Funny / Todd In The Shadows One Hit Wonderland 2015

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Specials

Cameo - "Word Up!" (1986)

• The title card itself. On top of referencing the original Cameo video with Todd wearing a codpiece, Lindsay Ellis' dog Kali makes an appearance in reference of the Korn video. Kali's appearance is also in reference to Todd's obsession with Kali, specifically her small size, on Twitter.
• Todd mimicking lead singer Larry Blackmon's nasal delivery throughout the review.
  Todd: [holding his nose] Wurd ahp!!
• When talking about Cameo's earlier track "Shake Your Pants", Todd responds to the track by shaking a pair of trousers.
  Todd: [something falls on the floor as he shakes his pants] ...There's my keys.
• "Prince can't carry the banner for '80s funk alone. He's a tiny, tiny man."
• Noting that anyone not already familiar with the song has likely been spending the whole video until now waiting for him to talk about the codpiece.
  • He describes the codpiece as the male equivalent of the Wonderbra. "It lifts and separates." Followed by immediate Verbal Backspace as he considers his words.
  • Similarly, Todd failing not to laugh when "Back And Forth" opens with a zoom-in on said codpiece...then starts swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
  Todd: Oh man, that's great. I... I can't even...next.
• To help the viewers recognize LeVar Burton in the Word Up music video, Todd poorly superimposes Geordi's visor on his face, barely even matching it up with his eyes.
• Todd straight-up corpses at the beginning of the video for "Back and Forth" when Larry's codpiece comes flying towards the viewer. He eventually gives up revieweing the song because he's too distracted by the cod piece swinging, well, back and forth across the screen like a pendulum.
  • After the credits card, there's a zoom-in on the codpiece.

Eiffel 65 - "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (1998)

• In the beginning of the video, Todd talks about his Patreon campaign and takes a minute to thank the fans who paid $20, giving them the right to choose a song for OHW. That changes when the first guy asks for "Blue (Da Ba Dee)".
  "You motherfu-"
• "Now listen up! Here's a story! About a shadow guy who listens to dumb songs! And all day and all night and everything is just DUMB. DUMB lyrics with a DUMB video and a DUMB chorus that no one should ever LISTEN toooo..."
• When seeing the music video for "Love is Forever":
  Todd: "Does anyone else want to play Myst for some reason?"
• Todd apologises for the closed captioning which Bliss Corporation inexplicably added to all the music videos they uploaded, and remarks that Bliss Corporation shouldn't be drawing attention to the lyrics because, at best, they're nothing special. Case in point, from Hold On To Love:
  Jeffrey Jey: Na na yeah hey hey hey na na hey na na na na hey (subtitled as "Naa Naa Yee he he he na na he na na na he")
• Todd discusses the misheard lyrics spawned by this song.
  Todd: One of the more interesting things I remember about this song is that everyone misheard the chorus. "I'm blue, I believe I will die; I'm in need of a guy; I got beat up at night."
  Jeffrey Jey: ♪In Aberdeen, I'm on diet.♪
  Todd: There are a lot of them. I think it's because the guy's autotune and accent are so wonky, but also because the human brain refuses to accept that this could really be as stupid as it is.
• "Surely, there had to be more to this song than a never-ending list of monochromatic objects wrapped around a gibberish chorus. Nope! That's it. That's literally all it is. A bunch of nonsense syllables, and a list of blue things...His house is blue. His dog is blue. His boy is blue...His chicken cordon is bleu. Everything is just...blue."
  • He then notes the Analogy Backfire and Mood Dissonance...
  Todd: There's no reason to write a song like this unless you understand that the word "blue" is a synonym for sad, and this guy's one color world is supposed to be a reflection of his sadness. He sees a red door and he wants to paint it blue. You're supposed to feel bad for this little, poor, blue guy, although I don't exactly know what he's sad about.
  Jeffrey Jey: ♪I have a girlfriend, and she is so blue/Blue like my Corvette, it's sitting outside...♪
  Todd: You have a girlfriend and a Corvette. Sounds like you're doing okay. Okay, maybe his Corvette is expensive, and useless, and he doesn't drive it, and maybe his girlfriend and him aren't more happy. Whatever, he's blue. But they just hammer that one word into the ground that it doesn't even register about being emotions anymore. It's just literal blue-ness. Blue, blue, blue, blue.
• Todd notes that their "Failed Follow Up" didn't actually fail; it was actually successful in every country it was released except America. Why?
  Todd: "Because we live in the greatest country on Earth. God bless the USA." *salutes*
• His realization that Eiffel 65 DJ "Gabry" Ponte's biggest solo hit features Pitbull, confirming that he has collaborated with everyone.
• When discussing "My Console," Eiffel 65's song about their favorite PlayStation games.
  "I would like this song more if I had ever played any of those games. But uh, I didn't have a PlayStation, I had an N64. Heh, who needs Metal Gear or Resident Evil? I was busy playing Glover and Quest64!"
• By the time he's gotten to their third hit, "Too Much of Heaven"
  Todd: Guys, I think Eiffel 65 think they're a Boy Band. Matter of fact, that nasal whine he's doing, does it remind anyone else of, uh...
  *NSYNC: ♪Guess what? It's gonna be me!♪
• His discovery of Zorotl (Eiffel 65's weird alien mascot) having a SOLO SINGLE. And finding his relic-of-1999 website detailing his entire backstory and universe.
• When Todd gets to "Did they deserve better?", he merely grunts.
  Todd: I'm not gonna say I hate Eiffel 65; this is not a band to be angry about. But I certainly can't think of anything I like about them. There are few songs as brainless as "Blue (Da Ba Dee)". And to me, most of their other songs sound like filler songs on DanceDanceRevolution, complete with shitty screen saver video.
  • Todd concludes that the song's name is fitting, because Eiffel 65 blew.

