertisements, which come at nearly a 1:1 ratio to programming at that point on the schedule... I can watch an entire week's worth of Fallon in 2.5 hours, and that's if I watch everything, which I usually don't.)
posted by hippybear at 8:00 AM on March 3, 2012 [10 favorites]


My theory* on SNL-era Fallon was that he would only lose it during other people's sketches (i.e. when he was playing a supporting character). In sketches that he starred in and I assume he had a hand in writing, he usually seemed fine. Like, look at his Bee Gees talk show sketches with Justin Timberlake.

* Theory not tested scientifically. Evidence is mostly my own hazy memories of his time on SNL.
posted by good in a vacuum at 8:02 AM on March 3, 2012


I dunno, he's not doing as good of a Young impression as I know he can in favor of selling the joke, when him really sounding like Young was the joke. When I first saw him doing this with "Whip My Hair," at first I thought, "Holy shit, he got Neil Young to come cover this!"

I've said before, and it's praise, Jimmy fallon is really good at pretending to be someone with talent.
posted by cmoj at 8:02 AM on March 3, 2012


Hippybear nailed it. Like a lot of people here, I'm more of a Ferguson guy, but when I do catch Fallon, I'm always impressed with how well thought out and executed his show is-- everything works without feeling forced. There's also an originality and energy to his show that Letterman and even Conan don't have anymore. I don't always find everything he does entertaining, but then I'm not sure I'm his target audience, given the fact that I'm 41 and have been watching Late Night TV since my early teens, so my tastes run on a slightly less energetic route (The retirement of Carson & two Late Night Wars have worn me down on conceptual comedy and big production bits-- which is why I enjoy Ferguson's stripped down, "whatever happens, happens" approach).
posted by KingEdRa at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2012


but then I'm not sure I'm his target audience, given the fact that I'm 41

Well, I'm 44, and when I say that Fallon is "of my generation", that's because he himself is 37. Pretty much part of the same cohort group are he, you, and I.
posted by hippybear at 8:25 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Bruce is in really good shape for a man in his sixties.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:26 AM on March 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


Hippybear: Well, yeah, but it's not so much my age as my sensibilities. Like I said, I don't always laugh at Fallon's jokes/bits as much as I think I should (they tend to skew younger for me) but I appreciate what he's trying to do with the show. It is a breath of fresh air on late night.
posted by KingEdRa at 8:52 AM on March 3, 2012


hj, he works out
posted by en forme de poire at 8:54 AM on March 3, 2012 [17 favorites]


Is there something wrong with Bruce's neck?
posted by Bovine Love at 9:00 AM on March 3, 2012


I am absolutely on board with the theory that the exact thing that made him annoying on SNL -- his total inability not to broadcast how much fun he was having -- makes him a startlingly excellent late-night host. That show is like a giant jug of happiness every night. And I don't think you have to pick between Fallon and Ferguson, either. I think they're both great at what they do. There's so much yammer about the 11:30 shows and the Leno/Letterman stuff, but to me, the 12:30 shows are a billion times better across the board than the 11:30 ones. I absolutely love both Ferguson and Fallon.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 9:19 AM on March 3, 2012


AVG just put an exploit in the vault from this page for me. And Hulu doesn't work outside of teh USA.
posted by infini at 9:19 AM on March 3, 2012


I don't think that's really Bruce, it's one of these things.
posted by gngstrMNKY at 9:19 AM on March 3, 2012


hj, he works out

You think?
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:39 AM on March 3, 2012


And aha, the previously thread linked above by Fellini explained to me why they were booing...I was wondering that! they weren't booing. They were BRUUUUUUUUUUUCE-ing.

I'm officially old.
posted by Houstonian at 9:41 AM on March 3, 2012 [1 favorite]


Wow, put me in the, "that was really him!" camp. I thought at first it was a good impression, but looked nothing like him - and Bruce's guitar playing seemed so stilted - as if they didn't know how to play guitar.

