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December 24, 2006
Christmas Elf Influences Old-School Rapper
I remember the first time I saw Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, almost 20 years ago; I was immediately drawn to that clock he had hanging around his neck. (I was actually smacked in the face by his clock in the front row of a Public Enemy concert in 1991, but that's another story.) At the time it seemed liked an original fashion statement, but I just realized this evening he was actually ripping off the Christmas elf Jingle from the Rankin-Bass TV special, The Year Without a Santa Claus. See for yourself.
And all this time I thought it was Flav who was setting the trend. Poser.
Meanwhile, powerful pop cultural influence emanated from other Rankin Bass cartoons, too.
Rudolph's Shiny New Year may be the dumbest of all the Rankin Bass xmas specials, but Slash might never have donned that hat if it weren't for that itinerant brat. And don't tell me all those islands they visit didn't have a direct influence on the folks behind Second Life. -andy
Posted by acarvin at December 24, 2006 9:46 PM
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