Just the thing for lawmakers.
 

Jefferson Smith loves a good political joke.

Early last year, the then-freshman Oregon House member from Portland was getting ready for bed when he and his wife, Katy, began bantering back and forth about what might be the ultimate political prank, something that could lighten the increasingly divisive political mood among his colleagues.

As Smith recalls, the idea came almost instantly. “What if we were to Rick Roll the legislature without anybody noticing?” he wondered.

And that was the seed for what may ultimately prove to be one of the most elaborate political jokes of all time: A nearly two-minute long video of members of the Oregon House of Representatives saying the lyrics of Rick Astley’s ubiquitous ’80s pop ballad, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” literally one word or phrase at a time while in session.

In the end, it took a year and two months to assemble the video–which Smith pointedly notes was carried out “with no taxpayer funds.”

No taxpayer funds? Washington has spent millions on programs of less worth.




  1. bobbo, Republicans are Killing America says:

    Somewhere I saw J.S. Bach’s Cantata 147, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” set to a xylophone in the woods. It was much better than this.

  2. deowll says:

    30/30 means grid lock. That is the way I like a legislature. The less they do the less they mess up.

  3. KD Martin says:

    #1, Bobbo, Funny, that’s not what you said at the time.

  4. admfubar says:

    where is the RIAA when you need this… this is the piracy the needs to be stopped!!!!

  5. bobbo, Republicans are Killing America says:

    KD–glad you appreciate that. I thought that you would. Everything I said “there” is still accurate: the other video is better than this one.

    Yea, verily.

    [Maybe, but this outcome is better. Let’s Rick Roll the U.S Senate  Ed.]

  6. Glenn E. says:

    It is interesting how similar love ballads and political speeches can be. I’m surprised it took more than a year to pull it off. Seems to me those participating members could have work the words to the song in, more often than that. I doubt that most of the members would ever have noticed anything amiss or a little weird. No guts, I guess.

  7. Glenn E. says:

    This state legislature prank has me wondering if the Democrats could slip the words to “Cry Me A River” into the US Congressional House dialog, clearly aimed at Republican John Boehner? I’m thinking they’re more asleep in that House body, and wouldn’t even notice.

    BTW, they need to Autotune this video. Or at least superimpose Karaoke lines across the bottom. It took a year to mass all this together, and no captioning?! Work harder.

  8. bobbo, Republicans are Killing America says:

    #7–Glenn==I was with you until I read the lyrics:

    “Cry Me A River”

    Now you say you’re lonely
    You cry the long night through
    Well, you can cry me a river
    Cry me a river
    I cried a river over you

    Now you say you’re sorry
    For being so untrue
    Well, you can cry me a river
    Cry me a river
    I cried a river over you

    You drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head
    While you never shed a tear
    Remember, I remember, all that you said
    You told me love was too plebeian
    Told me you were through with me and

    Now you say you love me
    Well, just to prove that you do
    Come on and cry me a river
    Cry me a river
    I cried a river over you
    I cried a river over you
    I cried a river…over you…

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Maybe, not so easy?

  9. bobbo, Republicans are Killing America says:

    Plebeian?

    I give the existential cry of angst.

  10. Cursor_ says:

    Rick-rolling…

    Yep the politicians are still behind times.

    That went out a LONG time ago.

    I guess we’ll have to wait another two years before someone will catch up to the ICP meme of Congress How Does it Work.

    Answer: It doesn’t. No effin miracles to help with that.

    Cursor_

  11. chuck says:

    No taxpayer funds?
    So the Oregon House members work for free?

  12. msbpodcast says:

    Although this a creative re-use of crap that’s already spewed from the mouths of our politicians, I sudder at the thought that they might have seen this and liked it (politicians are not known for their taste,) and decided to do a bi-partisan sing-along for the Forth of July.

    Oh the humanity. -Herbert Morrisson

  13. Buzz Mega says:

    Bat spit.

  14. MikeN says:

    How is this an April Fools’ Joke, or any kind of practical joke? Everyone knew what was going on.


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