re: 2019 GSB Time Capsule. . .

quote:

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were in the video for Shiny Happy People.

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Good call. Forgot about the video. Just rewatched it on youtube and it confirms everything I've been saying about it being a sarcastic song that they're embarrassed of.

What's it open with? Answer: Two wind-up toy monkeys beating drums. Who are wind-up toys for and why? Answer: Wind-up toys are for children because they have simple minds and are easily entertained by simple things.

You see now?

And the rest of the video hammers the same condescending theme and symbolism.

It's some sort of parody of one of those low-budget cable-access childrens shows. The ones where there's an audience of children and they do line dances and put their left foot in, then put their left foot out, and then put their right foot in, and shake it all about.

Stipe is even dressed up as a little kid with his hat backwards and sideways. And of course there's the old man, who represents wisdom, depth, and maturity......and he's shown kind of just bored and going through the motions repeating this whole show for the millionth time, and it is has clearly gotten very stale and boring for him, although the shiny happy people doing the hoky poky at his show are smiling and having fun because they represent the easily amused simpletons that Stipe and Co look down on.