The Hasselhoff “Blemish”
Manolo says, this article it is indeed weak.
It is always a bit ticklish confronting Germans with their past. You ask them why it happened. You ask whether they supported it. Why they didn’t rebel against it? How could millions of people not see that they were wrong? Andreas from Berlin is a typical witness of the times. A mere 28 years old, his whole life will be marked by the mistakes of an entire nation — an occurrence that is singular in world history.
“I swear, I have no idea how a David Hasselhoff song could top the German charts for eight weeks in 1989,” he says. His tone is defensive and apologetic — a tone one hears across Germany when talking about the historical black mark.
This it is ridiculous; to not know that the Hasselhoff is one of the singular, multi-faceted talents of this, or any other age is to be plunged into the spiritual and intellectual darkness from which it would most difficult to emerge.
You might have never heard about “the Hoff’s” biggest smash hits “Looking for Freedom” and “Crazy for you,” but ask any German between 20 and 40 about it. After a few seconds of blushed embarrassment they might even remember the lyrics, including poetic gems like: “Everybody sunshine, everybody fun time, we’ve got the power, we’ve got the Lord.” The pain, though, must be deeply felt in a country with the long and highly regarded literary, religious and musical tradition enjoyed by Germany.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Urgh. Look! Someone is making the lame and too predictable joke at the expense of the magnificent Hasselhoff and his many ernest German friends.
This person has no soul.
March 21st, 2006 at 11:28 pm
Long live the Hoff!
March 22nd, 2006 at 1:45 am
This is silly. Ayyyyyyyy! why pay it attention at all?
Everyone has bad taste in somethings. I wouldn’t say my musical taste is stellar, but i appreciate it and enjoy it! So why bother criticizing anyone else’s taste in music? It is like abstract art, isn’t it?
March 22nd, 2006 at 1:55 am
There’s only one thing better than the Hasselhoff… The Hasselhoff with an eye patch aka Nick Furry!
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:17 am
Indeed I understand the Manolo’s chagrin at the fun-making at the Hasselhoff.
But the Sarah, as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, is more insulted by the whimsical allusion to World War II in the first paragraph. The Sarah’s grandmother, she lost 5 siblings, and all her aunts and uncles and cousins, in the concentration camp at Treblinka. The Sarah’s great-grandfather was shot in his home by the Germans when he refused to shave off his beard.
The Sarah, she does not blame all Germans for what happened and is capable of moving on. She knows that much of Germany is now a kinder place. But she does not appreciate the use of World War II as a lead-in for a joke about the David Hasselhoff.
March 22nd, 2006 at 3:59 am
Oh, god — That certainly throws a wet blanket over my joke about German musical tradition.
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/5991/
March 22nd, 2006 at 4:14 pm
I will never forget Night Rider!!
March 22nd, 2006 at 5:46 pm
“Everybody sunshine, everybody fun time, we’ve got the power, we’ve got the Lord.”
Are these real, actual song lyrics? Seriously?!
*smacks forehead* Oy vey.
March 22nd, 2006 at 10:37 pm
in case you have not seen it yet-
the Hasselhoffian Recursion: http://www.post-literate.com/gerpunx/archives/2005/01/prepare_to_lose_your_mind.php
March 23rd, 2006 at 2:55 am
Dear Manolo: I thought it was the best German “memory” joke in a long time. Thank you. And Sarah, there’s plenty of people in Iraq right now who are missing relatives thanks to your tribe so get over it.
March 23rd, 2006 at 9:52 am
Manolo- Only out of respect for you and your blog will I not respond to sfmike’s outrageous and insulting comment. The Manolo does not deserve for the commenters to hijack his blog and turn it into a discussion of Middle East politics.
March 23rd, 2006 at 9:59 am
Ayyyyy! Please, no fighting and/or poliltics at the blog of the Manolo.
The Sarah is correct. The blog of the Manolo is to be the pleasant place where we come to share our love of the shoes, and enjoy the gentle mockery of the celebrities and the bad fashion.
There are indeed 25 million other blogs where such things are discussed. Please, here let us put aside our differrences and come together as the internet friends in the spirit of mutual respect and comity.
March 23rd, 2006 at 10:18 am
I also find the article’s tone to be in very bad taste. It is a bit of a shock to come across these jokes about the holocaust when reading a blog about shoes, when it is so unexpected. As another person with family that survived the holocaust I really don’t appreciate reading an article comparing it to the German’s taste in music, even in jest.
March 23rd, 2006 at 10:22 am
As the Manolo said, he thought this was the very lame and very predictable article, and that the central joke it was not especially funny.
March 23rd, 2006 at 10:50 am
Is there a cream for that?
April 7th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
You may have seen this already but it is great.
http://www.zippyvideos.com/4779737622516086/berlinermauer_1