I was wrong when I thought Snakes on a Plane had to be a joke because of its ridiculous title, but I was right when I was dead sure that "Chocolate Rain," the recent hit song on YouTube, was something I couldn't take seriously as soon as I heard it.
If you haven't heard Adam Bahner, aka Tay Zonday, sing his song, a quick YouTube search will quickly introduce you to this recent Internet phenomenon. As I write this, "Chocolate Rain" has been viewed over 7.5 million times since being uploaded over the summer, so how could you not know about it?
I couldn't believe this song was for real when I heard it because the guy has a deeper voice than Darth Vader, but looks like an awkward 14 year old. On top of that, his song got annoying after a few lines, yet it lasted for nearly 5 minutes. Clearly, this guy couldn't write music, yet it appeared he wanted me to take his song sincerely.
One of the most ridiculous parts of his "Chocolate Rain" video is when he explains what he's doing as he leans off to the side ("**I move away from the mic to breathe in"), letting the viewer know that he is simply performing a stealth breathing technique.
He has other singles released, including "Internet Dream" and "Demons on the Dance Floor." In both of these, he attempts to add in a chorus, but he doesn't get the concept that a chorus should sound different than the verses. They also both feature the same repetitive melodies and hackneyed percussion tracks.
Last week, to my horror and surprise, I heard that Zonday performed "Chocolate Rain" in front of an actual audience and millions of viewers on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
After his performance he was interviewed and admitted that the song was just "something silly" he put up on YouTube and it happened to get a lot of attention.
A little more research showed that he had been mentioned on VH1's Best Week Ever, where John Mayer did his own cover of the song. Mayer used a tune from a Nelly Furtado song and made up the lyrics on the spot, but I still liked his version better.
Amateur YouTube users have made many parodies of "Chocolate Rain," including "Vanilla Snow," remixes, and many additional versions featuring Darth Vader and McGruff the Crime Dog, to name a few.
He has also been interviewed live on G4's Attack of the Show, who asked him if he was thinking about releasing a full-length album. What scared me the most was that they sounded serious, and Zonday also seemed honest in saying he was considering it. For putting the song up as a joke, he's not shy about being put in the spotlight.
I do get the idea that the only reason he's getting this kind of attention is not because he has extraordinary talent, but because he's a bit of a freak show and anywhere he appears, people will watch to get a good laugh.
Another awkward-looking, no-talent star that comes to mind is American Idol's William Hung. They both have no professional training in singing, to use Hung's words, but have enjoyed immense fame.
Zonday is quickly beginning to follow in Hung's footsteps, as they have both performed on Jimmy Kimmel's music segment. Next we'll have to see Zonday parodied on SNL and release his own record.
At least in Hung's case, I don't think anyone can say that he has a wonderful talent for singing. I'm sure people like him because the engineering geek is so bad he's funny. Just like a car crash, viewers find themselves unintentionally staring and unable to draw themselves away. This is how I see Zonday and his performances.
Zonday writes his own music, which could give him a step up on Hung, but Hung actually tries to dance while he sings. They both had the courage to perform in front of millions, one on American Idol, and the other through YouTube, but just because you can do these types of things, it doesn't always mean you should.
I hope he will soon fade away so my boyfriend stops tempting me to kill him on the spot every time he starts singing that song.
I move away from the mic to check my email at: monique.devoe@asu.edu.
