Kim Jong Il’s Death Sparks Interest in ