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What do you do when you’re a has-been band that needs to wear weird headgear for people to recognize you? If you’re Devo you sell out by doing Swiffer Wet Jet commercials. And when that’s done you insult Sarah Palin. Devo has long talked about the theory of “de-evolution”, and in a recent interview they state that Sarah Palin’s popularity is proof of that theory.
One wonders what “evolved” humans like Devo believe. Perhaps in their world it’s okay when the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Department of Treasury report soaring deficits. Our national debt isn’t going to be the end of us—it’s just “evolving.” Likewise, universal truths and rights aren’t enshrined in the Constitution; it too “evolves,” (preferably to a New Wave soundtrack).
Spinner magazine’s Mike Doherty must really like Devo, because the tried-and-true method for any liberal past their prime is to screech about the conservative target de rigueur. Searching for relevance? Today’s target is Sarah Palin. Asked about Palin’s bus tour, Devo’s Gerald Casale replied:
Say no more. We rest our case. We’ve often said this, but if somebody in 1980 with a crystal ball had showed you the world in 2011, you would have thought it was a cheap, B-movie sci-fi dystopia that would in fact never happen, and dismissed it. Now it’s here, in all of its horror. You talk about stupid, you can’t beat Sarah Palin!
Sarah Palin travels around the United States, speaking extemporaneously on a number of public policy issues. She does so, knowing that the media is recording every word—waiting for her to slip up—so that they can push the perception of her as a dolt through yet another news cycle. Devo? They have “Whip It” on constant rotation for friendly audiences looking to relive the 80’s, if only for a few hours. And why wouldn’t they? The 80’s were a great time. Ronald Reagan was busy getting the economy back on track, winning the Cold War, and rebuilding the military so it could be prepared for the wars of the 21st century. Critics called him stupid too—and then the Berlin Wall came down.
According to Devo, human evolution peaked, “right after the A-bomb, a last hurrah.” That’s interesting, considering some of the gems that took place in the decades that followed. I’d ask Devo if they thought the Great Society and the “War on Poverty” were the marks of enlightened men, or if they just contributed to burning down the house?
Everyone knows who Sarah Palin is. Devo? They’re lucky if someone confuses them with The Talking Heads, which is why they’re relegated to taking pot shots at her in online Canadian magazines.
Good luck on that new album, guys. If you want some exposure maybe you should consider opening up for Sarah Palin.
Douglas Ernst Blog 
The de-evolution is in fact the attempted erasure of the American experiment by Hussein Obama, specifically the re-instatement of monarchal England’s system of patronage and serfdom. Obamacare is but the first salvo in this destruction: take a system that, for all its flaws, works beautifully for 270 million Americans, and put it in the hands of Manchurian bureaucrats who will sell access to a small elite of friends and sycophants who are ‘in favor” while the rest of us wait in line for care. 1640 here we come.
I am writing a piece on this presently.
Can’t wait to give it a read. My favorite is when you pick a columnist and systematically tear them to shreds, line by line… You’ve had a couple classics.
I’ve found these one-trick ponies pretentious and tedious ever since they hit the music scene. (Yes, I’m that elderly.)
The only performance that used to annoy me more than “Whip It” was by the clown who sang that ridiculous “Here in My Car.”
— dan
Dan, you’re not elderly! At worst, you’re “seasoned.” Thanks for the comment. If there are ever any other pretentious liberal bands you’d like me to cover let me know and I’ll try and figure something out for you.
TEATARDS ARE WHACK JOBS! OBAMA 012! WE ARE IN DEBT BECAUSE OF BUSH..PERIOD! GET THE F**K OUT OF OUR COUNTRY LOSERS!
OBAMA 2012 I MEANT…
These two comments are perhaps the greatest that have ever been posted on this blog, but for all the wrong reasons. Thank you, Darryl. Thank you more than you can ever know.
Anyone who uses non-existent words like “teatards” and thinks that George W. Bush (who has been out of office since 2009) is responsible for the current debt crisis have disqualified themselves from intelligent discourse. And typing in all caps? Must be a fan of Dan Slott’s.