Shut Up, Dude: This Week’s Best And Worst Comments
by Scott LapatineTHIS WEEK’S 10 HIGHEST RATED COMMENTS
#10 
ander
Score:50 | May 25th
more like
#9 
BixMeister
Score:50 | May 22nd
Meanwhile on the Disco Top 80
Tom Tom Club – “Genius of Love” “Wordy Rappinghood”
Tom talks about an artist’s Imperial Phase where everything seems to work, and I’m wondering if a music-lover is allowed an Imperial Phase. Looking at the charts, thinking about how I interacted with popular music, I realize that late 81-85 is my Imperial Phase as a music-lover.
Almost every day after work I’d go to Hot Licks/Northern Lights and dig through the import singles, indie-12-inches, new releases and even filling in the blanks on older music. Sometimes I would stop at Shinder’s and scope out the latest Billboard. Music was part of happy hour, house parties, club going, and those weekends where I needed to stay at home and lay back.
Digging through the bins meant that I often heard songs and artists long before they appeared on the radio. “Genius of Love” was one of those imports I bought. Now think about that. Tom Tom Club, an American act, broke through because they sold 100,000 copies of the import 12-inch of “Genius of Love” on Island Records, forcing Sire to sign them in the U.S.
If I could say one song is my jam, it is “Genius of Love.” If I was forced to pick my favorite song of the 80s, “Genius of Love” would be on the shortlist. It’s the sound of someone fan-girling and fan-boying about Funk, Rap, Rhythm and Blues and Soul. The coolest thing, it worked. It hit Number One Disco, Number Two Soul, and was the basis for two big rap songs, “Genius of Rap” by Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde and Grandmaster Flash with “It’s Nasty” plus it inspired a song we will hear about much later.
To paraphrase one of the characters in Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series, you can have a hot apartment, hot lover and hot job. One out of three is good, two is better, and three is almost unheard of. I’d add hot music to the mix. I had two out of four during my Imperial Phase, alas I missed the hot mark with regards to lover and apartment. But sometimes good things come to those who wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCWCF19nUhA
My Imperial Phase as a music-fan ended, but the music and memories are still with me. Thanks to the Tom Tom Club, I have a song to jam to. Oh, if you’ve been playing along, you know I have the love of my life. That’s the “Genius of Love.”
Posted in: The Number Ones: Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”
#8 
jackunderscore
Score:55 | May 27th
Stop calling the police. Someone in Minneapolis called the cops because they thought Floyd was using a fake check, and the cops killed him. Amy Cooper knew she could sic the police on a black man if she sounded scared enough on the phone, and I’m so thankful that she’s actually facing consequences. So stop calling the police.
Posted in: George Floyd, Killed By Minneapolis Police, Was Houston Rapper & DJ Screw Collaborator
#7 
sdnabors
Score:59 | May 28th
The Tweet comes across as really dumb but Twitter woke culture is so unbelievably toxic sometimes
Posted in: Matty Healy Deactivates His Twitter After Backlash Over George Floyd Tweet
#6 
franciskeats
Score:62 | May 25th
“Through the beginning of 2020, it looked like this year would be…”
-You, Me, everyone else
#5 
rubberbandit
Score:70 | May 28th
Eh. The link was in poor taste, but the sentiment behind it was good. He is at least trying.
Posted in: Matty Healy Deactivates His Twitter After Backlash Over George Floyd Tweet
#4 
inthedeadofknight
Score:71 | May 27th
Fired obviously, but there better be some fucking murder chargers shortly down this road too. I don’t know what I can do, but this has to stop.
Posted in: George Floyd, Killed By Minneapolis Police, Was Houston Rapper & DJ Screw Collaborator
#3 
cokeparty
Score:76 | May 25th
The craziest thing about a lot of Alt-Right communities originate from commuted stone face trolling. Q Anon seems to have started by a French Anarchist Art collective, and sites like 4chan have always existed to do little else but to one up the last guy’s fucked up bullshit (and child exploitation, but that’s a whole other matter).
Eventually the Extreme poker face sarcasm became doctrine because the originators found it so amusing that people would buy into. Once that happened, it took on a life of its own, eventually resulting in the shit show of a government we are now suffering under.
And to some degree these people proved their theses. There a not insignificant amount of people who believe that JFK Jr. is about to return to put an end to a child sex ring attached to the DNC, most prominently the Clintons.
Unfortunately, instead of going public with the ridiculous nature of these ideas, the same individuals found a space where they had a growing community of supporters, and liking the attention and visibility, rolled with it. They seem to believe that at anytime they can call an end to it by creating a “gotcha” moment. The truth is, we’re way past that moment having any effect. The damage has been done.
Someone like Doha Cat is not wrong when she says some of her generation came up in these chat rooms, so they may seem as benign at engaging in any public forum. Unfortunately that is no longer the case, (if it ever was) and people need to be smart enough to see that. You wouldn’t just walk into any conference room, sit down and believe there is no agenda. Spaces on the internet require this kind of care as well.
#2 
blochead
Score:80 | May 28th
I hate this guy as much as the next clown. But his intentions here were pretty obviously not self serving. Please don’t tell anybody I defended him. At least not publicly.
Posted in: Matty Healy Deactivates His Twitter After Backlash Over George Floyd Tweet
#1 
Decatur Or
Score:102 | May 25th
[me every time I sit down to a meal with loved ones]: “I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter.”
THIS WEEK’S 5 LOWEST RATED COMMENTS
#5
Mario Miano
Score:-26 | May 26th
Thank God Beyonce has gained more dollars and thank Stereogum for such an important music fact. We are all happy and hope the next Drake or Kanye West or Ariana or Lady Gaga will do the same. Music really needs their inventive and groundbreaking art. I also suggest Stereogum to begin the counting for single of this new decade and secure for this remix a spot in the top 5. Thanks for such cool journalism, tonight I will sleep better than ever!
Posted in: Megan Thee Stallion & Beyoncé’s “Savage” Remix Is The #1 Song In America
#4 
baptism
Score:-26 | May 22nd
Honesty, selfish of the POC warriors to make her comments and thoughts a POC issue. I guess white women can’t have thoughts and feelings anymore.
Posted in: Lana Del Rey Responds To Fallout Over Instagram Post: “Thanks For The Karen Comments Tho”
#3
baptism
Score:-26 | May 22nd
This makes me hate the psychotic POC movement on the internet. They aren’t doing themselves any fucking favors by getting offended by every single fucking thing. Pathetic.
Posted in: Lana Del Rey Responds To Fallout Over Instagram Post: “Thanks For The Karen Comments Tho”
#2 
roland1824
Score:-33 | May 26th
I hope one is actually hurt or in danger, but the whole thing reads like a performance art project, in the vein of something Death Grips would do. Smart move to keep it on Bandcamp, the only place for artists to get a decent pay out.
Posted in: Black Dresses Disbanding Following Unwanted TikTok Attention And “Extended Harassment”
#1 
Martin F
Score:-54 | May 28th
This isn’t even remotely music-related. How about some articles on music instead?
Posted in: Here’s Lady Gaga And Ariana Grande With The Weather
THIS WEEK’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S CHOICE
TombstoneDues
Score:10 | May 27th
E-E-A-E-A-D, bro. You’re going to break about seven b-strings tuning up at first.
Posted in: Real Estate – “Name” (Goo Goo Dolls Cover)