Karaoke @#$^(&

I recently traveled to the Island (St. Vincent) and learnt something interesting about Karaoke. In the first place, whoever came up with the idea that everyone, including those people who sound like my grandmother’s dying dog, can actually sing just because they think they sound like Pavarotti in their showers? My belief is there needs to be a “mercy” rule where the crowd can cut the song off (or the real singer rises from his grave) and grab the mic and use it to clobber the Karaoke singers. Imagine what the composers and singers think when their songs are being butchered in front of a crowd of drunken businessmen.

I was told that Karaoke comes from “carry a key”. Well, let me tell you, that night in a quiet bar on a roof top in St. Vincent there was not a lot of carrying going on. The first girl to sing was so off-key that the DJ “accidentally” (right) shut off the power and blamed it on the rain. I totally understand now why there is drinking going on with this past-time.
My first take was that the people needed to lose their inhibitions and get the guts to go up and sing. However, now I really understand: it’s for the listeners so we don’t have to hear the off-key singers. Sort of like being the last guy in the bar and the girl who would never catch your eye under normal circumstances after 10 drinks is looking really attractive (so what she is missing some teeth and has a stump foot). The drinking is definitely for the benefit of the listeners.