Screenshot from brianraftery.com.
Twenty-five years ago, karaoke landed on American soil. Depending on your perspective, that day was either very dark — or very sunny.
Now, more than a quarter century later, araoke is experiencing something of a revival. If you’re picturing a drunken posse laughing its way through a bad version of “Freebird,” think again. Karaoke is big business.
But is this karaoke spike a passing fad? How much does it have to do with “American Idol”? Video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band? And is karaoke a great equalizer, or great embarrassment?
This hour, On Point: The highlights — and lowlights — of karaoke.
You can join the conversation. Are you a karaoke lover, or do you think that singing should be left to the professionals? Have you stepped up to the stage and sung your heart out? Share your thoughts.
-Guy Raz, guest host
Guest:
Joining us from New York is Brian Raftery. He’s written for Wired, Spin, GQ, and Entertainment Weekly. His new book is “Don’t Stop Believin’: How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed my Life.” Read the first chapter (pdf).
I think it all has to do with the fact that human beings are made to sing. Two-three generations ago, when people got together, they would sing. These days this never happens. Personally, I only had one karaoke experience – in Peru, about 10 years ago, I was invited by women from an Afro-Peruvian organization to a karaoke session with a rented machine. They rented songs of their generation (in Spanish) and we all sang our hearts out. It was great therapy! (And no one minded that I have a really bad voice!)
Posted by Joanna Drzewieniecki, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:16 am UTCBruce Paltrow’s film “Duets” is the best karaoke movie ever. Since it came out in 2000, I would say it predates the Bill Murray/Coppola film.
Also, it told 6 or 7 stories about how karaoke transformed relationships and individual lives.
Andre Braugher and Paul Giamatti were wonderful.
Braugher’s character also did a kick a@@ version of “Free Bird.” And who knew Gwyneth Paltrow could sing?
Posted by JamaicaPlain007, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:24 am UTCKaraoke is best when you see the scared person finish their song and they’re like, “YES! I did it.” It’s best when one person does the singing.Groups are annoying. So are the “American Idol” wannabes. It’s also best when the song is brief. Just my observations through the years.
Posted by Rapture in Decks, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:29 am UTCSince 2004 the British photographer and video artist Phil Collins (not the pop singer! the Turner Prize nominated artist) has been engaged in a video project called “the world won’t listen.” In it he invites people around the world to perform karaoke versions of tracks from the album of the same name by the 1980s band the Smiths. Collins advertised the project on the radio and in dance clubs, in Bogota and Istanbul and so on, wheat pasting streets with posters soliciting “the shy, the dissatisfied, narcissists, and anyone who’s ever wished they could be someone else for a night.” He found no shortage of willing participants.
It may come as a suprise to many Western viewers to encounter young Turkish people passionately singing British pop songs that they know by heart. The karaoke performances are extremely nuanced and inventive; they are not so much a celebration of the universality of pop culture, nor are they mere demonstrations of Western cultural hegemony. Instead, they provide evidence of the highly idiosyncratic ways in which pop culture is consumed and appropriated by individuals.
Posted by Jill Dawsey, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am UTCYou might mention that on cable TV (at least, Comcast), there is a free “On Demand” section with karaoke — where one could practice at home.
Posted by Ed Cobb, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:51 am UTCUm, I don’t think the Arbitrons went up much during the just broadcast karaoke Dancing Queen!
Posted by Stephen Voysey, on January 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am UTCThis guy sounds just like my partner Joe B. We started Karaoke New England – karaoke-ne.com — a few years ago where you can list your favorite places to sing karaoke in Massachusetts for free.
Posted by Sally, on January 30th, 2009 at 12:01 pm UTCCheng & Tsui’s Second National Karaoke Contest for Japanese Language Students and Teachers begins March 1st. Please go here to find out more information about entering: http://www.cheng-tsui.com/superstar/
Posted by Lisa, on January 30th, 2009 at 12:30 pm UTCGuy, you ROCKED on Dancing Queen. I’m putting in a request for Madonna next time you host the show… I couldn’t help wondering if your show’s engineer was chuckling as you two sang the duet.
cheers from the Catskills.
Posted by Wayno, on January 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm UTC-w
I’ll have all you podcast listeners know that they edited down Guy’s (awesome) rendition of Dancing Queen to one verse. He belted out the full song with abandon when it aired live earlier.
I tried to replay it for my girlfriend and was disappointed to not find it in its entirety.
Posted by Sean, on January 30th, 2009 at 7:12 pm UTCGuy, way to go on ABBA. I was thinking at first how much I missed Tom, but then you saved the day with your singing…
Posted by paula metcalfe, on January 30th, 2009 at 7:57 pm UTCIf it is true that young people are becoming more intersted in Karaoke is it responsible to say that it helps to get drunk in order to get up the nerve to participate/sing? Are you inadvertently suggesting that Karaoke contributes to underage drinking?
Posted by Terry, on January 30th, 2009 at 8:32 pm UTCI first observed Karaoke in San Francisco in 1986 and they started doing it at my favorite Irish bar in Dedham,Ma in 1993. It took me 2 years to get the nerve to get up on stage to do a solo. I quickly became hooked and have since sung in Australia, England, Ireland,Scotland, Burma and Indonesia and regret not doing it in India 2 years ago. I went to a karaoke bar in Nepal on that same trip and they had a live band but no English songs were listed in their book. My brother called to tell me about this broadcast as I now live in Florida. I found it very enjoyable and hope that Karaoke continues for a long time as a form of entertainment in bars in the US.
Posted by Susan McKay, on February 1st, 2009 at 7:21 pm UTCI’ve been a weekly karaoke singer for about three years now. It started as a way to spend time with a friend, and turned into a weekly tradition that helped blow off steam and/or cut loose. I have made many friends of other karaoke regulars. There are soe venues that really good singers seem to congregate at, and then shun the bowling alleys filled with horrendous ‘group singing.’ There are karaoke snobs and those who hate the people they think are trying to be discovered.
Karaoke is for the easy going. Some people demolish any song they sing. But I have noticed that in the past three years my singing talents have improved greatly.
Posted by Mindy, on February 2nd, 2009 at 6:18 pm UTCKudos to Rafferty on this much need treatment of karaoke as healthy sport and not just the domain of freaks and geeks. The sad truth is that we all do it, “karaoke” that is, whether its in the car, the shower, in front of the mirror etc. Now there is a whole website (www.karaoketraveler.com) devoted to karaoke breaking news and other requirements for the karaoke junkie, like karaoke shows all over the country.
Posted by Annette B., on February 11th, 2009 at 6:09 pm UTCI worked in Japan for 20+ years. I would love to see an accurate pronunciation of the word “karaoke” used commonly in the USA. Our pronunciation “carry-oh-key” is so far away from even the spelling of the word, it is a bit embarrassing. When I heard the word “karaoke” mispronounced by Ryan Owens on “ABC World News with Charles Gibson,” it put me over the top to write an article illustrating the correct pronunciation.
http://itsdifferent4girls.com/blog/2008/12/23/how-to-pronounce-karaoke/
Posted by Linda Sherman, on February 13th, 2009 at 3:28 pm UTC