Behind the Music that Sucks
Encyclopedia
Behind the Music that Sucks is an ongoing series of comic pieces produced by, and appearing on, Heavy.com
, a broadband
entertainment website. The segments feature humorous jabs at pop stars and celebrities. The shorts run approximately three minutes each and employ cutout animation
based largely on celebrity photographs and stock
images. In addition to the Internet, the series has been broadcast on television in Canada
, Japan
, Israel
, Sweden
, and the United Kingdom
, the United States
,
's popular biography show Behind the Music
, Behind the Music that Sucks was created by Dave Carson, a composer, and Simon Assaad, a filmmaker, in 1998. The series consists of segments featuring humorous jabs at pop stars and celebrities. Each segment runs approximately three minutes each and employs cutout animation
based largely on celebrity photographs and stock
images. After the series became popular on the Internet, Carson and Assaad founded Heavy.com in 1999, where Behind the Music that Sucks became the flagship series. In 2005, production resumed after a three-year hiatus. The program has been broadcast on television in Japan
, Israel
, the United Kingdom
, the United States
, Canada, and Sweden. In spite of that period of inactivity, the original run of Behind the Music that Sucks never left syndication
, remaining available on Heavy.com and Comcast
digital cable
's ON DEMAND service. Behind the Music that Sucks, having managed to outlive the show it was based on, continues to be one of the site's most well-known properties.
The following is a list of acts, many of whom were also featured on the original VH1
program, that have been lampooned during the series' run. Occasionally, non-musical entities have been sent up by the series as well, such as iPod
, MySpace
, "The OC" and the first child of Britney Spears
and Kevin Federline
.
and the Bloodhound Gang
have reportedly seen their segments on Behind the Music that Sucks and "loved" them. Entertainment Weekly
s Ann Limpert wrote in her review of the series: "[...] You'll quickly find your way to these rude animated spoofs of VH1's Behind the Music that chronicle the lives of such easy targets as Streisand, Puff Daddy, and Jewel. The site does away with the soft lighting of the real BTM to showcase some truly squirm-inducing images (a self-pleasuring Marilyn Manson, the Pope looking at Britney Spears centerfolds). The real fun lies in watching the virtual artists say what's been behind their faces all along." Roger Gathman of The Austin Chronicle said: "Sometimes the humor is inspired, as when a young but very budding Mariah Carey tries out for a Christian cartoon network. Sometimes the joke is that females have big breasts. Cartoon jiggling is big on Behind the Music That Sucks." Mike Durrett of About.com
wrote: "Not satisfied to churn out simple pastiches of political incorrectness, the creative team shrieks with an exhilarating display of mean-spirited vulgarity, profanity, sacrilege and violence. Ironically, modern day music is regularly that, so comeuppance is served. It's only rock-and-roll, but I laugh at it."
Kate Stables of The Guardian
called Behind the Music that Sucks a "wonderful pastiche" of Behind the Music, and highlighted the parodies of Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel. Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle said all segments of Behind the Music that Sucks "are more or less guaranteed to either a) make you laff, or b) make you gag." In a review of a hip-hop DVD collection of the series, Paul Lingas of Audio Video Revolution wrote: "These spoofs capture all of the seriousness that makes Behind the Music such a popular program and twists it into something very amusing. Thankfully, each one of the segments is very short, preserving the novelty of the approach for each segment and sparing us when the segments simply aren't funny. In the end, this is a somewhat amusing collection of profane and obnoxious slams against hip-hop artists, though some are much better than others. Those who don’t like these people will get a kick out of the spoof segments but little more, and as for fans of these artists, I think they might enjoy them just a little bit, too."
Marc Juris, president of MuchMusic
, said about the series: "Musicians are a wonderfully creative bunch, with both the art they create and the oversized adventures and myths they generate as they travel the ladder of fame. This series pokes fun at their outrageous behavior and the television institution that makes a business of amplifying their climb, crash and burn, and ultimate redemption. For the stars, it's a chance to laugh at themselves; for the creators of Behind the Music it shows that imitation and exaggeration of their stock and trade is the most sincere form of flattery." A reviewer for The Gazette
commented, "[...] At least after a couple of glasses of wine, these spoofs of Paris Hilton, Creed and Ted Nugent seemed downright hilarious, even if the animation looks like it was drawn by a 5-year-old."
Heavy.com
Heavy.com is a broadband entertainment website founded in 1999 in New York City. The site was founded by David Carson and Simon Assaad in the wake of the popularity of their first series of video shorts, Behind the Music that Sucks...
