I read the fourth panel as being an extremely specific Instruction: "How to Deal with the Little Things That Don't Really Bother You, John Mellencamp."
My browser suggests 'Encampment' and 'Mellicent' in place of Mellencamp.
:o Its like we're twins, only I have hair: I also loathe John Melanomas, and "pet peeve" and "meta" - also add to that list "pro-active", "future-proof" and "paradigm".
I spent half my life in southern Indiana. One time, getting ice cream with a friend, some old guy we didn't know came over and sat near us and told us that John Cougar Mellencamp had just gotten ice cream here. That was his big-ass black SUV that had just driven off outside. He seemed to think that (A) we didn't know who John Cougar Mellencamp was, and (B) that we should be giddy with delight that our paths had crossed with his.
I told the old guy that we knew who he was and just didn't like his music much. He left us, determined to spread the gospel of John Cougar Mellencamp's descent upon us little common folk at the Jiffy Treat to other nonbelievers.
I'm just saying: if you ever do want to fix this whole "John Mellencamp doesn't know I exist" thing? I know where he gets his ice cream.
What St. Chris said is true. He actually told them NOT to change his name, but they wanted something flashy and catchy and knew better than he did what he wanted. They also had a lot of control over what he would record. He was not happy. As long as the powers that be had the rights, he was building an identity with his fans. That's why as soon as he got rights to himself again he began the process of going to his real name with John Cougar Mellencamp.
Sorry Scott. You've been hating all this time for nothing. Sorry, I mean loathing.
Love the last panel. The alternate conversation could also be, "I really dislike John Mellencamp" -- reply being, "That's odd, he's always said nice things about you."
The song "Small Town" ranks second after Madonna's "you're An Angel" for most gratuitous repetition of a lame-ass phrase. By the time you've heard either one once through (such as if it's your boss's radio) you've heard it thirty times as many times as you could have ignored, and your last nerve is bleeding.
That's funny about the spellcheck. I have a similar story - My son's name is Devon, and my mother's email spellcheck kept trying to change it to 'demon'.
There's nothing more satisfying in life than talking smack about people you don't like. That is unless it's talking smack to your friends. It's uber fun.
I bet you really like Johnny Cougar Mellencamp, you just weren't born a small town and didn't get to live in a little pink house and don't know about blood on the scarecrow or blood on the plow., but life goes on, long after the thrill of livin is gone.
I have a similar kind of loathing towards George Thorogood.
I listen to "Bad to the Bone," and hear him say "I broke a thousand hearts, before I met you. I'll break a thousand more, baby, before I am through." Yet, in the very next line, he says "I wanna be yours, pretty baby, yours and yours alone."
So which is it, George? Are you gonna be a bad-to-the-bone heartbreaker, wooing thousands upon thousands of women? Or are you gonna be faithful to your proverbial 'baby'? Make up your goddamn mind!
See, this is why I read Basic Instructions: to learn stuff. I mean, I'm okay at the "don't pet the sweaty stuff/don't sweat the petty stuff" part, but I had no idea about the history of John Mellencamp's stage and given names! I just know that I waited eagerly at every birthday skating party from 3rd-5th grade (at my own small town's roller rink) for "Jack and Diane" to come on so that I could simultaneously fantasize about and eye-roll at the notion of having one's "hand between her knees."
Also, I wonder if being unable to stand the phrase "pet peeve" is more "meta" or should be considered "recursive."
I've seen oddly ranting postings by many a fanboi in my life...apple fanbois, ms fanbois, google fanbois, the list goes on and on...but I think this is the first time I've seen such fanboi-ism over John Mellencamp. Today is a strange day indeed.
Little known fact: in those early days of primitive personal computers, spelcheckers read John Mellencamp as Johnny Cougar... It was all Bill Gates' fault!
November 21, 2010
Reader Comments (40)
"Did you know Adobe's spell checker reads 'Mellencamp' as 'Melanomas'?"
No, but I will never, ever forget it, now. :)
You know it was his manager who promoted him as "Johnny Cougar" without asking first, right?
I'm assuming this is just the comic-strip Scott alter ego who's hating on John Mellencamp. Rocket Hat wouldn't talk this kind of trash.
I read the fourth panel as being an extremely specific Instruction: "How to Deal with the Little Things That Don't Really Bother You, John Mellencamp."
My browser suggests 'Encampment' and 'Mellicent' in place of Mellencamp.
:o Its like we're twins, only I have hair: I also loathe John Melanomas, and "pet peeve" and "meta" - also add to that list "pro-active", "future-proof" and "paradigm".
Panel 4 has so many real-world applications. I... I'm paralyzed with options! ;)
True, as Rocket Hat wouldn't talk at all.
lemme tell you a few things about man of the people millyunair Broooossss Springsteen
Is that "Rage-Face" (pic.3) new? Can'T remeber seeing this kind of raw hatr.... loathing before.
I spent half my life in southern Indiana. One time, getting ice cream with a friend, some old guy we didn't know came over and sat near us and told us that John Cougar Mellencamp had just gotten ice cream here. That was his big-ass black SUV that had just driven off outside. He seemed to think that (A) we didn't know who John Cougar Mellencamp was, and (B) that we should be giddy with delight that our paths had crossed with his.
