Help me out here, folks, because I think I might have fallen asleep into some sort of weird classic-soul nightmare during last night’s Idol finale. Did I actually see the stars of Tropic Thunder singing backup for a holographic recreation of Gladys Knight circa 1973? And if so… why?! Kate and Mandi didn’t seem to mind, and I admit that it was way, way less painful than Mike Myers’ Love Guru shilling. But that’s no excuse. Look, I’ve made it clear how profoundly these beyond-the-grave duets creep me out before. And this was arguably even worse, since, as even TMZ realized (hat tip), it is way unseemly to do one of those jobs on a person who is still totally alive! That’s why they call the lady a living legend. Would it really have been that hard to get the actual Gladys Knight to show up? Her voice can’t have aged any more harshly than Graham Nash’s. (Graham, I respect and admire your work very much, but you should probably not sing in public sans Crosby and Stills if you’re gonna sound that hoarse). Also, I haven’t seen Tropic Thunder yet, but does "Midnight Train to Georgia" have some connection to that movie that I’m not getting, or was this whole thing just completely random?
Anyway, I won’t blame the Tropic Thunder dudes since they were pretty funny and this was probably not their idea. But seriously, Idol producers: When TMZ thinks you’ve crossed a taste line, you know it’s time to reconsider your priorities. Anyone else’s mind boggled by this gratuitous digital karaoke bit (preserved below, for those who dare)?
UPDATE: Thanks to the poster who reminded me that this video is also on sale at iTunes, with proceeds going to charity — which sorta makes up for this bizarre spectacle. But only sorta!
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Can you say 30 Rock rip-off?
Although I was impressed by Robert Downey, Jr.’s moves and it was a silly, fun thing, I think the joke went on about two minutes too long (and I think the song itself was about three minutes).
Yes it sucked, but you shouldn’t link to a youtube video of it as legal downloads of the video GO TO CHARITY at the comedians’ request. Simon Vozick-Levinson, please remove link, that is more offensive.
I agree with Dominique L. Gladys Knight was just on 30 Rock so why couldn’t they get her to actually perform?
Simon, give it a rest…it was a comedy bit. Part of the joke was that it was supposed to look like a recording from 1973. Using the real Gladys Knight wouldn’t have made sense in that context.
Oh how sad that you didn’t get it. I thought the fact that it was hologrammed was what MADE it funny. If Jack Black, Ben Stiller and RDJ were dancing behind an OLD Gladys Knight it would have been odd…and not in a funny way. Oh well.
I agree it was way too long, but it was a brilliant bit of marketing. The movie doesn’t come out until August, but Robert Downey Jr. is in Iron Man now, and Jack Black is coming up in Kung Fu Panda. All three movies, of course, are from Paramount. Smart kids they got there.
Plus, RDJ is unbelievably hot while dancing.
I actually thought it was
I actually thought it was
And am I the only one who thought RDJ was totally hot in that suit?
I love this song! By far it’s my favorite by Ms. Knight and her famous Pips.
I am a fan of Jack Black’s and of Robert Downey’s. So it was fun to see them play the pips. My wife laughed the whole way through as Jack Black’s antics were enteraining.
As for Gladys, why not show her in all her glory? I find the flashbacks creepy when the singer’s dead, but less so if the singer’s still around.
On that, could we maybe see some older singers do a duet with a younger version of themselves? It might be cool to see an old Mick Jagger try to out perform a hologram of the young version…
What’s the problem? It was funny, like someone before said the joke was that it WAS a hologram. Lighten up.
Who cares why they did it, I just want to take RDJ out for a night of dancing!
I thought it was hilarious and the author of the column should lighten up!
I agree with BrandonK and nay-lo…it was supposed to be humorous, and was done in a completely different context than the previous “hologram” duets. I actually thought Ben Stiller’s facial expressions and stiff dance moves were hysterical.
obviously you haven’t seen CSN recently – David Crosby is ok lately, but Stills completely stinks. Nash has always had that high voice and I thought his duet with Brooke was absolutely beautiful, moving to tears almost from an absolute classic musician.
That said, even if Graham was a little shaky (the man is 66!), he was far better live than that excuse for a band One Republic! how embarassing for that guy to be out sung by little david!
This was easily my favourite moment of the night. The rest of the night was ultra-cheese, but this moment was absurd, surreal and in the end genuinely funny. I don’t understand what’s to “get”. It is what it is. And the fact that there was no mention of the movie tie-in made it even better. The same can not be said for Mr. Myers and his horribly unfunny looking movie. AI is consistently a parade of horrendous bits done to death (like the boxing analogy etc.). I don’t understand you Simon.
I agree with Simon – it was mildly amusing at the start, but became completely bizarre. And, as Winona pointe out, it was too long. I just thought it was gratuitous promotion for Tropic Thunder and that these three talented guys could have done better than this. Like, why did Jack take his pants off? My 7-year-old would have found that funny.
It is weird that they used 1973-era Gladys when they might’ve invited the real thing to sing live. That said, however, I must add my voice to the chorus of Robert Downey Jr.-smitten ladies. He is the coolest thing ever…makes Ben and Jack look like dorky schoolboys.
Seems to me the Tropic Thunder folks wanted to hype the movie, but were out of town last night.
Would have been funnier if they just had Jack Black pose as one of the rejects. Or even better one of the best talents seen by judges early, but who was declared ineligible due to a technicality.
I’ve seen plenty of people who thought it was great. I thought it was boring. They could have shown 30 seconds of it and plugged the full thing at iTunes for the charity.
I thought it was pretty good. Maybe a tiny bit too long, but overall not too bad. I’m sure there could have been way more less funny things they could have shown for 3 minutes.
This was my 2nd favorite part of the whole show last night. I took it completely as a joke spoofing the atrocity that was the “serious” duet between Celine Dion and dead Elvis last year and all other such duets, and I thought it was hilarious. I didn’t even remember that the three “Pips” have a movie coming out until I read the coverage here this morning.
Yes, Gladys Knight could certainly have performed live and wonderously well in a serious performance with the Idol contestants – she did last year. But that wasn’t the point of this – the age of the footage was part of the joke. I feel exactly the same as the blogger about serious duetse with deceased singers, but I took this totally as satire, and for me, it worked.
I think it was an all-in-good-fun spoof on last year’s Celine Dion-Elvis duet, but regardless of what anyone thinks, it combined two of my all-time favorite things: a smokin’ hot Robert Downey Jr. and Gladys Knight singing “Midnight Train to Georgia.” What’s not to love?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought, “omg, RDJ just totally sodomized Jack Black” when he reappeared. I mean, really, what WERE they trying to insinuate by having Jack Black stumble on stage with his pants around his ankles??
Blacks antics were too much. It was all in fun.
Wow, Jack Black really can only do one thing, right? Weird. Even Ben Stiller can do, like, three things. And of course, Robert Downey Jr can do any and all things because he rocks, and besides Gladys Knight, was the only reason to watch this.
OT, but how come no one’s done a Popwatch Bit on how “You are my Brother, best friends forever” got a marching band? I thought that was the best moment of the night! Even better, the no talent dude was so bad that he couldn’t keep rhythym with a band that played a song he wrote!
Someone, please tell me I can download THAT video off itunes…
It was JUST PLAIN FUNNY!
I thought it was hilarious and didn’t see anything wrong with it. Beside, any chance to see Robert Downey Jr., who’s the coolest thing to ever walk on this planet, is worth anything.