Bruce: 1, Alex: 0
posted by alex_skazat at 9:42 AM on March 3, 2012


Also Jimmy Fallon is the Goth Talk guy isn't he? That's a good role to grow out of. A late night show host that works the day shift at Cinnabon would lack believability :)
posted by alex_skazat at 9:50 AM on March 3, 2012


Also Jimmy Fallon is the Goth Talk guy isn't he?

No! That's Mango, I mean Chris Kattan.
posted by zippy at 10:13 AM on March 3, 2012


That E Street shuffle linked to up there is seriously awesome. Great groove, and showmanship.

And its got about 30 people on stage at the same time, without turning into sonic mud. Huge horn section, backing singers, about 5 guitars. The Roots and the E Street band. Questlove AND Max (boy i miss his tv band too).

I don't think Elvis's Brilliant Disguise works but the ska'd Fire is great.
posted by C.A.S. at 10:58 AM on March 3, 2012


And its got about 30 people on stage at the same time, without turning into sonic mud.

Bruce did something similar on Conan O'Brien playing Pay Me My Money Down. Jimmy Fallon was a guest that night. Though I'm annoyed that Jimmy just goofed off in that song when he has so much musical talent.

Jimmy Falon as Bob Dylan singing the “Charles In Charge” theme is pretty great though.
posted by Gary at 11:10 AM on March 3, 2012 [3 favorites]


Any posts containing Jimmy Fallon really ought to come with a trigger warning.
posted by stinkycheese at 12:14 PM on March 3, 2012


Any posts containing Jimmy Fallon really ought to come with a trigger warning.

Yeah, his schtick often makes me also feel really happy and well entertained. I hate when that happens without advance notice!
posted by hippybear at 1:04 PM on March 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


Gary, thank you, I have been looking for that Conan O'Brien clip for FOUR YEARS NOW. (bookmarks)

Man, a guy who is not only that much of a showman, but also has enough of a sense of humor to poke fun at himself? Awesome.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:14 PM on March 3, 2012


I would have given a lung to have been in the room for this (also from last night, apparently). Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, and the Roots? HELL YEAH.
posted by deadmessenger at 3:33 PM on March 3, 2012 [2 favorites]


I have been looking for that Conan O'Brien clip for FOUR YEARS NOW. (bookmarks)

Use Keepvid.com then. Bookmarks to YouTube lead to sadness.
posted by Gary at 5:51 PM on March 3, 2012


I swear I thought that was Little Steven impersonating Bruce.
posted by bardic at 6:24 PM on March 3, 2012


It's still a better song than "Let's Roll."

#NEVR4GET
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:23 PM on March 3, 2012


What a goddamned stupid song. It fills me with despair.

Man, LMFAO is the new generation Weird Al. Catchy beats in the service of off-the-wall comedy... the song is so wrong, and the video, well, I got in trouble the last time I linked to a LMFAO video, but trust me, it's really, really funny. The most hilarious part is that everyone just accepts this as mainstream pop.

So the Fallon sketch is meta-funny, as takes the faux-serious pop, and turns it into faux-serious classic rock, complete with '80s Bruce - torn jean-vest and child-molester sunglasses and red hairband and all.


When did the giggly kid from SNL become awesome?

I'm not in favor of cutting any SNL cast-member a break, but dude. He had to play in scenes with Will Farrell, who lived for getting other cast members to break character.

When the original SNL cast sneered at the Carol Burnett Show for breaking character mid-sketch, they did so from the comfort of not having to share the stage with Tim Conway.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:07 PM on March 3, 2012 [7 favorites]


(The guy on the right, trying not to pee himself, is Dick Van Dyke.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:44 PM on March 3, 2012


When the original SNL cast sneered at the Carol Burnett Show for breaking character mid-sketch, they did so from the comfort of not having to share the stage with Tim Conway. yt

Funny! Mama comes in with the perfect zinger to Conway's hamming at 4:22.

Man I forgot how funny that crew was. I wonder if Mama's Family is on netflix.
posted by ian1977 at 10:44 PM on March 3, 2012


...and the clip ends with both Conway and Van Dyke literally rolling on the floor with laughter.

THAT'S how you do it, kids.
posted by Spatch at 1:59 AM on March 4, 2012 [1 favorite]


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