"The odds of getting killed during karaoke may be higher in the Philippines." And more so if you sing a particular song, according to the NYT. (via Julian Dibbell)
Singing "My Way" at karaoke bar in Philippines gets you killed?
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Now THAT'S Music Criticism. Lester Bangs shoulda had opportunuties like that.
Lady Xa Xa sings "My Way".
Double dog dare you.
The odds of getting killed are higher because at any given time, any Filipino is 65.3% likely to be singing karaoke. And the rest of the time? Playing basketball.
It's TRUE. It's a FACT.
Oh, I can think of so many celebrities I'd love to see perform Sinatra's greatest hits in Manila right now...
Does it make any difference if you sing it in the style of Sid Vicious?
As someone who lives in the Philippines, I can confirm this. Every so often, there's a news story about another stabbing incident due to drunks singing "My Way" at Karaoke bars.
It's not so much "machismo" that does it, but more of patrons losing their temper at how terrible and off-key the person with the mic is singing the song, especially since they paid to have a good time at the bar and the lousy singer is ruining the experience.
Almost every Filipino has also probably had the urge to shoot one's neighbors one time or another because you just can't get sleep when those goddam bastards keep going full blast with their horrible off-key karaoke singing until the wee hours of the morning at drinking sessions.
I thought lousy singing was the experience. Or is this more like going to a hockey fight in case a game breaks out?
"The odds of getting killed during karaoke may be higher in the Philippines, if only because of the ubiquity of the pastime."
If the pastime is ubiquitous, wouldn't that make the odds of being killed lower? Even if there are more incidents of karaoke stabbings, if the pastime is ubiquitous those occasions would make up a lower percentage of violent responses.
By the way, Normative is Julian Sanchez, formerly of Reason Magazine, now of Ars Technica.
I think it's more like going to a sports bar when one patron is drunk and keeps screaming at the TV. You came for the sports, you came for the bar, but that doesn't mean you have to like everyone else who did the same.
i've considered it after hearing Journey's "Don't Stop Beleiving" for the second or third time in one night.