I told the old guy that we knew who he was and just didn't like his music much. He left us, determined to spread the gospel of John Cougar Mellencamp's descent upon us little common folk at the Jiffy Treat to other nonbelievers.
I'm just saying: if you ever do want to fix this whole "John Mellencamp doesn't know I exist" thing? I know where he gets his ice cream.
What St. Chris said is true. He actually told them NOT to change his name, but they wanted something flashy and catchy and knew better than he did what he wanted. They also had a lot of control over what he would record. He was not happy. As long as the powers that be had the rights, he was building an identity with his fans. That's why as soon as he got rights to himself again he began the process of going to his real name with John Cougar Mellencamp.
Sorry Scott. You've been hating all this time for nothing. Sorry, I mean loathing.
uh oh, you are in trouble now Scott.
@ St. Chris
He didn't seem to object to taking all that pop music money.
It's true Rocket Hat wouldn't speak that way. But Rocket Hat has yet to speak in any strip.
I've always hated the word 'pet peeves' also so, hey, moment of solidarity there.
Love the last panel. The alternate conversation could also be, "I really dislike John Mellencamp" -- reply being, "That's odd, he's always said nice things about you."
Hah, I also dislike the term "pet peeves"! Pet peeves are stupid and the term is stupid too!
Well ain't that America.
The song "Small Town" ranks second after Madonna's "you're An Angel" for most gratuitous repetition of a lame-ass phrase. By the time you've heard either one once through (such as if it's your boss's radio) you've heard it thirty times as many times as you could have ignored, and your last nerve is bleeding.
That's funny about the spellcheck. I have a similar story - My son's name is Devon, and my mother's email spellcheck kept trying to change it to 'demon'.
He released six albums under the name "John Cougar." I'm guessing he had figured out what was going on by the fourth album, at least. ;)
Rocket Hat doesn't talk any kind of trash, actually.
Rocket Hat wouldn't talk any kind of trash.
My pet peeve is that lately your characters seem to be singing their dialog, e.g., Panel 1.
Much like John Cougar.
There's nothing more satisfying in life than talking smack about people you don't like. That is unless it's talking smack to your friends. It's uber fun.
I bet you really like Johnny Cougar Mellencamp, you just weren't born a small town and didn't get to live in a little pink house and don't know about blood on the scarecrow or blood on the plow., but life goes on, long after the thrill of livin is gone.
It's the little things that piss me off.
I have a similar kind of loathing towards George Thorogood.
I listen to "Bad to the Bone," and hear him say "I broke a thousand hearts, before I met you. I'll break a thousand more, baby, before I am through." Yet, in the very next line, he says "I wanna be yours, pretty baby, yours and yours alone."
So which is it, George? Are you gonna be a bad-to-the-bone heartbreaker, wooing thousands upon thousands of women? Or are you gonna be faithful to your proverbial 'baby'? Make up your goddamn mind!
the phrase "pet peeves" really bothers me as well!
I hate "that phrase" too. Specifically, I hate the word "p##v#." And why is it always modified by "pet"?
I don't care that much for most of John Mellancamp's songs, but Human Wheels was amazingly good.
I hate overly repetitive songs. Bon Jovi ranks in my "no, no, not that band!" list for some of their crimes in repetition.
I always think "pet peeve" is kinda funny. But that's just me.
@ AngelKing4t7:
I suspect that rather than being indecisive, that George Thoroughgood might be being (*gasp*) dishonest when he sings that line...
he is, after all, Bad to the Bone...
See, this is why I read Basic Instructions: to learn stuff. I mean, I'm okay at the "don't pet the sweaty stuff/don't sweat the petty stuff" part, but I had no idea about the history of John Mellencamp's stage and given names! I just know that I waited eagerly at every birthday skating party from 3rd-5th grade (at my own small town's roller rink) for "Jack and Diane" to come on so that I could simultaneously fantasize about and eye-roll at the notion of having one's "hand between her knees."
Also, I wonder if being unable to stand the phrase "pet peeve" is more "meta" or should be considered "recursive."
I've seen oddly ranting postings by many a fanboi in my life...apple fanbois, ms fanbois, google fanbois, the list goes on and on...but I think this is the first time I've seen such fanboi-ism over John Mellencamp. Today is a strange day indeed.
My patents used to call him John Cougar Mellonhead.
Greg - it is clearly a sign of the coming apocalypse.
The only problem I could see with burying John Cougarmellenballs in that collapsed mine in Brazil would be that he wasn't simultaneously set on fire.
How can I love both this comic and John Mellencamp? TELL ME HOWWW!!
HAhah! Awesome :) "Pet peeve" is a horrible phrase!
*Chile
(At least I got the right continent.... )
Little known fact: in those early days of primitive personal computers, spelcheckers read John Mellencamp as Johnny Cougar... It was all Bill Gates' fault!
What would you get if you summed the fake 'man of the people' pretentiousness of John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen?
Bono.
Excuse me, gotta' go: the dramamine's wearing off.