"R U Professional" is a satirical electropop song by the American indie rock band the Mae Shi (pictured), inspired by a July 2008 outburst by actor Christian Bale on the set of Terminator Salvation. Bale was filming with actress Bryce Dallas Howard when he berated the director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, for walking into his line of sight. After an audio recording of the incident appeared on the website TMZ, the Mae Shi recorded their song, releasing it on YouTube and via download on MediaFire the next day, February 3, 2009. The song samples Bale's voice, repeating the word "professional" in the chorus. The lyrics reference several films the actor starred in, including Newsies, Swing Kids, American Psycho, and The Dark Knight. "R U Professional" attracted a generally positive reception by reviewers, and was praised as an effective parody. MTV compared its style to that of new wave groups like Devo, and the Los Angeles Times described it as a lively pop music tribute to the actor. El País noted that the song contributed to the viral spread of Bale's outburst online.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_U_Professional
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1637:
The contract prices of rare tulip bulbs in the Dutch Republic, which had been steadily climbing for three months, abruptly dropped, marking the decline of tulip mania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania
1807:
Napoleonic Wars: The United Kingdom captured Montevideo, now the capital of Uruguay, from the Spanish Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montevideo
1913:
The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, allowing the US Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on census results. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
1967:
Ronald Ryan became the last person to be legally executed in Australia, sparking public protests across the country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Ryan
1989:
Alfredo Stroessner, whose rule as President of Paraguay for 35 years was marked by uninterrupted repression in his country, was overthrown in a military coup by Andrés Rodríguez. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Stroessner
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
twee: (Britain, pejorative) Overly quaint, dainty, cute or nice. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/twee
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating. --Simone Weil https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil