Philippines: Wannabe Frank Sinatras face final curtain in ‘karaoke rage’ killings

The Times(UK) ^ | 02/11/10 | Leo Lewis

[TigerLikesRooster]

February 11, 2010

Wannabe Frank Sinatras face final curtain in ‘karaoke rage’ killings

Leo Lewis, Tokyo

“And now, the end is near . . . ” For some, the Frank Sinatra version of My Way is a timeless classic; for many in the karaoke bars of the Philippines, however, it is a ballad drenched in bloodshed that ought to carry a health warning.

Sung badly, or with just a touch too much defiance, the song can unleash unspeakable violence from the audience. According to Manila police, men have died attempting to hit the final note.

The “karaoke rage” phenomenon has claimed a dozen lives, perhaps more, in the Philippines over the past decade. A national passion for the song, say the authorities, combines perilously with widespread gun ownership — and differences of opinion are all-too-often settled with bullets.

The Philippines is one of several Asian countries that claims to have invented karaoke, and the nation builds many other activities around it. Bars, brothels and gambling dens usually have karaoke available somewhere, and the result is a nation that takes its singing very seriously.

[TigerLikesRooster]

More than two decades ago, Ferdinand Marcos, then the dictator of Philippines rigged the election and got himself reelected. Amid serious political unrest against election fraud going on in Manila, he and his wife Imelda stepped out to the balcony of Presidential Palace and sang a song together to celebrate his election victory. The news footage of this looked so ridiculous to me at the time. Singing in public like two teenagers in school play.

Not long after this stunt, they were pushed out into exile. Now that I read this article, I can get some insight into Marcos duo's behavior: Singing was a serious business for them, and worth doing it even in the face of mounting unrest.

[houeto]

Sung badly, or with just a touch too much defiance, the song can unleash unspeakable violence from the audience. According to Manila police, men have died attempting to hit the final note.

I was looking for a satire tag.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Sometimes the reality tops Onion piece. LOL.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

Any requests?

[HIDEK6]

It’s really hard to condemn a serial karaeoke killer.

[The Comedian]

I'm willing to nominate this for Weirdest Thread Title. Additionally, I'm willing to nominate Phillipino Sinatra karaoke singers as Weirdest Cultural Collision.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[bert]

I lived in Makati when Marcos was first elected. He was the hero of heroes. Imelda was a bonifide world class beauty queen. Their children were worshiped as were Caroline and johnjohn. They were super stars and very much loved by all the people.

They were truly corrupted by the power emanating from Forbes Park

At that time, most restaurants and clubs and even the movie theater had bold signs “ Please Check guns at the door”

[MrB]

Maybe wierdest is right for this one, but nothing will beat
“Police: Crack found in man’s buttocks”

for outright funny.

[TigerLikesRooster]

As Marcos’s irreversibly headed down to corruption and autocracy, they brought Philippines down with them.

[dangus]

No jury in the world would convict:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1N2h-cJmzs

(Indian newspaper calls American Idol contestant “a national embarrassement.”)

[dagogo redux]

My wife, who’s a Filipina, and sings this thing at home on our karaoke machine, responds to the article with a laugh and, “Well, it’s a BEAUTIFUL song!”

There you have it. Cowering in the corner, I said NOTHING.