Rick Astley still on a roll
When you consider the year's more unlikely events -- Obama elected president, the Rays in the World Series -- surely you have to add this to the list: Rick Astley has been named the "Best Act Ever" by the MTV Europe Music Awards.
"We've been well and truly Rickrolled," Richard Godfrey, a senior vice president at MTV and executive producer of the awards, told the Telegraph newspaper in the UK. "We wanted to see who our audience would nominate and, given that we're in Liverpool, we thought it would be someone like the Beatles. But before the nominations were even announced he shot into the lead."
The thought running through your mind ought to be -- "Best Act Ever? Since when is that a category in this largely manufactured and contrived awards show?" Nobody seems able to answer that question. And let's not confuse things with stuff like facts and figures. Just enjoy the ultimate victory for "Rickrolling." And because you really want to, and because you know it's to be expected, just click here.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
I won't do it! I will not click! I refuse to be Rickrolled! Well... okay. Maybe just once.
Posted by: Bassnote | November 10, 2008 at 03:19 PM
This proves that Europeans either have a fantastic sense of humor, or incredibly poor taste.
Posted by: Bassnote | November 10, 2008 at 03:21 PM
This reminds me of that stunt where a ton of people nominated NKOTB (or whoever) for TRL a few years ago.
Posted by: Walter Cox | November 10, 2008 at 03:52 PM
I made "Never Gonna Give You Up" my ringtone a couple months ago so, I could RickRoll everyone who called me. hehehe
Posted by: Deborah | November 10, 2008 at 04:04 PM
I'm not gonna lie to you. I like "Together Forever"
Posted by: Walter Cox | November 10, 2008 at 05:28 PM
That's just wrong.
Posted by: GlennS. | November 10, 2008 at 05:30 PM
p.s., not what Walter Cox said, just the whole idea of stuffing the ballot box for Mr. Astley
Posted by: GlennS. | November 10, 2008 at 05:32 PM
you have to be kidding, rick friggin astley.
Posted by: CHAD | November 10, 2008 at 07:20 PM
oh the horror of rick astley. just the thought of listening to his music makes me want to upchuck. wait, wait........ chunkage contained.
Posted by: don in tulsa | November 10, 2008 at 07:50 PM
... it was a coin toss between Rick Astley or Boy George.
Astley won, so we made him win.
Posted by: Vote4Rick | November 10, 2008 at 08:51 PM
a coin toss eh? the lesser of 2 evils just like our presidential election. wait, did i use my inside voice?
Posted by: don in tulsa | November 11, 2008 at 12:45 AM
@Walter Cox.....I like "Together Forever" too....or wait a minute, is it "Never Gonna Give You Up" that I like?.....awww heck, they're all the same song anyway.
Posted by: billyshakes in istanbul | November 11, 2008 at 02:09 AM
"If there's...anything you need....all you have to do is saa-aaay...."
Posted by: Walter Cox | November 11, 2008 at 11:29 AM
The opposition was U2, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears (no relation to steve, i think) and Green Day.
The only other one of the group worthy of the title was U2, but since i was worried Bono's head might not be able to fit through the door to collect the award i did my duty as a European and chose Mr Astley.
Posted by: Roy, UK | November 11, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Just goes to show you, europe wanted Obama too. Just no taste at all.
Posted by: Jay | November 11, 2008 at 12:48 PM