Rude by magic Magic has always captivated the human imagination with its ability to create seemingly impossible feats. From pulling rabbits out of hats to vanishing acts, magic tricks continue to entertain and amaze audiences around the world. However, not all magic tricks are polite and well-mannered; some tricks are intentionally designed to be rude and offensive. These rude magic tricks often rely on shock value and provocative content to elicit reactions from the audience. They can include acts that insult or embarrass individuals, use inappropriate language or gestures, or even involve crude and offensive props. While some people find this type of magic entertaining and humorous, others argue that it crosses the line and promotes disrespect and bullying.
In the pre-chorus, the guitars and bass have legato half notes and quarter notes while the drummer plays cross-stick eighth notes (if one is counting in a slow \(\begin4\\4\end\)). Without the snare drum backbeat, the texture lightens.
, weed, Informer by Snow, Africa by Toto, Karl Wolf s cover of Africa by Toto, Jason Mraz, Bob Marley posters, Maroon 5, Citizen Cope, and Jason Mraz. For the reasons of cultural appropriation outlined in Molanphy s article , Reggae Rock has become an inevitable part of the Billboard cycle, particularly during the summer, and this, precisely, explains why Rude has risen to the top.
While some people find this type of magic entertaining and humorous, others argue that it crosses the line and promotes disrespect and bullying. One example of a rude magic trick is the "disappearing clothes" routine, where the magician appears to make a person's clothes vanish into thin air. While this trick may seem harmless in theory, it can become disrespectful and offensive if not executed with sensitivity and consent.
On the Strange Magic of "Rude" by Magic!
One of the things that people always tell you about Los Angeles but you can never fully comprehend is how spread out everything is. I realized this by spending the past week in LA and realizing I had to take a million cabs every single day to accomplish what seemed like rudimentary tasks. In New York, if you want to go out, you have the ability to go to a million bars in one night, because lots and lots of streets have lots and lots of bars on them. In L.A., not so much. If you want to go out, you’ll probably end up taking a bunch of cabs—one from where you’re staying to where your friends are, then one to the bar, then maybe another to a different bar, then one to get some food, then one back to wherever you’re staying. And this is just at night. During my week as a Los Angeles resident, I fell under the mercy of being driven around by people who are not me, listening to the radio to fill the crushing silence that is created when you don't like meeting new people and a stranger is driving you around. Which is how I learned to love “Rude” by Magic!, the affable Canadian reggae band that currently has a comfortable stranglehold on the pop charts.
AdvertisementThough you have probably heard “Rude” a bunch of times no matter where you live, it is without a doubt the most popular song in Los Angeles. I know this because every radio station there is playing it constantly. The track gets spins on pop and adult stations, then it has a remix by Zedd that wins over the EDM stations, and, incredibly enough, there is a remix featuring Kid Ink and TY Dolla $ign that gets played on rap radio. “Rude” is inescapable, like one of those improbable diseases in a science fiction movie that’s on the brink of wiping out humanity unless Matt Damon or whoever can get the antidote from Somalia to the lab in Boston without the evil corporation stopping him first. Don’t get me wrong—I fucking love “Rude.” It’s catchy and goofy and I love how it lazily rolls into itself rather than just jumping in and assaulting your ears. It’s sneaky. It’s like Brian, your one friend who passed out on your couch one night, then did it again the next weekend but stayed over for two nights, and again three nights the next week, and before you know it he’s basically a bonus roommate. And just like you can either hate Brian for having moved in without your consent or love him for being all endearing and doing the dishes and cleaning after the party, it’s easier to love him. Because just like Brian, “Rude” ain’t going anywhere for a while.
If you have heard “Rude” once, you know its plot: Boy meets girl, boy wants to marry girl, boy asks girl’s father’s permission to marry girl, father denies said permission probably because he doesn’t want his daughter shacking up with the lead singer of a Canadian reggae band, boy asks why father’s gotta be so rude, then announces that he and girl are going to get married anyway and the dad can go fuck himself. As far as I can tell, it contains zero metaphors, unless the song’s hero marrying the daughter despite understanding that he’s actually accomplished nothing in the long-term is an allegory for Obama’s bombing of ISIS.
AdvertisementIf I had to come up with a list of things that we, as a culture, could blame for “Rude” and Magic! as a whole, it would read as such: Canada, third wave ska, 311, Fugazi (who allowed 311 to open up for them at their first show), O.A.R., A.O.R., weed, “Informer” by Snow, “Africa” by Toto, Karl Wolf’s cover of “Africa” by Toto, Jason Mraz, Bob Marley posters, Maroon 5, Citizen Cope, and Jason Mraz. But Magic! would not exist without The Police. Despite the list of cultural factors that led to Magic! hypothetically being brought into existence, the band has claimed The Police as their sole influence. On their recently released record Don't Kill the Magic, the band proves so good at ripping The Police off that they make everything Sting and company did from Zenyatta Mondatta and before sound like amateurish piffle. It’s not that Magic! are that good, it’s just that The Police were three dudes who, after years of practice, stumbled into sounding like our popular conception of what “The Police” sound like (reggae-lite rhythms, bouncy WHOA-OH choruses, dumb spirituality from the lead singer, etc.). Magic! are trying to sound like “The Police” on purpose.
