That thar's some purty singin'
Because our legislature apparently thinks Nebraska is a utopia free of social maladies, senator Carroll Burling has drafted a bill that would change our state song to something that 'fits better today.' The current song, "Beautiful Nebraska" was written by Russian immigrant Jim Fras back in 1960. The proposed anthem is "I Love Nebraska", written and performed by Hastings TV reporter Ginger ten Bensel.
The Lincoln Journal Star ran the story last week (http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/01/13/news/local/doc45a8286ed53e1043974172.txt). The average Nebraskan's first reaction was 'Huh? We have a state song?' But then they started listening to "I Love Nebraska." And watching the music video on YouTube. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7bzaD6G4vE) From the ensuing response, you'd think that "Beautiful Nebraska" was the "Whiter Shade of Pale" of state songs.
For those who say that this is being blown out of proportion... actually, I don't think I've heard anyone say that. If anyone were saying that, though, I'd dare them to listen to the song. With an upbeat country melody, it contains such moving lyrics as 'I live in a state/where the wildlife run free' (and get shot by ranchers) and 'the third largest city is Memorial Stadium.' This cringeworthiness is compounded by the fact that ten Bensel's voice often cracks worse than Peter Brady at an American Idol audition.
The real gem, ladies and gentlemen, is the video. It's got everything! Cornfields, stock footage of sandhill cranes, rodeos, tractors, more rodeos, and some mulleted dude in wrap-around fauxkleys and a fluorescent green muscle shirt driving a Bobcat, all captured with the quality of an 80's-era RCA camcorder. And, of course, it has Ginger ten Bensel, wearing a black suit like she was filming this on her lunchbreak at KHAS. For some reason, she makes odd hand gestures throughout, suggesting a possible affiliation with the south-central Nebraska chapter of the Bloods. That, or she has cerebral palsy.
Upon viewing, you find yourself thinking: "This is a joke, right?" Yes, but an unintentional one. Which makes it either nauseating or monstrously funny, depending on your appreciation of schadenfreude. My favorite comment from YouTuber Traylude:
"Here's an unofficial count after one viewing:
# of eagles in video--- 4
# of sandhill cranes--- 4,000
# of planes/trains/farm implements---- 43,345
# of awkward stage gyrations by Ginger---- 14
# of churches with ringing bells-- 2
# of white people in video---- 3,243
# of minorities in video---- 0
Ginger's video just accidentally made our state look like the perfect place to live if you're a white supremacist who enjoys bird watching."
The worst of it is the fact that the chorus declares 'I'm from Nebraska/I believe that says it all." If your goal was to reaffirm the continental United States' opinion of Nebraskans as corn-pone good ol' boys with no grasp of modern technology or multiculturalism, then yes, yes, that does say it all.
The Lincoln Journal Star ran the story last week (http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/01/13/news/local/doc45a8286ed53e1043974172.txt). The average Nebraskan's first reaction was 'Huh? We have a state song?' But then they started listening to "I Love Nebraska." And watching the music video on YouTube. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7bzaD6G4vE) From the ensuing response, you'd think that "Beautiful Nebraska" was the "Whiter Shade of Pale" of state songs.
For those who say that this is being blown out of proportion... actually, I don't think I've heard anyone say that. If anyone were saying that, though, I'd dare them to listen to the song. With an upbeat country melody, it contains such moving lyrics as 'I live in a state/where the wildlife run free' (and get shot by ranchers) and 'the third largest city is Memorial Stadium.' This cringeworthiness is compounded by the fact that ten Bensel's voice often cracks worse than Peter Brady at an American Idol audition.
The real gem, ladies and gentlemen, is the video. It's got everything! Cornfields, stock footage of sandhill cranes, rodeos, tractors, more rodeos, and some mulleted dude in wrap-around fauxkleys and a fluorescent green muscle shirt driving a Bobcat, all captured with the quality of an 80's-era RCA camcorder. And, of course, it has Ginger ten Bensel, wearing a black suit like she was filming this on her lunchbreak at KHAS. For some reason, she makes odd hand gestures throughout, suggesting a possible affiliation with the south-central Nebraska chapter of the Bloods. That, or she has cerebral palsy.
Upon viewing, you find yourself thinking: "This is a joke, right?" Yes, but an unintentional one. Which makes it either nauseating or monstrously funny, depending on your appreciation of schadenfreude. My favorite comment from YouTuber Traylude:
"Here's an unofficial count after one viewing:
# of eagles in video--- 4
# of sandhill cranes--- 4,000
# of planes/trains/farm implements---- 43,345
# of awkward stage gyrations by Ginger---- 14
# of churches with ringing bells-- 2
# of white people in video---- 3,243
# of minorities in video---- 0
Ginger's video just accidentally made our state look like the perfect place to live if you're a white supremacist who enjoys bird watching."
The worst of it is the fact that the chorus declares 'I'm from Nebraska/I believe that says it all." If your goal was to reaffirm the continental United States' opinion of Nebraskans as corn-pone good ol' boys with no grasp of modern technology or multiculturalism, then yes, yes, that does say it all.