John Parr - "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" (1985)

• Todd identifies John Parr as part of a very specific '80s music industry ecosystem: big hairy guys that weren't quite photogenic or flashy enough for MTV, but made a career on "big pump-up soundtrack hits", putting him in good company with Stan Bush ("You Got the Touch"), Paul Engemann ("Scarface (Push It to the Limit)"), and Joe Esposito ("You're the Best").^note Not mentioned, but also there in spirit, is Michael Sembello, previously covered on OHW for "Maniac". Sure enough, one of John's minor follow-up hits was "Restless Heart" for The Running Man, a movie which Todd believes it wasn't exactly suited for.
• Despite being British, Parr is the most American man Todd has ever seen.
• After revealing that one of Parr's first major gigs was being one of Meat Loaf's songwriters... in the 1980s. The magic is in how he says it:
  Todd: Yes. Everyone's favorite era of Meat Loaf: '80s Meat Loaf. When Meat Loaf performs live, everyone screams for him to perform "Blind Before I Stop" and "Midnight at the Lost and Found"... Yep...
• Todd's excitement to see the film of the same name the song is tied to, until he realizes that Joel Schumacher directed it. One viewing later, he is decidedly less than pleased with the film. Which turns into a running gag over how he can't even discuss the movie without becoming enraged over it.
  Todd: Actually, come to think of it, I haven't seen the movie either, although it seems to be one of those sort of fondly-remembered, quintessentially '80s movies, I should - I should check it out. [the opening credits begin playing] It seems cool, y'know, classic coming-of-age tale, it's got young Rob Lowe, and young Demi Moore, and half the cast of The Breakfast Club, and it was directed by Joel Schum-ughhh... [string tremolos take over the soundtrack, getting ever louder] Um... um... um...
  Caption: 103 minutes later
  Todd: [sighs; tensely] Let us never speak of that movie again. ["St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" begins playing, accompanied by footage from the music video] Anyway, let's talk about the single good thing from that movie, the theme song, which is so good it kinda makes you forget that you're watching a [his voice getting faster and angrier] beyond shitty piece of up-its-ass badly written, badly acted, pukestain of a - God! Schumacher's serious movies are so! Much! Worse than his comic books, so I don't wanna hear another complaint about Bat Nipples ever again! [sighs, collects himself] Anyway, the song. [the song and music video begin playing again] For those who want the strange title explained, St. Elmo's fire is this weird weather thing where ships would suddenly have blue lightning coming off their ship, and it looks really cool. In the movie, it's the name of the bar the characters go to, but it's also a metaphor for not a goddamn thing, 'cause it's way too stu- [stops, collects himself again]
  [later, after Todd explains that the alternate title, "Man in Motion", refers to Canadian Paralympian Rick Hansen, who circled the globe in a wheelchair from March 1985 to May 1987 to raise funds for charity]^note  Todd notes that the 1980s were "a good decade" for Inspirationally Disadvantaged Canadians, an implicit nod to Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope from April to September of 1980.
  Todd: That really does explain why there's such a pumped up, inspirational tone for a theme to a movie about confused, whiny yuppies coming of age while also being [suddenly angry] crazed, violent stalkers, what the living hell, Schum- [sighs, puts his hand to his forehead, and collects himself yet again]
• Todd's thoughts about Parr's post-hit team-up back with Meat Loaf, "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries":
  Todd: Wait, are they calling themselves Rock and Roll Sellouts?
• Todd reveals something else John Parr made that's of note: "Gillette! The best a man can get!"
  Todd: Not kidding.
  • Which is quickly one-upped in terms of "What." by Todd revealing that, in 2011, John Parr re-recorded "St. Elmo's Fire" to be about Tim Tebow.
    Gonna be a man in motion!
    All I need is my Broncos team.
    Take me where my future's lyin'
    Tim Tebow's Fire!
• "Did he deserve better?"
  Todd: Yeah, yeah... yeah, not really. I got basically what I expected out of this one. John Parr was not a man with the talent or charisma to last more than a couple songs.
• Todd's unenthusiastic sigh when he reads a Patreon supporter's request for a future OHW episode on "MMMbop" by Hanson.

