Meandering Through YouTube Whilst Awaiting the Winter Apocalypse

Howdy, and happy Wednesday. Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day and also National Hugging Day, and if you choose to actively observe them in some sort of unholy combination, do so at your own risk.

It’s a mild 63º here in the heart of Texas but the temperature is expected to drop fifty degrees by the weekend with the likelihood of sleet and ice. You may already be experiencing such delights; you have my sympathies, for now anyway. I hope this post offers some respite from the anxiety that comes from wondering if you’ll have to melt snow to flush your toilets.

To that end, I’ve prepared a carefully curated selection of tasty YouTube videos and memes that are suitable for consumption while ensconced in that Snuggie™ that you’ve been saving since 2008 for this exact situation.

You may already be familiar with a comedian named Nick Peterson and his series of videos in which he interviews Biblical characters. I think the following exchange with Jonah (of “swallowed by a whale” fame) is pretty funny while still being faithful to the original “script.” See if you agree.

Peterson doesn’t specialize in political humor, but he doesn’t shy away from poking at certain positions, mostly on the liberal end of the spectrum.

This next video — well, the next two, actually — requires some explanation. Are you familiar with the name Adriano Celentano? No? Well, you’re obviously not Italian, then, because he was one of the best-selling musical artists (and actor and filmmaker) of his time, mostly from the decades of the 60s and 70s of last century. And drilling deeper into the stratum of trivia, one of his daughters, Rosalinda Cenetano, played the role of Satan in the film The Passion of the Christ.

Anyway, Adriano released the following song and video in 1972-73 to tremendous acclaim, at least in Italy. The song title is Prisencolinensinainciusol, which is actually a madeup bit of gibberish that has the same meaning in both Italian and English…that is to say, it means nothing. Celentano wrote the song — which some characterize as the world’s first rap song, but I’m not sure I buy that — in order to…well…how about just reading this 2012 interview with the man to see what he intended. It’s a fun, catchy bit of fluff, made even more fun if you remember that only two words in the lyrics are real words. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to identify those two words.

Now, there’s a wise, insightful proverb, which I’ve just made up, that goes something like this: There’s no performance so frivolous that can’t be made to seem momentous by the additon of a ballet dancer and doubling its length. The following proves this adage, I think.

This video features Roberto Bolle, an Italian danseur of no small stature, having performed with every major company on the planet. It may seem like a strange collaboration but both artists were massively popular in their country, and it could be that Bolle was paying homage to the musician, not unlike Lady Gaga collaborating with Tony Bennett. If you watch nothing else, fast forward to about the four minute mark…

I don’t feel that this updated version is superior to the original, but EDM has never been my favorite musical genre. The choreography tries a bit too hard, but the cameo by Celentano makes it worthwhile overall.

Shifting gears, again, we land on something that surely portends the collapse of human civilization, as AI inevitably subsumes the musical universe. Or, maybe, music becomes even more fun. Who knows? Not me, but I did get a kick out of this countryfied cover of the Beatles’ Come Together. The cover image of Cowboy John Lennon makes it purt near perfect, if’n you git my drift…

I’m going to end this dog and pony show with one of my favorite songs — Crossroads (original title: Cross Road Blues) written by the Mississippi bluesman, Robert Johnson, sometime in the early 1930s but recorded by him (in San Antonio, Texas, of all places) and released in 1937. Since then, it’s been covered by everyone and their dog, and those performances rarely disappoint.

The performance in the following video is exceptional, as are all of those that make up the musical catalog of Playing For Change (PFC). PFC and its nonprofit arm, the Playing For Change Foundation, pursue the admirable goal of “connecting the world through music,” and specifically advocating for music education for children. Their music videos are incredible collaborations of musicians literally around the world; they’re impressive not just from a musical perspective but also from a technical and production perspective.

The following video focuses on Mississippi-based musicians, but also features artists from Brazil, Niger, Morocco, Mali, and Thailand, each filmed while performing in their native locations. Stuff like this is truly inspiring. Check out PFC’s YouTube catalog and you’re sure to find performances that move you.