I have a great idea! I’ll get an average looking chick with a 73 IQ to make videos with me!!!
Sep 27, 2007 Houston Chronicle, Idiot Karaoke, Righteous Indignation, Theft
Well, isn’t this interesting? It seems that John McClain, Anna-Megan Raley, and two or three other Chron people have done a song parody, “Big Bad Schaub” (to the tune, obviously, of Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John.”)
Hmm. I could swear that I’ve recent seen song parodies somewhere else. Where was that? Oh wait…that’s right! I did them under the heading of Idiot Karaoke! And, if you’ve been reading this site for more than two weeks–in which case, you should know that Homeland Security is likely watching you–you probably noticed the “coincidence,” too.
Am I saying they stole my idea? No, not directly. I am suggesting it as a possibility, however, because I think it’s curious that just over two weeks after my first parodies of old country songs, the video maven and his vapid lap dog decided to do a parody of an old country song.
Could it really be a coincidence? Possibly. But, when you consider that in their hours of videos, they have never–to my knowledge, at least–done a song parody of any kind, it seems a little more than coincidental. When you combine this with the fact that BRB and Fanhouse linked to the original parody, “I Blame The Line,” and that the post received a good reaction from pretty much everyone, I think I have to call shenanigans.
To be fair, as Stephanie pointed out in an email to me, Chance McClain is an actual musician of some sort and has written songs about the Texans. Fair enough. In my mind, however, that makes my accusation even more likely–if McClain has access to a musician, why did it never enter his mind to do a parody song about a player until right after I did it?
As I see it, there are two possibilities. First, McClain and Anna-Tard put their heads together, sorted through the insipid spew that Anna-Megan likely offers, and totally independent of this blog decided to parody a–something they’d never done before–and it just happened to be both an old country song and soon after I had done that exact thing. Possible, I guess. Second, one or both of them saw my parody and thought it would be fun to do the same, so they enlisted the help of Chance McClain.
Think I am paranoid and crazy? Maybe, but look at it this way–if Tim or Scott or Stephanie or Texans Gab or Texans Tailgate started doing parodies of old country songs about players, it would not be a stretch to say that they stole the idea from here. Why should McClain and the Chron people get a free pass from suspicion just because he whores himself out on video with regularity? Occam’s Razor, bitches.
So, do I care? Only a little. I like the people at the Chron in general. (After all, they did link to my edited mirror of this blog and put it on their main Texans page. That was cool.) At the same time, I have heard from a couple different emailers that some of the Chron writers have talked some smack about this blog being “not funny,” “rude,” and/or just written “to get a response.” OK, so maybe the first two accusations are true, at least to some people. But the third? Blow me. I am nothing if not transparent here–I sign my name to everything, I cite sources on nearly every story I write, and I don’t write anything I don’t believe myself (though, in cases like the “we should sign Simeon Rice” post, I was drunk at the time). So, to the extent that some of these people have taken exception to what I am doing here, I take exception to the idea that someone would so blatantly steal an idea. A little recognition, like a fucking hat tip or a “we saw this here and thought it would be fun to do one,” is not asking too much.
[Final side-note: I know that McClain and his posse did a remake of "The Night Before Christmas" last December. I do not consider that as evidence that they didn't rip DGDB&D off because (a) that's a fucking poem and (b) it's not a classic country song.]
UPDATE: Paul mentions that McClain has been talking about this song for “weeks” on 610. If his idea predates 9/14, then I fully admit that I am wrong. (About the song; I stand by the idea that Anna-Megan is less-than-adequate at best.) Of course, he might have also stole it from an 80s Oilers record, but whatever. Anyone know when he first mentioned it?
SECOND UPDATE: So, it seems, I jumped the gun on this. Fair enough. I am man enough to admit when I am wrong.
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September 27th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
McClain has been talking about them doing this song (lame) for a few weeks on 610 AM. I”m pretty sure it was before you did your parody songs. However, I did think it was pretty funny that a caller two days ago mentioned that in the 80s there was an Oilers song called “Big Bad Earl” which was apparently on an Oilers LP. Maybe it wasn’t such an original idea….