, a broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
entertainment website. The segments feature humorous jabs at pop stars and celebrities. The shorts run approximately three minutes each and employ cutout animation
Cutout animation
Cutout animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or even photographs...
based largely on celebrity photographs and stock
Stock photography
Stock photography is the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online...
images. In addition to the Internet, the series has been broadcast on television in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
Production and broadcast
Conceived as a parody of VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's popular biography show Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, Behind the Music that Sucks was created by Dave Carson, a composer, and Simon Assaad, a filmmaker, in 1998. The series consists of segments featuring humorous jabs at pop stars and celebrities. Each segment runs approximately three minutes each and employs cutout animation
Cutout animation
Cutout animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or even photographs...
based largely on celebrity photographs and stock
Stock photography
Stock photography is the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online...
images. After the series became popular on the Internet, Carson and Assaad founded Heavy.com in 1999, where Behind the Music that Sucks became the flagship series. In 2005, production resumed after a three-year hiatus. The program has been broadcast on television in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada, and Sweden. In spite of that period of inactivity, the original run of Behind the Music that Sucks never left syndication
Web syndication
Web syndication is a form of syndication in which website material is made available to multiple other sites. Most commonly, web syndication refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary or update of the website's recently added content...
, remaining available on Heavy.com and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
digital cable
Digital cable
Digital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
's ON DEMAND service. Behind the Music that Sucks, having managed to outlive the show it was based on, continues to be one of the site's most well-known properties.
Episodes
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
program, that have been lampooned during the series' run. Occasionally, non-musical entities have been sent up by the series as well, such as iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
, MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, "The OC" and the first child of Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and Kevin Federline
Kevin Federline
Kevin Earl Federline is an American dancer, rapper, fashion model, and actor. Previously engaged to actress Shar Jackson, Federline is best known for his two-year marriage to pop singer Britney Spears...
.
|
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album... Hanson (band) Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations... Iggy Pop Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues... Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore... Jewel (singer) Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet... Joe C. Joseph "Joe C." Calleja was an American rapper and musician. His popularity and fame were based on his relationship as hype man and comic relief for fellow rapper Kid Rock.-Condition:Calleja was born in Taylor, Michigan... John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success... Kenny Loggins During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack... Kid Rock Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations... KISS (band) Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,... Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999... Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries... Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... LL Cool J James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor... Mariah Carey Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993... Marilyn Manson (band) Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention... Master P Percy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch... Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals... Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil... 'N Sync N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick... Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction... Oasis (band) Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher... The Offspring The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... Ol' Dirty Bastard Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB... Phish Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band... Shania Twain Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million... |
|
Reception
Britney SpearsBritney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and the Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang is a Collegeville, Pennsylvania-based American comedy band, although it began as a rap group and gradually changed its genre throughout the years...
have reportedly seen their segments on Behind the Music that Sucks and "loved" them. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Ann Limpert wrote in her review of the series: "[...] You'll quickly find your way to these rude animated spoofs of VH1's Behind the Music that chronicle the lives of such easy targets as Streisand, Puff Daddy, and Jewel. The site does away with the soft lighting of the real BTM to showcase some truly squirm-inducing images (a self-pleasuring Marilyn Manson, the Pope looking at Britney Spears centerfolds). The real fun lies in watching the virtual artists say what's been behind their faces all along." Roger Gathman of The Austin Chronicle said: "Sometimes the humor is inspired, as when a young but very budding Mariah Carey tries out for a Christian cartoon network. Sometimes the joke is that females have big breasts. Cartoon jiggling is big on Behind the Music That Sucks." Mike Durrett of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
wrote: "Not satisfied to churn out simple pastiches of political incorrectness, the creative team shrieks with an exhilarating display of mean-spirited vulgarity, profanity, sacrilege and violence. Ironically, modern day music is regularly that, so comeuppance is served. It's only rock-and-roll, but I laugh at it."
Kate Stables of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called Behind the Music that Sucks a "wonderful pastiche" of Behind the Music, and highlighted the parodies of Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel. Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle said all segments of Behind the Music that Sucks "are more or less guaranteed to either a) make you laff, or b) make you gag." In a review of a hip-hop DVD collection of the series, Paul Lingas of Audio Video Revolution wrote: "These spoofs capture all of the seriousness that makes Behind the Music such a popular program and twists it into something very amusing. Thankfully, each one of the segments is very short, preserving the novelty of the approach for each segment and sparing us when the segments simply aren't funny. In the end, this is a somewhat amusing collection of profane and obnoxious slams against hip-hop artists, though some are much better than others. Those who don’t like these people will get a kick out of the spoof segments but little more, and as for fans of these artists, I think they might enjoy them just a little bit, too."
Marc Juris, president of MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, said about the series: "Musicians are a wonderfully creative bunch, with both the art they create and the oversized adventures and myths they generate as they travel the ladder of fame. This series pokes fun at their outrageous behavior and the television institution that makes a business of amplifying their climb, crash and burn, and ultimate redemption. For the stars, it's a chance to laugh at themselves; for the creators of Behind the Music it shows that imitation and exaggeration of their stock and trade is the most sincere form of flattery." A reviewer for The Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
commented, "[...] At least after a couple of glasses of wine, these spoofs of Paris Hilton, Creed and Ted Nugent seemed downright hilarious, even if the animation looks like it was drawn by a 5-year-old."