Winner #56!

The results are in and the winner of our fifty-sixth poll - "Blame It on the Rain" (Milli Vanilli) vs. "The Plumbing Song" (Weird Al) - is...

"The Plumbing Song"!

"The Plumbing Song" got 76.5% of 17 votes, while its opponent "Blame It on the Rain" got 11.8%. 11.8% of voters elected to see results.

"The Plumbing Song" is a parody of "Blame It on the Rain" for about 25 seconds. Since this is such a short amount of time, it specifically wins the medley category, despite the parody not being used in larger medleys.

So far the score is...

Originals: 8, Weird Al: 27

Bonus Medley Score:

Originals: 9, Weird Al: 12

u know it’s a problem when u simp hard for a toad from a cancelled movie 🥺

All Or Nothing - Milli Vanilli

So here was a surprise, I actually really enjoyed this one pretty much from beginning to end. I know there is no separating Milli Vanilli from the controversy, and this was one of the albums specifically caught up in the performance issues the group got caught up in. Perhaps I should take this as a performance by an unnamed super group then, and maybe it is so many varied voices that gave the music on the album such a unique appeal.  The sound is jarring, it jumps around a lot, but it somehow works. Each song is unique in tone and feel but I really can’t think of one that didn’t have its own fun flavor.

I’d hate knowing what I know to call this the album of the month, but really liked how this particular slushy got blended. It is the album version of one of those 90s paint splash folders and it is really hard to not have a bit of fun with it. This is actually one where I can say that the song that brought me to the album isn’t going to end up being the one I pick as my favorite. From the Rock/Hip-Hop blend of ‘Money’ to the almost comedic ‘Ma Baker’ this is certainly an interesting experience that I would honestly recommend if you have a few minutes to listen to something while cooking dinner or driving or something. I just noticed as I was writing this that they did go back to at least the first album and added a credit to the vocal performers so that was good to see.

Best Track - Money

Milli Vanilli – Blame It On The Rain (Super Club Mix)

Since I'm already thinking about James Somerton, I might add this to my musings on his videos and the take aways from his errors, lies, omissions, and plagiarism.

He's a great example of the problems that arise when you decide to categorize a minority group into good and bad members of the group instead of focusing on individual bad behaviors and just that--individual. He's also a great example of the same type of behavior the 9-1-1 stans I was talking about earlier love to revel in.

He's white, a cis dude, and gay. He acts like he's uplifting minority voices and speaking for more marginalized groups when in reality he was spreading a lot of hate and using voices of those more marginalized than himself to boost his fame and fortune. There's a lot of misogynist language in his videos. There's also a whole lot of "good gays" talk. While he doesn't go the puritanical route for describing good gays (meaning a gay person who fits into heterosexual norms and thus is less likely to upset the far right), he does still paint a picture of there only being one right way to be queer while deriding those who do fit into heterosexual norms.

Claiming the opposing stance (we're good because we're freaks and they're bad because they pass) is just another tactic that divides the community and causes strife and in-fighting which weakens the whole community and makes it easier for outside forces to oppress and harm the community.

Of all the videos that pissed me off, the one where he claims that all the good gays died in the AIDS crisis was probably the one that made me most feral with anger. I was too young to be active in the queer community during the Act Up years. I was only able to become more active in the community when I got to college in the late 90s. But I watched the news and read and tried to come to terms with being queer while living in the rural deep south (and let me tell you, finding supportive info was hell before the internet). I saw the work people were doing to fight for housing, for employment rights, for fair treatment in all walks of life. It was never just about marriage and joining the military. Honestly 20 year old me didn't think we'd ever see gay marriage legalized in all 50 states. So hearing that blatant lie was infuriating. It was a sign that not only did he not do his research, he deliberately created misinformation to try to radicalize members of the community and get them to hate other members of the community.

The other problem with his stance about the only good gays being the visibly wild and weird ones is that it ignores the realities that a lot of LGBTQUIA+ folks face. I tried hard to pass, and failed spectacularly especially in middle school where I was severely bullied for looking like a boy and being to masculine and possibly being gay. I did eventually get better at passing as a protective measure.

When I officially came out in college, my cousin thought I was brave as hell, but kind of insane. Not because it was wrong, but because it literally put my life in danger. My college was a small private liberal arts college but was still located in a very red, very conservative state and city. I ended up helping start the college's first gay-straight alliance group (and as far as I know it's still an active group on campus). People were afraid to come because they didn't want to become targets. We had our flyers torn down and some of us had our cars keyed. Thankfully I don't recall us having any violence to people just a whole lot of microaggressions on campus.

A few years after college, I joined the Peace Corps and was told point blank that the country I would be serving in was very homophobic and it would be best if I stayed closeted while there for my own safety. There are lots of people in many US states who still face the choice of being closeted or being victims of violence and for those who simply cannot pass it is a terrifying world to live in. Instead of dividing it into good and bad camps of who can pass and who cannot, it's a lot more effective if both groups stand together and work for change. We are so much stronger when we join forces and stand in solidarity. Calling out those who are afraid to come out, or who feel like they only way to live safely is to pass, isn't an effective way to create change. Just like alienating those who cannot pass or choose not to is not an effective way to create change.

Neither extreme take is fair to the other group. And these sorts of takes tend to result in a sort of "I got mine, and you can go die" mentality. We shouldn't be leaving any member to the hatred and abuse of oppressors. And for those who join our oppressors in hopes of sparing themselves...well, we should pity them because in the end they will find that once the other scapegoats have been slaughtered they will be the ones on the chopping block.

TLDR; Misinformation and framing things in a way to fracture oppressed minority groups even farther is one of the things we all need to be wary of when we're taking information in. Because in the end it only ends up hurting the entire group.

A little summer rain excursion to the corner store with the Noceda kiddos.

Bro was LOOKING

Please listen to both songs before you vote!

Note: "The Plumbing Song" is actually a parody of two Milli Vanilli songs - "Baby Don't Forget My Number" and "Blame It on the Rain." We've decided to make two polls pitting Weird Al's parody against each song.

"The Plumbing Song" is a parody of "Blame It on the Rain" for about 25 seconds. Since this is such a short amount of time, we will include this battle in the medley category, despite the parody not being used in larger medleys.

"Blame It on the Rain"

"The Plumbing Song"

it’s my birthday so please feast on Rain not watching where he’s going during watcher in the sky (ironic)

Taylor performing ''Don't Blame Me'' tonight!

genuinely believe that we need to take a moment after this French open to do a full psyche evaluation and study on this tournament and the players who suffered through it. the weather is basically cursed and what do you mean the human embodiment of a puppy hubert hurkacz just tried to instigate a mutiny against the umpire. what do you mean Rafa may have played his last roland garros. what do you mean there was ANOTHER pigeon incident. What is HAPPENING in France.

a god wept, then the world was blamed