the shrewdness of apes

the NYTimes belts out a story about the re-emergence of karaoke and its kudzu-like spread to many corners of the city as an exercise in togetherness:

Clearly, given the demographics, this is not the karaoke of crazy drunken uncles who worship Neil Diamond, nor is it the more studied karaoke first pioneered by Japanese businessmen. Instead, it is more akin to the swing-dancing craze of the 90's - a form of urban group expression that satisfies a longing for community.

In other words, karaoke is hot because it is a cheap team activity.......Karaoke etiquette holds that skill matters less than passion. "My favorite performers are the ones who suck but really put their heart into it; it's better that way," said Samantha Ronson, a singer who recently cut a debut album after being the karaoke hostess at Moomba in the West Village in the late 90's. It has since closed.

the comparison to the swing-dancing craze is unfortunate (did anyone actually do that? did the Cherry Poppin's Daddies really score a platinum record?) as that was foisted on a public still reeling from the horror of "Achy Breaky Heart" and its ilk. but the part about the people who can't sing but put their hearts into is right on. and i'm not talking about in pitful, William Hung sort of way, but in a more organic, cathartic sense. i tend to have a hard time totally letting it rip, but i have been told that my Fred Schneider during "Love Shack" is pretty uncanny. and the wife and i still have a score to settle with whoever signed us up for "Superfreak" the night before our wedding. watching the video of it the other night was a tad horrifying.

balgavy.com flashback: Mr. Met comes to Karaoke!