The Cameo
Thursday, July 27th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Cameron and I had our first trip to Target last night. My understanding is that is the first sign that things are getting serious, but I say he was in need of a big fan for his apartment for the heat and I had a car. It did make me feel good to help him create a more comfortable living situation though.
We stopped by Peter’s Chinese Cafe for some take out and head back to my place to watch more episodes of “The Venture Bros.” when I noticed an apartment complex on 13th & Elizabeth called The Cameo. My window was down and was suddenly overcome by my musical dorkdom and holla, “Word up!” out the open car window.
I asked Cameron how many times he thought people did that and said probably all the time. My co-worker, Eric, thought that around 1987 it probably happened all the time, but in the last 10 years — never. He said I was showing my age and probably going through my mid-life crisis.
I asked Mateo and he got all excited about it and said that in Denver there is the Word Up Christian Center on S. Colorado Blvd. He drives by it all the time (and suddenly I realize that I do, too, but have never noticed it) and always hollas out da winduh, “Word up!” My first thought was that it may be slightly inappropriate in our society to do something like that, but after visiting their website I noticed they link directly to Focus On The Family. I find it extremely appropriate now and will be screaming “word up” everything I pass it now. Won’t you?
Yes, I realize that it’s childish and, if anyone from the Center hears it, they will probably think we are supporting them and will not pick up on the irony or sarcasm. Much like that video going around of the Australian “reporter” interviewing Fred Phelps Jr. and then coming on to him. The situation is hilarious, but it also gives an insight to the minds of the people supporting Phelps. They are so intently one-minded about their mission that they are ignorant of the mocking. All they can do in their emotional rationale is lower themselves to name calling which, as I learned from The Dilbert Blog today, is called Confirmation Bias. The video shows they have completely lost touch with the outside world especially the difficult-to-navigate layers of The Funny. That in itself is comical and explains why so many find the video hilarious. Of course, this makes me (and many others I’m sure) wish they would go to some compound and sequester themselves away in their own world and stop impeding on everyone else’s especially those grieving families of our soldiers killed in combat.
Don’t know “Word Up” by Cameo? Give it a listen:
For extra fun, listen to the Dictionaraoke version.
[UPDATE] Or, thanks to Stolie, watch the video which stars Levar Burton before he wore a hair clip over his eyes.
Listening to: Flirting With Time - Tom Petty
July 27th, 2006 at 11:48 am
I wonder just how much that song has inspired over the years? When I was in High School, that song was very popular! In my social studies class we had to get in groups of 4 and design games designed to test your knowledge of history. Our team came up with a game much like the tv version of Password. I came up with the idea to call it Word Up. :)
I got all nostalgic before I read your post, because I just happened to be on last.fm and went to your page and it said you were listening to Word Up.
July 27th, 2006 at 11:51 am
You really cram a lot into one post. It’s very difficult for those of us with ADD. Oh and Cameron is way too damn perky at 9:15 in the morning.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Between your post and Kath’s post, I’m having way too many flashback’s to my mom’s serious beliefs in the Focus On The Family crap.
I honestly had to fill out a workbook and talk about how I felt about “my body” and the body of the “opposite sex”.
I need to dig that out and take a gander at how warped that shit was then.
I hope I can say shit in your comments.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Hayes: I think it was funny you noticed I was listening to “Word Up” BEFORE you read the post. And that IS a great name of a game like that. The Monkeys may have to borrow that.
Dan: This is definitely one of my “rambling” posts, but I wanted to say all those things and just found a way to make the post flow into them. …I hope. As for Cameron, I think that’s why his store’s secret shopper reports have gone up since he’s been there. :)
July 27th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
HDW: Um, ew. But would love to read about it if you were to post on it.
July 27th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
When my kid goes down for a nap, I’m going into the storage room and digging. It’s very much worth the post.
I probably wrote things like, “My mom sucks” and “I hate Jesus”.
Really. I wouldn’t put it past my pre-teen self. Boobless and all.
July 27th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
it’s important to inflect your voice when yelling “werrrd dup!” to sound as much like the song as posssible.
also from the wucc link: 2006 Year of the man!!
July 27th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
I totally know that apartment building, but I never thought about THE Cameo! No doubt I’ll get that song stuck in my head every time I drive by the place now.
July 27th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
I drive by that place at least 10 times a week and I have never seen it. Maybe they need more light…
Or an enema… whatever.
July 27th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Hmmm, I responded to some of these, but it looks like Blogger has lost my comments.
HDW: Boobs or not, I can’t wait to read it.
hubs: Yeah, that part of their site weirded me out, too. And they don’t really explain if it’s about males or the human race.
ikicsi: Just doing my part to spread earworm disease around.
Smeder: Well, it didn’t look THAT run down. :)
July 27th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
May I leave a suggestion?
The Dictionaraoke version will give me nightmares if I listen to it one more time…I just know it will.
Sooooooo….Howard, why don’t you put up a version of YOU singing the song? I’m sure that would make all of us laugh with glee…and will prevent my nightmares….AND…make this a funner world for all.
Smooches for being open-minded :-)
July 28th, 2006 at 6:56 am
Oh Howard, I adore you!!! You bring back such good memories from yesterday. I feel like a giddy little school girl all over again. :)
And, in case you’re interested, I heard YouTube has the video to Word Up uploaded.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:00 am
Kath: Yeah, I’ll do the white boy version. Oh, wait. Gun or Korn or someone did it already.
Stolie: Holy crap! Levar Burton is in the video! I don’t remember that at all! And he’s doing that John Oates surprised head-turn thing. EW!
July 28th, 2006 at 9:09 am
Thanks to your link to Word Up, I will now quite certainly have this song stuck in my head. All morning.
But really, is that such a bad thing?
July 28th, 2006 at 10:26 am
No, not really? The big news? I just found a copy of the Scissor Sisters new single to listen to. Squeal!
July 28th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Thanks for the link, as I’m a youngin’ and wasn’t exposed to anything non-Focus on the Damn Family related in 1986.
you should put it on the next MU mix
July 28th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
I think I’ll have to wait for the next Guilty Pleasure mix we do. :)