In case you haven’t become acquainted with the latest meme to hit the world – the autotuned remix of a news interview with a woman named Sweet Brown after a fire hit her apartment building – let me just advise you of two things:
1. Once you hear it, it will be in your head, around the clock. I cannot overemphasize this point. Fair warning. Since watching it, it has been on an endless loop in my brain, both audio and visual. Oh, the visual…especially for being so synched to the beat, there are some real retina-burners in there. But it’s the audio work that both impresses and burrows in to the mind. Since seeing it two days ago, I have narrated my days to the tune of “Ain’t nobody got time for that” (“Think I’m going to go walk the dogs; think I’m going to go walk the dogs. Think I’m going to go; think I’m going to go; think I’m going to go walk the dogs”) and “Said, Lordy Jesus, it’s a fahr” (“Said, Lordy Jesus, where’s my keys? Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, where’s my keys?”).
2. It’s really well made. There’s no shortage of these sorts of experiments, but this one has some real skill to its production.
And the whole thing of autotuning news clips, I think, has some things to take pause at – in fact, I’ve had whole long, pompous discussions about the pros (is it like sampling or DJing? Re-mediating and re-contextualizing to create art?) and cons (it’s pure mockery; why is it always the poor or uneducated given this autotune treatment? Because we’re laughing at them?) but I have to say, there’s some genuine editing skill going on with this. And maybe it only feels less mocking than, say, the Antoine Dodson video because it’s better made, but somehow it seems a little more fun-spirited. Also a better song.
So, what do you think? Is it art? Is it mean spirited? Is it both? Neither?
The Byronic Man 
June 1, 2012 at 3:50 am
well…you DID warn me! Safer than bath salts, but more addictive.
June 1, 2012 at 6:25 am
Bath salts? Who has time for that? Could it be… a very small number of people…? Perhaps fewer than that…?
June 1, 2012 at 3:52 am
On the FLOOR! Hahahahaha! I watched the News clip, um…I don’t know…5 million times. Sweet Jesus…I can’t be laughing all day…Ain’t nobody got time for that. Happy Friday!
June 1, 2012 at 6:27 am
I know, it’s only 2 minutes long so it’s way to easy to watch it one more time.
June 1, 2012 at 3:56 am
I can’t believe they actually topped “hide your kids, hide your wife”. If only someone would do a clip of me waking up in the morning yelling, “Jeezum crow, where’s my coffee at?” Hmm. I have an idea now for a future video, thanks Mr. B. (I’ve decided to call you Mr. B now, B-Man is too hard to type out…that okay?)
June 1, 2012 at 4:00 am
Mister B? Who doesn’t love a shout out to America’s favorite zany housekeeper, Shirley Booth as “Hazel” ? (Sorry, that was a chuckle for the geriatric set)
June 1, 2012 at 4:02 am
I wish I knew what you were referring to…hmm…off to google…but yes, Byronic is like a zany housekeeper so…
June 1, 2012 at 4:07 am
“Hazel” starring Shirley Booth as the zany straight shooting maid at the Baxter residence. She referred to her boss as “Mistah B”.
As far as looking it up on Goggle, aint nobody got time for dat….
oh no….it’s happening, just like Mr. B predicted!
June 1, 2012 at 4:15 am
You took the words right outta my mouth, 1point.
It’s only 7 am here and I’ve already answered: Ain’t nobody got time for that! to every single question my kids have asked me this morning. Breakfast? Aint’ nobody got time for dat! TV? ain’t nobody got time for dat!
I think my husband will start divorce proceedings shortly. Unless he doesn’t have time for that.
Thanks Mr. B. for enriching my life with this catchy snappy answer to everything!
June 2, 2012 at 5:51 am
All my comment replies have taken a scenic bypass and taken an extra day to get to me. It kind of takes the fun out of witty banter when you have a 24 hour pause between replies.
All the more ironic because we were discussing “Aint nobody got time for dat” when WordPress apparently thought we did have lots and lots of time for dat.
June 2, 2012 at 6:23 am
That’s ok. I can’t accomplish witty banter even in real time.
June 2, 2012 at 6:32 am
It’s really frustrating; I can read comments on my not-so-smart phone, but it’s impossible to reply until I’m home on the computer,and by then, the moment has usually passed.
June 1, 2012 at 6:31 am
I remember Hazel. It was reruns at that point, but I vaguely remember it.
And here’s a “first thing in the morning stream-of-consciousness” for you. It makes me think of Mr. K, who was the barber that cut my hair when I was really little, but his barbershop freaked me out because it made me think of “Mr. Kite” and the song was a little too psychedelic for 5-year-old me.
Somebody should autotune this comment.
June 1, 2012 at 4:25 am
Take someones paid – check
Find their best comment – check
Auto tune it – check
Mean spirited? I don’t know, maybe a little bit. Catchy, yes. Annoying, as hell.
June 1, 2012 at 6:33 am
It’s a fine line. Is she engaging because she’s got so much character? Or because she “talks funny”? Or something else?
June 1, 2012 at 11:26 am
She is engaging to me because her character is honest, raw and lordy..freaking hilarious. “I woke up to get me a cold pop”.. said nobody ever.
June 1, 2012 at 1:46 pm
That’s actually the only part of it where I feel obnoxiously judgmental. Who wakes up in the middle of the night thinking, “Mmm, I could go for a coke right about now.”? Ugh.
June 1, 2012 at 2:07 pm
I can see the judgment, I’ve never woken up in the middle of the night wanting anything other than the ability to go back to sleep. But, I don’t hang out with people who are half dressed, tooth impaired who still feel comfortable talking to a TV Newsman, so who knows what they wake up thinking. Apparently…Cold Pops and BBQ’s are hot on the brain.
June 1, 2012 at 4:37 am
I like to think I’m laughing with her, but her buildin’s on fire! Nevertheless, I’m laughing.
June 1, 2012 at 6:34 am
Well, I’m pretty sure it’s out this point. At least, one would hope.
“And we’re on day 28 of the apartment building fire here…”
June 1, 2012 at 5:23 am
As an editor, I have to say, great job! You are correct Byronic man, the editor has some skills. You are also right, I’m about to get into the car for a 3 hour drive to Niagara and will most likely be singing it all the way. (Is it bad I know where some of those clips came from?)
June 1, 2012 at 6:35 am
That’s when you know you’re in a niche, isn’t it? When you watch something and think, “Now that is some top-notch editing.” Not a real conversation starter, usually.
June 1, 2012 at 5:27 am
I seen your post this morning… on my emails. It was like some kinda pop (culture). And I said, Lord, I’ve got Strunk-and-White-ess. Wish I could read it all, but Ain’t nobody got time for that.
June 1, 2012 at 6:38 am
I said Lordy, Freddy, read the post. Said, Lordy, Freddy, read the post!
June 1, 2012 at 6:55 am
Lordy Jesus – I love her attitude, talk about having moxy !!!!!
Made me scream when the Tebow popped up, oh and the choir !!!!! And as I watched about the 3rd time I realized you have provided me not only a new “theme song” but I’m going to see if I can get this on my ipod – next time the kids start in with some silly arguement I’m gonna hit them with “aint noone got time for this…”
June 2, 2012 at 8:20 am
Probably practice whipping up the song quickly. It might lose its oomph if it takes several minutes to tell them you ain’t got time for something.
June 2, 2012 at 4:44 pm
excellent point – delivery IS important here.
June 1, 2012 at 7:01 am
It’s a beautifully, cleverly crafted piece of mean-spirited mockery. And now it’s stuck in MY brain. I don’t care that you warned us; giving somebody a brain-worm like this is not nice, B-man.
June 2, 2012 at 8:22 am
Sorry. Sometimes we must all suffer to discuss what is and isn’t art.
June 1, 2012 at 7:27 am
My guess is that she is thrilled with this! I would be!! It is really gooooooood…
June 2, 2012 at 8:22 am
I hope so. Something like that would be really dispiriting if you felt mocked by it.
June 1, 2012 at 7:41 am
I’d answer you, but ain’t nobody got time for that.
June 1, 2012 at 9:53 am
You did give us a fair warning ….
this is the kind of video that brings nations together, world peace and make people religious and there are unconfirmed reports that this is going to be the title track of next Bond movie so…
June 1, 2012 at 1:49 pm
“Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” would sounds totally bizarre in an English accent.
