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11/27: You’ve been Rick Rolled at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday, Atlanta-based Cartoon Network threw out the most random pop culture cameo.
On the float for its show “Foster’s Home For Imaginery Friends,” the characters started singing the theme song to “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” called “Best Friend” but were suddenly interrupted by an appearance by 1980s pop singer Rick Astley, who began lip-syncing his biggest hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” (All the singers lip-sync at the parade.)
After his brief performance, one of the characters Cheese shouted, “I love Rick Rolling!”
This YouTube video only captures part of it but it gives you a sense on what Astley looks like now, 20 years later:
Indeed, “Rick Rolling” over the past year has become a Web phenomenon: when someone thinks they’re going to a particular Web link, they get sent to the Astley music video instead.
“Our marketing group came up with it,” Cartoon Network spokesman Joe Swaney told me on Thanksgiving. “The Rick Astley song is about friendship, which fit with our characters. We asked if he was available. He liked the idea. We flew him in from England.”
Swaney admits that a good portion of the viewers probably had no idea why Astley was there, but “We figured, let’s let it play out. If anybody picks up on it, that’s great. Besides, there are always celebrities singing on floats. I think it’s hilarious.”
Here’s the Rick Astley video that started it all and now has 12 million-plus page views.
Comments
By Jeff
November 27, 2008 5:42 PM | Link to this
Oh I wouldn’t say that it went unnoticed. My two teenage daughters who were otherwise joking about all the other floats and bands started laughing like crazy when Rick Ansley came out. They immediately knew exactly what it was and even shouted out “They just got Rick Rolled!”
Needless to say it was the highlight of their Thanksgiving day. :)
By Derek
November 27, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this
I told everyone that we were rick rolled by NBC. They had no idea what I was talking about. Funny that I called it but CN pulled the stunt!!!
By Chicken
November 27, 2008 7:02 PM | Link to this
That was so epic
By David
November 27, 2008 7:52 PM | Link to this
Awesome! Now back to the guerilla adverts. Now THAT was hilarious!
By David
November 27, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
Awesome! Now back to the guerilla adverts. Now THAT was hilarious!
By BurbankDawg
November 27, 2008 9:49 PM | Link to this
It’d be funny if the city of Boston somehow managed to sue Cartoon Network claiming this was a Parade hoax…morons.
By Tom
November 28, 2008 11:47 PM | Link to this
As my watching of the parade was so sporadic, I didn’t realize Cartoon Network was hosting the float - but seeing Rick Astley made me smile. My son seemed to get the joke too.
It’s good to see he’s being a good sport about it - I’ve heard in the past he was kinda annoyed by it but I guess when a phenomenon transcends the Internet into the real world you can’t stand in the way.
A classic internet comic about Rick Astley being rick-rolled: XKCD: Trolled
By Bud
November 29, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Well…if there was any doubt, it can be put to rest…the RickRoll has officially jumped the shark.