Yma Sumac or Nina Hagen?? - Beyond Tiki

F Formikahini Tiki Socialite Houston, Texotica Joined: Aug 22, 2002 Posts: 1515	F Formikahini Posted posted on Fri, May 28, 2004 12:31 AM Anybody ever see Tom Rubnitz's video "Made For TV", essentially, channel-surfing on cable? It was obviously when the ability to do so was still failrly novel, so he made a video of a small sampling or two of every channel out there, as though someone were hitting the remote after a few seconds on each channel. The catch was: every single actress AND actor you saw was actually Ann Magnuson (of Bongwater fame, plus numerous supercool movie and TV roles). It was GENIUS. She was soap operas, televangelist ("Tammy Jan"), commercials, talk shows, Telemundo, game shows, and - bring it back to the topic - MTV. The "MTV" segment was of "Lina Hagendazovitch," with her song "Scream Queen." She was a perfect blend of Nina AND Lena, writhing around a cemetery in a long white gown with even longer black braids and stark black eyeliner. The song was, of course, super operatic highs and growly lows - argueably full-on Yma, with Germanic undertones. Here's a Googled item on it: MADE FOR TV 1984, color and b&w, 15:15 Rubnitz's award-winning collaboration with Ann Magnuson, who is featured in dozens of cameos that highlight the stereotyped representation of women on television. "[In] Made For TV Tom Rubnitz created a television video about television. Punctuated by the static of purported channel hopping, it is a 15-minute portrait of pop American culture. "As the screen flickers from channel to channel, the actress Ann Magnuson appears as a teary television missionary appealing for money, as a newscaster with an almost plastic face, as a mad grotesque romping through a cemetery in a rock video and as a sincere drinker of great coffee." (The New York Times) I'd kill to see the piece again. Not sure Lena/Nina would enjoy being called "a mad grotesque," though. Incidentally, you can see the director Rubnitz in the B-52's Love Shack video (which also featured RuPaul, then just a "Superstar!"). He's the one veeeeery sloooowly shaking the cocktail shaker. I think he directed this video, too. It was also he who did another piece on "Wigstock" (the first video on it), plus another amazing one on "Frieda," a giant Barbie - well, actually, a girl wearing a full-sized Barbie you-can-style-her-hair head, on top of her own head. The effect was a VERY tall Barbie with pretty narrow shoulders. Anyway, "Barbie" becomes a huge singing star with her hit song (lifted straight off a Playschool 45 single), "My Mother Has a Housecoat." There are scenes with her in discos, with ABBA's "Dancing Queen" as her own soundtrack. Lotsa ABBA, as I remember. She falls in love with a guy with a similar guy-doll head on top of his head. We all said it looked just like David Byrne. [ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-05-28 08:09 ]

Anybody ever see Tom Rubnitz's video "Made For TV", essentially, channel-surfing on cable? It was obviously when the ability to do so was still failrly novel, so he made a video of a small sampling or two of every channel out there, as though someone were hitting the remote after a few seconds on each channel. The catch was: every single actress AND actor you saw was actually Ann Magnuson (of Bongwater fame, plus numerous supercool movie and TV roles).

It was GENIUS. She was soap operas, televangelist ("Tammy Jan"), commercials, talk shows, Telemundo, game shows, and - bring it back to the topic - MTV. The "MTV" segment was of "Lina Hagendazovitch," with her song "Scream Queen." She was a perfect blend of Nina AND Lena, writhing around a cemetery in a long white gown with even longer black braids and stark black eyeliner. The song was, of course, super operatic highs and growly lows - argueably full-on Yma, with Germanic undertones.

Here's a Googled item on it:

MADE FOR TV
1984, color and b&w, 15:15
Rubnitz's award-winning collaboration with Ann Magnuson, who is featured in dozens of cameos that highlight the stereotyped representation of women on television. "[In] Made For TV Tom Rubnitz created a television video about television. Punctuated by the static of purported channel hopping, it is a 15-minute portrait of pop American culture.

"As the screen flickers from channel to channel, the actress Ann Magnuson appears as a teary television missionary appealing for money, as a newscaster with an almost plastic face, as a mad grotesque romping through a cemetery in a rock video and as a sincere drinker of great coffee." (The New York Times)

I'd kill to see the piece again.

Not sure Lena/Nina would enjoy being called "a mad grotesque," though.

Incidentally, you can see the director Rubnitz in the B-52's Love Shack video (which also featured RuPaul, then just a "Superstar!"). He's the one veeeeery sloooowly shaking the cocktail shaker. I think he directed this video, too.

It was also he who did another piece on "Wigstock" (the first video on it), plus another amazing one on "Frieda," a giant Barbie - well, actually, a girl wearing a full-sized Barbie you-can-style-her-hair head, on top of her own head. The effect was a VERY tall Barbie with pretty narrow shoulders. Anyway, "Barbie" becomes a huge singing star with her hit song (lifted straight off a Playschool 45 single), "My Mother Has a Housecoat." There are scenes with her in discos, with ABBA's "Dancing Queen" as her own soundtrack. Lotsa ABBA, as I remember. She falls in love with a guy with a similar guy-doll head on top of his head. We all said it looked just like David Byrne.

[ Edited by: Formikahini on 2004-05-28 08:09 ]

Post #93217 by Formikahini on Fri, May 28, 2004 12:31 AM

Here's a Googled item on it: