A tad subtler than Musique's "In the Bush"

Been down a little lately, and there is nothing, and I do mean nothing, better to perk up a shameless mediaholic than some dippy tunes from the benighted Seventies (see posts below). This particular masterwork of silliness comes from the kitsch-fest to end all kitsch-fests, the Eurovision song contest. We never heard anything from Fredi and the Friends over here, but their “Pump-pump” is sheer genius. I do like the fat man — dubbed here el corpulento by the Spanish announcer — surrounded by two babes (it has the old burlesque seal of approval), but admit I prefer the leftover couple who had to sing the song to each other — it has that forced-duet quality that made so many variety show mini-musicals so blissfully embarrassing. The proto-Broadway show piano trills don't hurt any either:



Credit for discovering this goes to John Walsh (and his niece) over at the new site Bush League. John is truly a master of the “Web-find.” Regular viewers of the Funhouse will remember my journey through the land of the Furries, an odyssey that began with links provided by John.

Listening to the pump tune, I came in mind of this sweeter-than-sugar tune, which I heard again about two years ago on the Digital Choice music channels available on my cable service. I hadn’t heard it in over three decades, but found I could sing along with it. That bubblegum is some powerful stuff:

Hillary: the new-model Nader (or, the reason the Dems lose elections)

In this most busy of political seasons, I’ve been ingesting way too much punditry (the left-wing and MOR kind; I can’t abide conservatism in any of its guises). Why has no one made the comparison yet: our own N.Y. State Senator, the one who voted to go to Iraq, is clearly playing the spoiler, a la the once awesome Mr. N, and serving as just one more reminder that the reason the Repubs/rightwingers win elections is because they are organized and speak with one voice. Lefties like diversity to the point where nothing is agreed upon, and it all tumbles down into the current economy, the current war, and the current Chimp in Charge of all our fates….