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Rumors suggest that top executives in the karaoke industry gathered in a hidden meeting room last week, consoling themselves with alcoholic beverages and singing sad songs. This was in response to two popular names in entertainment threatening to shut down the entire industry. During an interview to promote their new film All of Us Strangers, actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott both expressed their dislike for karaoke. Mescal stated that he believes it should be banned, while Scott described feeling anxious and wondering when the never-ending singing will finally come to an end. This complaint about karaoke being seemingly endless is reflected in its portrayal in recent films and TV shows, where characters can often be seen singing along to cheesy songs with cheap microphones.
Ironically, Mescal appears in a particularly emotional scene from the past few years, in Charlotte Wells’s powerful play “Aftersun.” During a holiday karaoke night, Calum (Mescal) discovers that his daughter Sophie has signed them up to perform. As the crowd cheers, Calum allows Sophie to go up on stage alone and awkwardly sing REM’s “Losing My Religion.”
Some situations are more agonizing than heart-wrenching. In one of the many cringe-worthy and stomach-churning moments in Saltburn, Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) is coerced by his snobby cousin Farleigh to sing “Rent” by the Pet Shop Boys while trying to fit in with Felix’s social circle. As he reaches the chorus – “I love you, you pay my rent” – he realizes it was a trap set by Farleigh to expose him as a leech. Even Keoghan himself struggled with the embarrassment of this scene, admitting in an interview with AP Entertainment that it was the one he feared filming the most. This speaks volumes, considering the demanding nature of the other parts of the story that required Keoghan’s talents.
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Alan Ruck, who plays Connor in Succession, is the most sympathetic yet pitiful member of the Roy family and an unexpected karaoke enthusiast. In the second episode of the final season, Connor, who dreams of becoming president, convinces his siblings to join him in a singalong. He chooses to sing Leonard Cohen’s Famous Blue Raincoat, but his performance is less than impressive. His brother Roman jokes that it’s “Guantánamo level shit.”
Each of the three scenarios delves into the powerful feeling of humiliation, as Connor, Oliver, and Sophie are all left feeling embarrassed and shocked. They pour out their emotions without finding any closure. Many of us can relate to this intense, humiliating shame while packed into a small bar, singing along to a backing track. After all, the word “karaoke” translates to “empty orchestra” in Japanese, highlighting the sense of something missing.
There is a compelling power dynamic at play. It is strange to see Logan enter the cheesy karaoke bar to discuss important matters. In Saltburn, Farleigh uses the microphone as a tool to show Oliver’s unfamiliarity with the upper class’s blend of high and low culture. According to Saltburn’s director Emerald Fennell in an interview with IndieWire, “You can create a Caravaggio-inspired scene in the most beautiful room, but if it’s lit by a cheap karaoke machine, that adds a human element.”
Not all situations involving karaoke are sad and gloomy. Some recent scenes show a more joyful atmosphere. For example, in Rye Lane, Yas and Dom pretend to have met at a hip-hop karaoke night and end up going to a bar together, performing Shoop and sharing a kiss. At The Bear, Tina impresses her culinary school friends with her performance of Before the Next Teardrop Falls by Freddy Fender. Karaoke scenes have been popular for a while, with one iconic scene in Lost in Translation showing Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson exchanging songs and meaningful looks. Some of these scenes are comically chaotic, such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt singing Pixies in 500 Days of Summer, Renée Zellweger belting out Badfinger in Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Cameron Diaz deafening the audience with I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself in My Best Friend’s Wedding.
According to film scholar Barbara Klinger, “karaoke cinema” refers to the movies we repeatedly watch for comfort and nostalgia. What lessons can we learn from these on-screen karaoke scenes? Ruck explains, “These moments bring joy to people everywhere who enjoy karaoke. It’s a chance to let loose and be silly, and we’ll still love you for it.” Ultimately, it’s acceptable to make a fool of yourself, as actors do it all the time.
Source: theguardian.com
