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    A Cappella Group Rick Rolls NYC Subway Car

    rickroll
    I'm sorry, but this is exactly why I hate a cappella. In fact, when I graduated college, I vowed never to listen to a cappella again, and the idea that I could be stuck on the subway with it is utterly frightening.

    A confession: as a resident of New York City, I often find myself presented with a spiritual dilemma when confronted with roving Mariachi bands on the subway. Part of me thinks I should take off my iPod and experience one of the many bits of free-floating cultural experiences in the city. But another part worries about looking like the sort of person who takes off his iPod to listen to roving Mariachi bands in the subway. (Who is this sort of person? And what would be the downside of looking like him? I don't know.)

    I normally end up leaving my ear buds in but pausing my music, which is really the lamest choice in this situation because I present myself as too cynical to care while secretly listening to a roving Mariachi band I may or may not enjoy but I don't know because I'm too busy thinking all this over in my head.

    What is the point of sharing my neuroses with you today? Simply to say that, were I confronted with the boys of On the Rocks from the University of Oregon, my choice would be clear: slowly take off my iPod, carefully wrap the headphone cords around it, and fling it at the nearest beat-boxing knob end.

    Via Towleroad.

    Commentarium (8 Comments)

    Apr 05 10 - 4:32pm
    Ben Reininga

    Worse than Mariachis. I've never seen a subway Mariachi band with the smug self-satisfaction that comes from college a-capella.

    Apr 05 10 - 4:40pm
    Dan

    I'm with James, this is the lamest group of human beings alive. Look how annoyed the little girl is. She's three and she has more sense than this.

    Apr 05 10 - 6:29pm
    marf

    Call me a cynical NYer, but I hate when other people play DJ on the subway when I just wanna check out and read. Leave that stuff for the station where it's at least voluntary as to how close you wanna be to the "action".

    Apr 05 10 - 6:42pm
    acappella alum

    more importantly, they're really bad.

    Apr 05 10 - 8:16pm
    jt

    OK... at first I was all, "You're being too harsh!" But then I listened to it and quickly changed my mind. It would be more amusing/entertaining if they were actually GOOD. Instead they really suck. I'd be off that train in a hot second. Usually, I'm rather wistful for a city where people actually preform on the subway. I think it's fun and you NEVER see that on the subway where I live where even the homeless people generally ignore you.

    Apr 05 10 - 10:48pm
    claire

    if i were on the subway and some goons from out of town pulled this stunt, there is no end to the amount of ire i would fling their way. Nothing says "I'm the worst tourist in the world!" than advertising it on public transit.

    Apr 06 10 - 8:13am
    Luke

    This makes me think of SNL when Zach Efron was on it and did that skit where he had gone back to the High School Musical high school after graduation, and tried unsuccessfully to explain to his school that spontaneously breaking into song in public is actually freakish behavior.

    Apr 09 10 - 3:49pm
    sd

    Bad, holy crap that was painful. How could they make the long train ride home from work even worse for these poor people? What were they thinking? Torture, is what it is.