As such, “Rude” is simultaneously the greatest song of all time and the worst. It is completely toothless and utterly shameless, the result of the entirety of humanity waking up one day and saying, “Know what? We haven’t had a Canadian reggae song in a while” and then manifesting Nasri, Magic!’s doofy human man-bun of a frontman who’s penned songs for Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Akon, Jason Derulo, The Wanted, and Michael Fucking Bolton. The guy’s an absolute mercenary—his songs are stuffed with big, dumb choruses and more hooks than a room with Velcro carpet. The first time you listen to “Rude,” you say, “……wait, this? This is the Number One song in the country?” And then it follows you everywhere, in cars and in boats and airplanes and restaurants, and you come to anticipate its little moments of tension and release, its dumb-ass plot, that ridiculous false equivalency of a chorus: “Why you gotta be so rude? Don’t you know I’m human too?” I’m not sure Magic! are human, though. They’re more like evil Canadian reggae robots.
In a way, Magic! has always existed. That they have one influence (again, The Police) is ultimately meaningless. Their archetype they fulfill remains the same, even if the actual aesthetics have shifted over time. Magic! is the next iteration of Bruno Mars, who is a one-man Maroon 5, who were themselves a streamlined version of Sugar Ray, who were little more than a Hall & Oates clone, run through whichever Instagram filter is labeled “Brad Nowell,” etc. These bands always have a frontman who’s so sexy that if you dated him you’d always bring him around your friends, but so stupid that you’d glare at him every time he talked. Bands like this are wildly popular, but don’t have “fans” per se, they just have clinically perfect pop-rock songs that become well-known, that you end up listening to in American Eagle and commercials for Nivea and shit, worm their way onto the radio and into your soul. They simplify interesting ideas and make them as palatable to as many people as possible, cramming ideas and hooks into the world’s largest can of Cheez Wiz and squirting the perfectly engineered concoction into the open, hungry mouth of Top 40 radio.
Pop hits are by their very nature are ephemeral, and though "Rude" and Magic! may very well fade into obscurity, we’ll never quite forget them. Whenever VH1 inevitably makes I Love the 2010s!, a wizened Michael Ian Black will be wheeled out to crack obvious jokes about who in “Rude” was actually being rude to whom, and we will all think about the summer of 2014, which was dominated by “Rude.” No one will talk about the shuttering of 285 Kent, no one will talk about whether or not Yung Lean is overhyped, no one will ever talk about Spoon's zillionth album being slightly better than ones before it. They will talk about Magic!, a band who dared to be so big and so bland that they ended up mattering.
Drew Millard is smokin' on that Nasri / Listenin' to Pete Tosh. He's on Twitter - @drewmillard
Simply put, I didn’t feel that the advent of this song warranted any write up whatsoever.
If the magician uses this trick to embarrass or humiliate the participant, it can create an uncomfortable and degrading experience for everyone involved. Another example is the "insult comedy" style of magic, where the magician incorporates insults and derogatory comments into their routine. These insults are often directed at audience members or volunteers who participate in the trick, intending to provoke laughter at their expense. While some spectators may find this type of humor entertaining, others may feel targeted and humiliated by the magician's words. Critics argue that rude magic tricks promote a culture of disrespect and incivility. They claim that these tricks undermine the principles of kindness and consideration that society should uphold. In a world where bullying and derogatory behavior are already prevalent, creating entertainment that reinforces these behaviors can have negative consequences. In contrast, supporters of rude magic argue that it serves as a form of satire and social commentary. They claim that these tricks challenge social norms and make people question their own biases and prejudices. By using shock value and offensive content, they argue that magicians can spark discussions about sensitive topics and provoke change. Ultimately, the debate around rude magic tricks comes down to personal preferences and values. While some may find them entertaining and thought-provoking, others may see them as disrespectful and harmful. It is essential for magicians to consider the potential impact of their tricks and ensure that they do not cross the line into offensive and hurtful territory. Magic should be a source of wonder and amazement, not a platform for rudeness and disrespect..
Reviews for "The Art of Rude: How Magic Creators Push the Boundaries of Imagination"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Rude" by Magic. The lyrics were obnoxious and offensive, and I just couldn't get past that. It seemed like the song was promoting disrespectful and rude behavior, which is not something I would ever support. The melody was catchy, but the message completely turned me off. I would not recommend this song to anyone who values respect and kindness.
2. David - 1 star - I can't believe this song was ever popular. The lyrics are cringe-worthy and the whole concept of the song is just ridiculous. It doesn't make sense to me how anyone could enjoy listening to someone sing about being rude to their lover's family. It's disrespectful and just plain wrong. I would advise anyone to steer clear of this song and set their standards a little higher.
3. Amanda - 2 stars - "Rude" by Magic is one of those songs that I just can't understand the hype around. The vocals are alright, but the lyrics are so problematic. It perpetuates a toxic and disrespectful attitude towards relationships. I can't support a song that promotes such negative behavior, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone seeking healthy and thriving relationships. There are plenty of other songs out there that are worth your time, skip this one.
4. Brian - 3 stars - While I can appreciate the catchy tune of "Rude" by Magic, I just can't get past the lyrics. The message of the song is quite problematic, promoting rude and disrespectful behavior towards someone's family just because they don't approve of the relationship. It's not a healthy or admirable approach, and I find it hard to enjoy a song with such an off-putting message. I give it a middle-of-the-road rating because the melodies are catchy, but the lyrics just ruin it for me.
5. Sarah - 1 star - I really disliked "Rude" by Magic. It's a song that promotes rude and disrespectful behavior, which is just not something I can get behind. The melody may be catchy, but the lyrics completely ruin it for me. I prefer songs that spread positivity and love, not negativity and rudeness. I would not recommend this song to anyone who values healthy relationships and respect.