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September 27th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
OK, so it’s entirely possible that this was just a huge coincidence. My original one was 9/14, so if he predates that, then I stand corrected.
Of course, it sounds like he did rip off someone
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September 27th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
John McClain is not related to Chance. And Chance is known for doing tons of songs.
Cal McNair is related to Bob McNair, and is one of his sons. Cal suggested the Big Bad Schaub song back when Schaub was first acquired. And they’ve been talking about doing the song forever.
So, as just a suggestion, I am thinking you should save your semi-righteous indignation for another day, and save mean comments for people who deserve them. Like Bud Adams, for example. I can never read enough ugliness about him.
A-M is a genuinely nice person, and karmically it is bad to trash nice people even if you don’t care for their videos. It’s like kicking puppies. I will blame you for Jerome Mathis’ balky foot or leg or whatever it is that is currently ailing him. Don’t mess with karma.
Okay, you can make fun of me now for being niiiiiiice again.
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September 27th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
When I heard this while riding in the car with the wife my exact response was, “What’ the shit? That fag totally stole that from Matt Campbell.” To which my wife replied, “Who’s that? One of your terd blog friends?”.
I say even if McClain can provide proof that he began this before 9/14 he still stole it from you. I mean, he probably built a time machine, went to the future to see what funny stuff he could steal, then went back in time and did it first. It’s not out of the question, my friends.
Liston
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September 27th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Wasn’t paranoid and crazy an option ?
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September 28th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Paranoid and crazy is the default option when it comes to this place.
And, regardless of if she is genuinely nice, Anna-Megan sucks.
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September 28th, 2007 at 6:21 am
So, wait. Is there an official declaration of Shenanigans or not?
I need to know, because this would be a great excuse to stock up on some shiny new brooms.
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September 28th, 2007 at 6:23 am
Official declaration re: the song is on hold until I get confirmation of when McClain started talking about this song on 610.
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September 28th, 2007 at 7:03 am
But there is a confirmed declaration that Anna-Megan, while “genuinely nice,” is genuinely worthless on a number of levels. She’s the Chad Stanley of internet newspaper videos.
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September 28th, 2007 at 7:16 am
@paul: I actually still have the 45s of classics such as “Big Bad Earl” (Tom Cantrell), “Oiler Cannonball” (Carl Mauch), “I’m Sorry Blue” (Debbie Reeves), “Super Bowl Itch” (Kenny Burroughs) 1, and, of course, “Houston Oilers #1!” (If you are a baseball fan, I have “Houston’s Gone Banastros” (Sue Laws) 2 and “Go Go Astros/Vamos Vamos Astros” (Mack Hayes))
The rips I have are of pretty poor quality, but I may try to re-rip pretty soon and I’ll post them on these here internetz thingies. 3
@Liston: Now I see where you get your funny from: your wife. She sounds quite wise, too.
@Steph: Is it me, or is Matt especially bitter toward A-M? She must’ve dumped him in junior high or something.
@Matt: Where’s my surprise!?!?!?!?! Stop teasing me!!!
“Occam’s Razor, bitches.” Classic.
XOXOXOX,
bigfatdrunk
1 - Maybe we can write a spoof entitled “Matt’s Super Itch.”
2 - This *should* launch DGDB&D to the top of teh google for the keyword “Banastros.”
3 - Look at me! I can footnote just like Matt! I’m an IP thief!
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September 28th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Re: dumping. If I was in Jr High, she would have been in 2d or 3d grade. Eww.
Also, the surprise fell through, man. She declined the interview. I’ll forward you the emails, though. That will have to suffice. You thieving bastard.
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September 28th, 2007 at 8:44 am
My life has lost all meaning.
*sniff*
bfd
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September 28th, 2007 at 8:54 am
You can’t lose what you never had. That would be like me claiming I’d lost my decency.
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September 29th, 2007 at 9:31 am
The song was definitely in the works well before your songs. McClain was talking about it before the season started. He said he was holding off the release until before the Tennesse game. I don’t know why he released it early. All his hype certainly didn’t help though, that was not a good song. I suggest you give it a re-write.