Answer for question 4487.

[sabotabby]

[Error: unknown template qotd]"Happy" by Pharrell Williams. It's not only a terrible song that's played, as if part of a truly ironic soundtrack, everywhere I go, but lyrically it sums up everything wrong with late-stage Western capitalism. And now I've got it stuck in my head.

Comments

[joysilence.livejournal.com]

Ugh I agree entirely. Even before it became famous it made my hackles rise. Then when I read about those girls in Iran who got arrested etc. for making a Happy video my initial response was one of wild mirth. Then I felt really guilty for feeling the wild mirth. So that just made my hatred of the song go supernova.

[sabotabby]

I didn't hear about the girls in Iran. That's actually terrible. I blame the CIA for overthrowing the last democratic government Iran had, and also Pharrell Williams' terrible song for discouraging collective action in favour of forced positivity.

[joysilence.livejournal.com]

With Iran's keenness to prosecute music-related crimes it's a great shame they never got round to fining Williams for lyrical irresponsibility. The way this song came out in the UK (and doubtless elsewhere) against a background of booming homelessness and almost universal job insecurity made it kind of horrible to even have the words "happy" and "without a roof" in the same verse.

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

So noone can make any cheery songs when times are tough? Is that the rule?

[joysilence.livejournal.com]

Oh, if only I could make actual rules about this sort of thing. The 2015 Lyle Act on Self-Regarding Music of Popular Origin would go down in history, I can tell you.

[sabotabby]

*sporfle*

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

Wow. I love that song. And any song by beyonce or taylor swift is much worse.

[sabotabby]

They're mainly forgettable and nowhere near as ubiquitous, or personally offensive. Like I can't summon a single one of their songs to mind right now.

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

I can. Plenty. Theyre fucking horrific. All Farell is guilty of is giving a great song to a planet of grumpy bastards who dont know what happiness is.
Swift, Beyonce, & Rhianna....their crimes against humanity are horrific.

[the_axel]

You are incorrect. "Happy" is not a great song. It is simplistic, forgettable pop pap.

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

No sir, YOU are incorrect.

[the_axel]

I bet you like The Macarena, The Birdie Song, and Agadoo too; and you start conga lines at weddings.

[franklanguage.livejournal.com]

When he's had a few, he might.

[sabotabby]

I would actually pay good money to see this.

[rinue.livejournal.com]

I like both the macarena and conga lines yet find "Happy" excruciating. I can only compare it to "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies.

[sabotabby]

That is a correct comparison, yes.

[radiumhead.livejournal.com]

You would be one of the aforementioned grumpy bastards.

[the_axel]

Wrong. I absolutely know what happiness is - and one of the things that it isn't is a roofless home, as anyone who has lived in the British Isles can attest.

[smhwpf.livejournal.com]

When I was going to a Baptist church, there was a children's hymn that went

"I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time (x2)... Since Jesus Christ came in, and cleansed my heart of sin - (rep. 1st line)."

With actions and clapping and stuff.

Loathe as I was to criticize, I opined that this perhaps didn't give a realistic picture of Christian life, or reflect the gamut of emotions displayed in the Psalms, for example.

Aren't you glad you don't know the tune? I know the tune. Nor will I ever again not know the tune, while I live.

Then there was our school song, but that was so bad it was good.

[sabotabby]

The best religious music is bittersweet. Like this. Or all traditional Jewish music. Or, say what you like about Mumford & Sons, I profess a weakness for this kind of thing.

I am glad I don't know the tune.

[kryss-labryn.livejournal.com]

The one that drives me crazy is that awful piece of shit by Alan Thicke's son, "Blurred Lines". I hate how sexist it is. I hate the awful lyrics. I hate how stupid and awful the video is, and I hate how my husband plays that fucker all the time when he's had a few. Stupid sexist fucking shit piece of music. The only good thing about it is that it inspired Weird Al to make a grammar nazi anthem that was awesome.

#Robin Thicke is a big D.

[sabotabby]

I didn't know that Robin Thicke was Alan Thicke's son.

I didn't know it was possible for him to be any worse than I thought he was. AND YET.

[whatifoundthere.livejournal.com]

Harper's recently did a terrific article about this song and its relation to late-stage capitalism. I bet you'd like it!

[sabotabby]

THIS IS THE BEST THING.