Hanson - "MMMBop" (1997)

• Following up how the last episode ended, Todd reveals that he didn't want to do this episode not because he hates the song. Rather, he didn't want to do this episode because Hanson isn't a one-hit wonder.
• "You know me, I'm a soft touch, I'll do anything for my fans if they give me money."
• Todd revealing that he is a huge Hanson fan:
  Todd: Liking Hanson is something you have to hit mega hipster points to reach. Anyone can say they were into a band before they were famous. I was into Hanson after they were famous! Pssh.
• His difficulty with making a "Before they were famous" section, given how young the boys were at the time of their big hit.
• Todd hoping that the last Patreon suggestion for OHW is a band that's actually a one-hit wonder. Cue request for Rage Against the Machine.
  Todd: That's a flat "no" dude.^note "Killing In The Name" was RATM's only real hit in the UK, but they have more notable songs in the US.

The Vapors - "Turning Japanese" (1980)

• Todd receiving a message from his Patreon backer, changing his request to this from "You're Beautiful"
  • His sheer joy upon hearing this news, enthusiastically launching into the song on the piano.
  Todd: Friends, it's been too long since we had a good old 80s new wave act on this show.
• Todd describing the music scene of 1980 (in America at least):
  Todd: There wasn't much room for Vapors in all the Air Supply we had.
• Todd's air guitar while praising the song's guitar work.
• The brief shout-out to the opening sentence of The Metamorphosis
• "Certainly, I know plenty of people who would love to turn Japanese..." [cue bearded Sailor Moon cosplayer]
• Describing how the song is supposedly about masturbation:
  Todd: Or... Maybe Dave Fenton was ahead of the curve and realized that someday Japan would be very well known for its pornography. Yeah, Japan and masturbation go hand-in-hand. ...Well, something in hand.
  Todd: The 80s had a lot of songs that sounded like they were about some self-lovin' ^note [cue "Dancing With Myself", "The Stroke", "Whip It", "Hold On Loosely," and "Beat It"]
• His realization that Dave Fenton is "[a]n actual suit-and-tie lawyer who does law things" now. He sets that section to the theme of Night Court.
  • Todd wanting to make a TV show of it. "It could star James Spader..."

Crazy Town - "Butterfly" (1999)

• Todd describing how this was the "boy-bandification of nu-metal"
  Todd: They were these tattooed, rap-metal guys rapping about how much they loved ya, girl.
  • Then further making his point by dumping on the song title, complete with shout-outs to Reading Rainbow and the Mariah Carey song.
• Juxtaposing their 2nd single with the white-boy dance from "Pretty Fly for a White Guy"
  • This Analogy Backfire:
  Shifty: Crazy Town, we strike like Deep Impact!
  Todd: ...you get overshadowed by similar things that are even dumber but more popular? Yeah, that sounds about right.
• Todd defends the song's much-mocked reference to Sid & Nancy, then adds that he's actually bothered by how the preceding line uses "tickles my fancy".
  Todd: [in a British accent] Whatever tickles your fancy, my dearest!
• On their "Butterfly"-follow-up single:
  Todd: So why didn't this hit big? [plays snippet of song] Oh right, Crazy Town sucks.
• Todd noting how Crazy Town quickly became Linkin Park wannabes by their second album. The lead single was called "Drowning," which Todd can't believe didn't go:
  Todd: ♪ Drowwwwwwwwwning in my fleeeeessssh / These cuuuuuuuts don't appear to be mendiiiiiiing! ♪
• Todd points out that the commercial failure of their second album led to the band breaking up for a few years...
  Todd: How can you go back to being a serious metal band after releasing something called "Butterfly"?
  Principal Skinner: I didn't burn down the school, it was the butterfly, I tell you! The butterfly!
  [Bart, reincarnated as a butterfly with a gasoline can, hovers above, laughing maniacally]
  Todd: ...no.
• Did they ever do anything else?
  Todd: Yes! Drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.
  • And then, when discussing Shifty's later life:
    Todd: After that, you probably don't know anything about them, unless you saw Shifty on Celebrity Rehab, Celebrity Rehab 2, Sober House, and my favorite VH1 reality show, Possibly Drug-Induced Coma.
• Todd notes that Shifty appears to finally have all his ducks in a row, and the band reunited recently to finally release their third album. The song he chooses invokes recently-deceased Robin Williams.
  Todd: Oh, screw you! What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you keep desecrating the graves of recently-deceased, beloved celebrities? Oh, BOOOO!!!
• "Did they deserve better?"
  Todd: (like a DJ) N-n-n-n-n-no!
• Todd's ultimate conclusion is that Crazy Town is bad, but "Butterfly" is So Bad, It's Good.
• The stinger is Richard Cheese's cover.

Meco - "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" (1977)

• Todd throws on what he thinks is one of Meco's few original compositions, "Topsy."^note  It's actually a cover of Count Basie. After listening in Tranquil Fury for about ten seconds, he only says "This is the sound of Hell."
• "Did he deserve better?" gets a flippant blow-off from Todd. His judgment is that Meco was definitely better off as a producer, and Star Wars was better off without him.