June 1, 2012 at 10:10 am
the dual split screen “Oh Lord Jesus it’s a fahr” slayed me every time!
That, and the dancer who shakes himself to pieces.
And I’ma gonna call you Lord Byron….your picture speaks to me like that
June 1, 2012 at 1:48 pm
I don’t know why, but it’s the 80’s teens dancing in the street that just gets me.
And yes, “Lord” is always acceptable.
June 1, 2012 at 2:17 pm
My brother showed me this video about a month ago and I STILL laugh every time I watch it! Does that mean I’m going to hell?
Oh. It does? Well, shiiiiit.
June 2, 2012 at 8:23 am
You know I think is one of the best touches? She does a tiny head-shake before the “Ain’t nobody got time” lines, that actually look like someone revving up to belt out the lyric in to the mic.
June 4, 2012 at 7:43 am
It’s a masterpiece, for sure – I don’t think anyone can question that.
June 1, 2012 at 4:31 pm
True dat.
June 2, 2012 at 8:24 am
Indeed.
June 1, 2012 at 6:09 pm
I can aware right now that I’m typing to the beat of ain’t nobody got time for dat. I’m heading right over to youtube now to listen to the Superbowl Shuffle until Ain’t Nobody is just a distant memory.
June 1, 2012 at 6:10 pm
“am” See what’s going on here? I can’t even write now.
June 2, 2012 at 8:25 am
On the plus side, you’re primed to post captions on lolcats.
June 2, 2012 at 2:09 am
One good brain-worm deserves another. Although not as good as yours, this one was voted one of the funniest YouTube Videos of 2010. Auto-tune The News # 2: Always got time for dis…X-D
June 2, 2012 at 8:26 am
This one really is pretty good – and definitely target people I’d rather see mocked. I hadn’t seen this but, as you say, I apparently have time for dis.
They’ve got the autotune up so severely it’s a little tough to understand, but there’s some fun editing with the ‘dancing.’
June 2, 2012 at 6:50 am
Yeah, I’m the Debbie Downer. It’s mean spirited. The fact that the video is edited well or not only means the person went to a greater attempt to make fun of someone. Nope. Don’t like it.
Now, the video that Paul included. THAT is funny. “Oh snap! How fast?”
June 2, 2012 at 8:29 am
I go back and forth. My totally unsubstantiated theory is that the impetus for it may have been decent – because the way she says “ain’t nobody got time for that” in the raw footage sounds so musical that it alone could get caught in your head.
But, it’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that much of the humor comes from the “silly” things she says.
June 2, 2012 at 5:32 pm
Thank you so much! That was brilliant. It really is rather catchy, isn’t it?
Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t feel so much like it was making fun of her. But probably they were, and I just wasn’t making fun of her in my own head. I was just enjoying the song, actually.
June 3, 2012 at 6:44 am
Ha ha! Okay, only one thing could have distracted me from the awful realization that YOU’RE NOT APPEARING IN MY WORDPRESS READER! And that was it! Holy crud that video IS so great. Between the awesomeness of the quote(s), the remix, and the appearance of Carlton and Buddy Jesus, it’s pretty much guaranteed I’m going to play that at least 12 more times. I think when something is that well done, it falls into the same art/entertainment category that any good comedy does (which, it could probably be said, is always making fun of something). But I guess that means I see it as less about the music and more about the overall creativity.
P.S. – Not cool, WordPress. Not. Cool.
June 3, 2012 at 7:53 am
Something’s definitely amiss back at the WP ranch. A number of blogs aren’t showing up in my reader, and I’ve had a sizable drop in my average daily readership, which – obviously – could only be attributed to massive technical failure.
June 3, 2012 at 8:16 am
Oh thank Buddy Jesus. I thought it was just me. You caught me just before I went to the heroin cough suppressants.
June 4, 2012 at 12:22 am
Hide to wives. Hide yo chirrens. This is brilliant. Anybody who behaves like a caricature should expect to be fair game,
June 5, 2012 at 4:17 pm
Hysterical, I really shouldn’t have clicked on it though – have a half hour drive home for this to be stuck in my head!
July 2, 2012 at 5:34 pm
Please, please, please put this in the Byronic Man Hall of Fame. I have come back to this post at least half a dozen times to watch this video. It’s like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Or a blazing “FIRE”.