Build Date: Thu Mar 5 01:10:09 2026 UTC
Universal Studios is about as much fun as getting a summons.
-- Tjames Madison
Wacky web-animation -- and Dave Thomas
2002-01-08 16:46:59
Steve Jobs! Singing grapes! Dr. Ruth Westheimer! Angry coffee! Ready for another surreal jumble of music and images?
Today the geek hive-mind is a-buzzing over the latest example of "Animutation" -- flashing laughable animated images synchronized to peppy, incomprehensible tunes from Japan. This time the pop culture icons bounce around to a crazy Japanese disco number -- but mostly it's just screamingly funny.
Ed Asner! A talking banana! Richard Simmons! Alanis Morrisette! And somewhere in this fast assault of images may even be a critique of the very foundation of consumer culture. "Prizes bring true happiness! Spend! Spend! Spend! Ohio! Hooray for vaginas!"
Every advertisement, every pop star, the whole idea of a courting people's wages with glossy come-ons -- all become just fodder to be pulverized by a wacky Shockwave animation. "I've got a Psycho bear! He's plush and ready!!! Only $19.99!!!" What's do the song's lyrics mean? Who cares! In Japan the new cool thing is wearing shirts with the single English word "Elbow". Dance! Buy! Sparkle! Glitz!
Hilarity ensues as the images attempt to translate the foreign language lyrics. "Nippon Q que. Dog! Easy Rider! Mall!" It devolves into a rousing chorus of "Yat-TA! Yat-TA! yat-TA, yat-TA...." And then the animation maestro grafts the phrase into slick packaging for consumer products. Yatta Ketchup! Yatta & Shoulders! Super Yatta brothers! Yatta Redenbacher's....
A page of text within the animation tries to explain the origins of the phenomenon. Its roots seem to trace back to last April's hit Hyakugojyuuichi!!. But whatever the explanation, the animated fun is sweeping the net! G! I! E! F! Lives! And everybody say Yatta!
And remember -- Anger Sanka to play again and again....
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