What do Iraqis love more than all that "freedom" we're giving them?
Lionel Richie
On Friday Nightline did a whole report about the phenomenon. Yes, Nightline. This is real news, after all.
There are no clips of the report on YouTube or iFilm yet, but you can watch the whole thing here. Just click the "Video" link under the photo of Lionel Richie. Here's what his face looks like as rendered in clay by a blind woman, in case you forgot:
Highlights of the report include:
—A quartet of Iraqis singing all the lyrics to "Hello," their faces obscured "for security reasons" with images of Richie's own face.
—The phrase, "So why is everyone in this country 'Dancing On The Ceiling' over this guy?"
—Lionel Richie beaming with pride as he talks about how "All Night Long" was played through the streets of Baghdad as "a song of celebration" after the city fell.
—Footage of Richie awkwardly addressing a Libyan audience before launching into "Easy Like Sunday Morning" on piano.
—Footage of Richie awkwardly chair-dancing to his awful new single.
—The keen observation, "If Lionel Richie was to ask the people of Iraq, 'Is it me you're looking for?' The answer would be an unequivocal, 'Yes.'"
And much, much more! God, I love journalism.
The report is 6 minutes long, but totally worth it. Please, please go watch it. Especially if you're an aspiring journalist who's having trouble weaving Lionel Richie lyrics into the text of your pieces.