Rick Astley Comments On RickRolls
When I first started covering the Anonymous vs. Scientology movement I found myself a victim of the RickRoll. Not sure what this is? Yes, well neither was I. A Rickroll is a very insidery joke amongst internet savvy folks where they lure you with a link and instead of finding your intended pr0n or pictures of cute kittens, you get a YouTube video of 80’s pop phenom Rick Astley performing his huge hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Neat huh? Well, to those in Anonymous this isn’t so much a prank as it is a shout out to a relatively well-crafted, jaunty little number which delights the senses and hearkens back to a time when life and music were much simpler. It really is a compliment to Rick Astley and not at all intended to negate his talent. It’s also quite hilarious, even when you’ve fallen for it a once or twice, a handful, SEVERAL times. What? I’m gullible like that.
So, in light of this new resurgence in Rick’s popularity, the LA Times, (writer David Sarno) did a feature on the man behind the lightweight, but likable pop ditty, and asked him what he thinks of the whole internet-driven appreciation.
“If this had happened around some kind of rock song, with a lyric that really meant something — a Bruce Springsteen, “God bless America” … or an anti-something kind of song, I could kind of understand that,” Astley said. “But for something as, and I don’t mean to belittle it, because I still think it’s a great pop song, but it’s a pop song; do you know what I mean? It doesn’t have any kind of weight behind it, as such. But maybe that’s the irony of it.”
Astley would never put the song down, mind you. It’s just that, as he says, “If I was a young kid now looking at that song, I’d have to say I’d think it was pretty naff, really.”
(Wikipedia on “naff”: British slang for “something which is seen to be particularly ‘cheesy’ or ‘tacky’ or in otherwise poor aesthetic taste.”) “For me it’s a good example of what some of the ’80s were about in that pop sort of music way. A bit like you could say Debbie Gibson was absolutely massive, but if you look back at it now … do you know what I mean?”
Yes, I think we do. But even still, with all the renewed attention to his work and his — albeit 20-year-old — image, does Astley have any plans to cash in on Rickrolling, maybe with his own YouTube remix?
“I don’t really know whether I want to be doing that,” he said. “ I’m not being an ageist, but it’s almost a young person’s thing, that.”
“I think the artist themselves trying to remix it is almost a bit sad,” he said. “No, I’m too old for that.”
Astley, who will be touring the U.K. in May with a group of other ’80’s acts, including Bananarama, and Nick Heyward, Heaven 17, Paul Young and ABC, sums up his thoughts on his unexpected virtual fame with characteristic good humor:
“Listen, I just think it’s bizarre and funny. My main consideration is that my daughter doesn’t get embarrassed about it.”
Rick’s list of tour dates, for those so inclined.
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THIS IS WHY.
Comment by anonkneemess — March 26, 2008 @ 8:49 am
Only Anonymous could revive a good man’s singing career AND take down the evil cult of $cientology.
Amazing breadth of scope.
Thank you, Anonymous
Comment by Ben — March 26, 2008 @ 9:44 am
You gotta love how the guy has taken the whole Rickroll phenomenon the right way. What a mensch.
Comment by Narcissus — March 26, 2008 @ 10:24 am
lord, i got rickrolled in an article about a rickroll. you’d think after so long i’d see it comming
Comment by anonymous — March 26, 2008 @ 11:10 am
it’s so funny how I just couldn’t bring myself to try ANY link in an article about RickRoll. Guess I made the right choice? heh heh
Comment by nonnonn — March 26, 2008 @ 11:57 am
I’d hit it.
Comment by k — March 26, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
I bought “Never Gonna Give You Up” yesterday on iTunes as a direct result of RickRoll obsession. THIS IS WHY HE LIKES THEM.
Comment by Matt Sussman — March 26, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
[…] know Dawn did a great story on this a few days ago, but I have to add my two cents…it seems that Rick Astley has become […]
Pingback by GlossLip » Rick Astley: Rickrolling Mad Skillz, He Has Dem — April 2, 2008 @ 12:30 pm