Country Music Stars Challenge Al-Qaeda with Patriotic New Song ‘Bomb New York’

As previously mentioned, we’re going to start our Christmas bash on November 1. Between then and now, our posts might be a bit sporadic since we’re combing through our reservoir of holiday goodness, writing new content, and preparing our tracks. Making our lists, checking it twice. We’ll do our best, but no guarantees.

And now for something completely different.

I first started visiting The Onion in high school, probably after first reading about it in Entertainment Weekly. It was exactly what I needed at that point in my life. Every Tuesday the talented staff updated the site with a new week’s worth of content. I even drew inspiration from the satirical site, creating my own parody of a high school newspaper (though my high school didn’t have anything artsy like that) on my home computer. I printed out copies and handed them out at school. It mocked the students, teachers, and social mores until the principal kindly took me aside and told me to never, ever do such a thing again. Principals have no sense of humor.

Over the years, The Onion has still proven itself relevant and brilliant. Their first day back after 9/11 remains their greatest hour, in my opinion. Often times their articles are dead-on funny yet also overwhelmingly sad—and that’s what good satire is all about. Their article about Rudolph Giuliani, “Giuliani To Run For President Of 9/11,” becomes more and more prophetic as his campaign drags on.

Today, The Onion has one of my favorite stories in quite a while as part of their video section, The Onion News Network. At first, I thought the videos were a bit obvious, going places where The Daily Show had been for some time. But, as the writers adapted, they have put some great content on the videos that wouldn’t have been capable as a print-only story.

Such is the case with “Country Music Stars Challenge Al-Qaeda with Patriotic New Song ‘Bomb New York’.”

This is a pitch-perfect parody of country singers such as Aaron Tippin, Toby Keith, and Darryl Worley, artists who made their “patriotic” anthems such as “Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagles Fly,” “Angry American (Courtesy the Red, White, and Blue,” and “Have You Forgotten.” These songs profited from 9/11 while trudging out jingoistic, xenophobic, and sappy lyrics. And, modern country music fans devoured this aggressive language. Of course they probably also endorsed a president who told our enemies to “Bring it on.”

This video and song speak for themselves. And, if you’re one of the people who hasn’t read The Onion, do yourself the favor.


Country Music Stars Challenge Al-Qaeda With Patriotic New Song "Bomb New York"

Go Ahead (Bomb New York) – Tayna Bertram, Wayne McMurtry, and Friends (The Onion)