FIVE THINGS YOU HAD TO SEE ONLINE THIS WEEK
Friday, February 20, 2015 - 08:00 AM
This week in “Thanks, Internet” — Beck gets two surprising mash-ups, a calypso Whiplash parody, Murakami gives some not-so-great advice, Billy Eichner wins the guest jackpot, and Norm Macdonald's tweets take us behind the scenes at SNL's 40th anniversary show.
1. BECKYONCÉ
Kanye and a whole lot of other people thought Beck robbed Beyoncé of a very important Grammy last week. No matter which side you're taking, you still get to enjoy a pair of fun, unlikely mash-ups. Beck meets Beyoncé for "Single Loser (Put a Beck on It)" and, thanks to Arcade Fire's Win Butler (who sometimes goes by Windows 98), Kanye raps all over Beck in "Jesus Walks, Loser."
2. STEEL WHIPLASH
Whiplash was easily one of my favorite movies of 2014, but it didn't really have a sense of humor about itself. The film has finally received the parody treatment thanks to a comedy squad known as Above Average. What the calypso-themed Steel Whiplash lacks in intensity, it makes up for in good vibes.
3. BAD ADVICE FROM A MASTER
A few weeks ago I was very excited to discover that Haruki Murakami would be launching an advice column online. Now we have some advice. It’s not at all helpful, but there's some enjoyable reading to be had. Thanks to Vulture for the translation:
Murakami-san, hello. Being that I’m a graduate student, I need to write a lot: reports, presentation speeches, emails to professors, etc. I’m not that great in writing, but if I don’t, I won’t be able to graduate. I struggle with it every day. How will this get easier? If you have any composition 101 techniques, can you let me know?—Sakurai, female, 23 years old, graduate student
Writing is similar to trying to seduce a woman. A lot has to do with practice, but mostly it’s innate. Anyway, good luck.
4. BILLY IN THE STORE
This week, Billy on the Street hit a grocery store. Being inside such a sterile environment stifles Billy's comedy, but to make up for it, he is joined by Big Bird, Michelle Obama, and his old friend, Elena. There’s a lot of fun to be had, including Billy’s calling card improvised games, like “Arianna Grande or a Carrot,” and the grand finale, in which Billy has FLOTUS push him through the store in a shopping cart while he reads Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscar acceptance speech from 1999. Billy for president!
5. NORM MACDONALD ON EDDIE MURPHY, MIKE MYERS, AND LORNE
It was some week.
— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) February 19, 2015
From time to time, Canadian national treasure Norm Macdonald will write an essay on Twitter. This week, he tackled the SNL 40th anniversary show and had more refreshing things to say about it than any of the legion bloggers who provided hot takes in the echo chamber. Eddie Murphy’s awkward air time becomes especially poignant in Norm’s eyes:
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