Welcome back to our series Rembert Explains the '80s. Every so often, we'll e-mail 25-year-old Rembert Browne a video from the 1980s that he hasn't seen. Rembert will write down his thoughts as he's watching the video, then we'll post those thoughts here. This week's installment was spotted on a blog post on Missinfo.tv: Will Smith rapping on Tim Westwood's N Sign Radio Night Network in 1989. If you have an idea for a future episode of Rembert Explains the '80s, send snail mail to Rikers or e-mail us at hollywood@grantland.com.
Welcome back to our series Rembert Explains the '80s. Every so often, we'll e-mail 25-year-old Rembert Browne a video from the 1980s that he hasn't seen. Rembert will write down his thoughts as he's watching the video, then we'll post those thoughts here. This week's installment was suggested by EVERYONE: "The Safety Dance" (long version) by Men Without Hats. If you have an idea for a future episode of Rembert Explains the '80s, e-mail us at hollywood@grantland.com.
Grantland's Rembert Browne is 25 years old and did not experience the '80s. To educate him from time to time, Bill Simmons shows him clips from YouTube in a series oddly titled "Rembert Explains." Sometimes the clips aren't even from the '80s, they're just insane — like this one, the actual music video for the Tommy Seebach Band's song "Apache."
Welcome back to our series Rembert Explains the '80s. Every so often, we'll e-mail 25-year-old Rembert Browne a video from the 1980s that he hasn't seen. Rembert will write down his thoughts as he's watching it, then we'll post those thoughts here. This week's installment was selected by Grantland editor-in-chief Bill Simmons: "Say Say Say" by Michael Jackson and Sir Paul McCartney. If you have an idea for a future episode of Rembert Explains the '80s, e-mail us at hollywood@grantland.com.
Rembert's Note: I know this song, because it was on Thriller, but the only thing I think I remember about the video is that there was a bank robbery. And maybe face paint?
0:04 Why is that white lady shouting? Why?
0:09 Oh hi, Sir Paul McCartney. Why is he looking so Grapes of Wrath-y right now? Dude was in The Beatles.
0:15 Sir Paul is slanging "wonder potion" at all these sad, downtrodden people. Seems rude.
Editor's Note: Welcome back to our series Rembert Explains the '80s. Every so often, we'll e-mail 24-year-old Rembert Browne a video from the 1980s that he hasn't seen. Rembert will write down his thoughts as he's watching it, then we'll post those thoughts here. This week's installment, unlike any other, was selected by Rembert Browne. The selection: Don Cornelius' first and only trip dancing down the Soul Train line he created. If you have an idea for a future episode of Rembert Explains the '80s, e-mail us at hollywood@grantland.com
When told the news that Soul Train creator Don Cornelius passed Wednesday morning, I was thrown for a loop. Here I was, 10 minutes into my awake Black History Month, mourning the death of a pioneer. After sitting there for a few minutes, I considered what he meant to me and began writing down a few words. Even though I have strong feelings for the man, it didn't feel right for me to pen anything substantial. He was my guy, but I'm simply too young for him to truly be my guy. Over the course of the day, people who lived through the hey-day of Soul Train came out with statements, all of which were poignant and all of which supported my belief that I should keep my mouth shut and just respectfully observe.
