How’s That “Psychic Compensation” Working Out for You? Maddow, Billionaires for Wealth Care, and an Epic Punk.
24 10 2009Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Anyone who knows me knows I love a good caper. I’ve participated in several of them in my lifetime. But this… this is beyond “caper.” It’s beyond political demonstration. It is performance art of the highest caliber.
The guerilla group Billionaires for Wealthcare will go down in the annals of history. Rachel Maddow basically said exactly what I would have said, right down to the part about the dachshund. Except, of courst that she has a degree in Health Policy, and I just have a minor in Caper Appreciation.
But please, remove your hats, place them over your hearts in deference to these brave warriors, and prepare to laugh yourself silly.
Afterwards is a great summary of where the public option sits now, and a brilliant “strategery” of calling this a bipartisan bill … even without Olympia Snow.
It’s today’s little dose of what Health Insurance Exec. Bill McInturff called “psychic compensation,” just before he got epically punked.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Wonderful, that’s the way to get attention,:lol:
October 24th, 2009 at 10:23 AM
I just loved this!! Since this morning it’s turning into a viral smile. Every time I see it pop up I have to watch it. Masterful !!
October 24th, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Wait….I think I feel a song coming on….. Oh, What a Beatiful Option! Oh, what a beautiful Day, Somehow I get a Feeeeellllllliiinnnngggg (imagine strong vibrato here) everything’s going our WAAAYYYYY.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Here’s there link for Billionaires for Wealth Care :
http://www.billionairesforwealthcare.com/
You’ll find a few more videos
October 24th, 2009 at 10:35 AM
I saw this on Rachel…and was AMAZED at how well they sang….( especially under such pressure!) AND how the speaker had NO IDEA he was being made fun of !!!!
October 24th, 2009 at 10:37 AM
How creative! So much nicer than the nastiness coming from the other side, and will be remembered.
As my son would say, that made me go for the LOLz.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I Want To Be a Billionaire!!!!!
That is SOOOOOOOO right up my alley. Me and Mr. Terps work in theatre (musical theatre particularly) and would make GREAT Billionaires.
I think I’ll go sign us up!
I didn’t see a South Florida chapter, though, and I’m not, unfortunately, the ‘organizing’ type (mostly because I have Phone Phobia – if it involves having to call people, I don’t wanna do it. I’d rather be a prostitute than a telemarketer. At least with prostitution, you know they want the product.), but who knows? Maybe sometime between now and the end of the year you’ll see me in one of their videos!
Off to join …
October 24th, 2009 at 10:41 AM
wow! those singers were amazing. i think we are going to win this one. i hope.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Wonder how many of the AHIP’ies in the audience secretly thought this was great, too.
Loved how they used Tomorrow from Annie as the tune, and not just cause it’s catchy.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Nice voices. Rachel seemed to really enjoy it.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Very funny and well done, but, uh, Rachel? That’s dachshund as in docks hund. At least she didn’t say the other mispronunciation of dash hound. sheesh.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Great video I had to laugh right along with Rachel
October 24th, 2009 at 11:54 AM
That was funny, lol. And effective! Good for them.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Writing from Alaska, good one!
Mr. and Mrs. Terp, GO FOR IT!
Lynn Rockets, you should get your lyrics into the hands of these groups! let’s get the creative ball rolling.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Well, a lot of people mispronounce ‘dachshund’; my SIL, f’rinstance, tells me her daily exercise includes walks with her ‘datsun’ every morning….
I would have LOVED to be in that audience after the billionaires left, just to see the dawning of realization on the health insurance execs’ faces!
Yay for the Billionaires!
October 24th, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Say No@14, I was just thinking the same thing about lynnrockets!
And yes, I am now officially a Billionaire … for WealthCare!
Hey lynn, if you’re out there, and not too busy, I would be thrilled to give your lyrics some wings. I looked briefly at your website and didn’t see anything specifically on healthcare, but some very clever stuff. I’ve seen some people’s attempts at writing parody lyrics and some of them are pretty bad. Yours are definitely better than most I run across.
I *can* do parody lyrics but I’m really more the music person, so would appreciate anyone’s ‘literary’ input, either full-blown lyrics or even just ideas.
I don’t do the forum well (and I need to change my registered e-mail there anyway and don’t know how to do it!) so I’ll give out the e-mail address that I created specifically for things such as this if anyone wants to contact me personally so we don’t clutter up the thread.
marvinmartian64@gmail.com
Creative ball rolling indeed!
October 24th, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Love Love Love it!!
Saw the billionaires for Bush…I think that is what they were called…at a war protest in DC a few years ago…laugh laugh laugh…as well as the outrageous cheerleaders….that I would be if not so old…so now a hidden raging granny
October 24th, 2009 at 1:05 PM
That was great! I love the way the speaker had no idea what was coming his way and that it took quite a while for the singers to be escorted out, giving them ample opportunity to keep singing their message. And it’s all on film and now we can all enjoy it. Fabulous.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:37 PM
I watched them last night on Rachel’s show, they were great, and great voices to go with it.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:39 PM
OK, I promise, last post for a while (I have GOT to go do some real work!).
With all thanks to Writing from Alaska@3 for the germ of the idea, here’s my first attempt at writing for the Billionaires. Channel the musical “Oklahoma” and Curly singing “Oh What a Beautiful Morning”:
Oh what a horrible option,
Oh what a horrible choice.
This bill must be soundly defeated.
People should not have a voice.
There’s a dim fuzzy haze on my profits,
There’s a dim fuzzy haze on my profits.
My profits stay high, just as long as you die,
And not string out payments until I could cry.
Oh what a horrible option,
Oh what a horrible bill.
Healthcare reform is not needed,
Just do not ever get ill.
Just do not ev …. er … get …. ill!
* ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
October 24th, 2009 at 1:54 PM
There didn’t seem to be very many people in the room. I loved how as soon as they tried to escort one out, another stood up and started singing. I wonder if they thought everyone would do that. I guess at least some of them knew each other. It was nicer than yelling and funnier too, also.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Terpsicore, you are a bloomin’ genius!! Run do not walk to the Billionaire’s website and Sign up!!
October 24th, 2009 at 3:49 PM
That first woman (singer) in particular should be singing professionally on stage somewhere. She is fantastic. What a set of pipes.
Fun video – these folks are part of the same group that showed up at the 9/12 rally, right? And protested about the profits the healthcare CEO were going to lose? I think Rachel showed them as well.
October 24th, 2009 at 6:31 PM
I love how some of the insurance people just sat there with really pissed off looks on their stupid faces.
Too bad no one took the drink from the hand of one such person and dumped it on his head.
October 24th, 2009 at 6:43 PM
terpsichore that is perfect – wonderful !
October 24th, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Priceless! I think some of the people in the room actually thought it was funny…I saw a few pleasant smiles and grins.
Terpsichore…your lyrics are perfect. Send them to Billionaires for Wealthcare , or better yet…join up with them.
http://www.billionairesforwealthcare.com/
October 24th, 2009 at 8:37 PM
When the conservatives disrupt a meeting they do it with shouting and name calling, when the progressives do it they burst into song.
Oh yeah, I am definitely on the right team!
October 25th, 2009 at 8:29 AM
One of the things that makes this act so clever is that by singing the protest, they diffused any potential violence. Imagine if instead of breaking into song, they shouted out the words. Police would have swarmed in and dragged them out. But how can a police/security official be forceful when he is confronted with someone belting out a tune from broadway show Annie? (Which was another shot of brilliance to choose that song from that show!)