While getting ready for yet another round of surgery this morning, I happened on a frightening sight on the Today Show. Raise your hand if you're familiar with the stylings of one William Hung.
Apparently Mr. Hung is an American Idol reject because, well, he simply can't sing. No. That's too kind. He sings like he's demented. But apparently people love his "enthusiasm." This enthusiasm has landed him a record deal, a string of videos and concert tour kicking off on national television on the aforementioned Today Show. He may seem, well, retarded. He's not. He's a junior at UC Berkeley and is just a giant dork.
Meanwhile legitmate artists are being dropped my impatient, greedy labels in droves. Nice.
Posted by mikewolf at March 30, 2004 10:39 AMI know who William Hung is. I've laughed for hours at him. No, not with him, but at him. Simply imagining his famous arms circles while singing "She Bangs" is enough to send me into spasms of hysteria. However, it was a once in a lifetime thing. I don't think he can recreate the magic.
Posted by: Meredith on March 30, 2004 12:25 PMWilliam Hung is just another symptom of a big problem in our society... we love to reward people who are in no way deserving of what they receive.
Sorry, still bitter that some uncharasmatic dork in college just got a $95 K job on Sportscenter while I'm stuck in on local tv Columbus Georgia.
Posted by: Kirsten on March 30, 2004 12:41 PMI'll tell you what's scary about William Hung - and you can't really blame the labels for this. What's scary about William Hung is that they didn't foist him on us, like Willa Ford or any of the other usual pap that oozes out of the radio.
What's scary about William Hung is that people liked him by themselves. The labels are just carrying it because it sells. It's good business sense; that's what they are there for.
(sounds of hands slapping foreheads are heard)
Good luck with your surgery...
Posted by: Linus on March 30, 2004 12:59 PMNow it's my turn to share what bothers me about the whole phenomenon. People claim to love him for his enthusiasm, but I guarandamntee you, if he could sing, or dance, or was good looking, and had the same enthusiasm, you would never have heard of him. So it's really BECAUSE he's untalented that he's famous. That's pretty obvious, I'm sure, but is Mr. Hung have the capacity to be aware of this? Or does he think that people love his singing? He may not be retarded, but without that self-awareness on his part, it's just as if people are laughing at the retarded kid.
Posted by: Mark on March 30, 2004 10:59 PMImagine you can wear special glasses that let you see beneath a celebritie's skin...past the make-up artists, stylists, the electronic vocal pitch correctors and multi-layered vocals. Now, put on those glasses and look at Madonna. See? It's William Hung! Eerie, isn't it?
Posted by: Bruce on April 3, 2004 11:33 AM