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JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 01:31pm
by Broomstick
This will either make you laugh or piss you off:

Click here and it should start playing

Done in time for the 4th of July holiday - this shows a couple of features that may or may not be unique to the US (I'll let those aboard decide that).

1) The continual re-invention of a tune that a Caruso or Pavarotti would probably have trouble singing properly. We're trying to find a way mere mortals can actually sing the damn anthem.

2) We don't seem to have a problem making our leaders look goofy. Granted, in many instances this takes little effort anyway.

3) I bet more people from outside the US can name all the presidents who appear in this video than US citizens can (though it might be a near thing, given that the Americans on SD.net tend to be better educated than average). Even so, I wonder if anyone else is willing to hazard a guess at who all these presidents are.

For extra credit: As we all know, the current President Bush is closely related to another presidet Bush. Name the other two pairs of closely (at least cousin) related presidents sharing a last name. (Two of the three pairs appear in the JibJab video)

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 01:48pm
by phongn
Broomstick wrote:1) The continual re-invention of a tune that a Caruso or Pavarotti would probably have trouble singing properly. We're trying to find a way mere mortals can actually sing the damn anthem.
Well, it was written to the tune of a drinking song :P
3) I bet more people from outside the US can name all the presidents who appear in this video than US citizens can (though it might be a near thing, given that the Americans on SD.net tend to be better educated than average). Even so, I wonder if anyone else is willing to hazard a guess at who all these presidents are.
T. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
Truman
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
G. H. W. Bush
Clinton
G. W. Bush
For extra credit: As we all know, the current President Bush is closely related to another presidet Bush. Name the other two pairs of closely (at least cousin) related presidents sharing a last name. (Two of the three pairs appear in the JibJab video)
Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt
John and John Quincy Adams.
:P

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 01:57pm
by Broomstick
phongn wrote:
Broomstick wrote:1) The continual re-invention of a tune that a Caruso or Pavarotti would probably have trouble singing properly. We're trying to find a way mere mortals can actually sing the damn anthem.
Well, it was written to the tune of a drinking song :P
Yes. It's an excellent illustration of how fucking smashed Englishmen can get and still remain concious.

Next extra credit question: Original name of the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
3) I bet more people from outside the US can name all the presidents who appear in this video than US citizens can (though it might be a near thing, given that the Americans on SD.net tend to be better educated than average). Even so, I wonder if anyone else is willing to hazard a guess at who all these presidents are.
T. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
Truman
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
G. H. W. Bush
Clinton
G. W. Bush
You missed one.

Granted, he only appears briefly, and I had to double check against some other pictures, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't another clip of the first Roosevelt.

Kind of surprised they didn't squeeze in every president since Teddy Roosevelt, but I don't think they did.

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 02:11pm
by Fleet Admiral JD
Broomstick wrote:
phongn wrote:
Broomstick wrote:1) The continual re-invention of a tune that a Caruso or Pavarotti would probably have trouble singing properly. We're trying to find a way mere mortals can actually sing the damn anthem.
Well, it was written to the tune of a drinking song :P
Yes. It's an excellent illustration of how fucking smashed Englishmen can get and still remain concious.

Next extra credit question: Original name of the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
3) I bet more people from outside the US can name all the presidents who appear in this video than US citizens can (though it might be a near thing, given that the Americans on SD.net tend to be better educated than average). Even so, I wonder if anyone else is willing to hazard a guess at who all these presidents are.
T. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
Truman
Eisenhower
Kennedy
Johnson
Nixon
Ford
Carter
Reagan
G. H. W. Bush
Clinton
G. W. Bush
You missed one.

Granted, he only appears briefly, and I had to double check against some other pictures, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't another clip of the first Roosevelt.

Kind of surprised they didn't squeeze in every president since Teddy Roosevelt, but I don't think they did.
Taft was in there, right?

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 02:33pm
by Beowulf
Broomstick wrote:
phongn wrote:
Broomstick wrote:1) The continual re-invention of a tune that a Caruso or Pavarotti would probably have trouble singing properly. We're trying to find a way mere mortals can actually sing the damn anthem.
Well, it was written to the tune of a drinking song :P
Yes. It's an excellent illustration of how fucking smashed Englishmen can get and still remain concious.

Next extra credit question: Original name of the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
"To Anacreon in Heaven"

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 02:59pm
by Broomstick
Fleet Admiral JD wrote:Taft was in there, right?
Correct!

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 02:59pm
by Broomstick
Beowulf wrote:
Next extra credit question: Original name of the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.
"To Anacreon in Heaven"
Also correct!

You guys are good.

Re: JibJab's Star Spangled Banner

Posted: 2007-06-30 04:46pm
by Fleet Admiral JD
Broomstick wrote:
Fleet Admiral JD wrote:Taft was in there, right?
Correct!
Haha! Smarter than the average teenager. :P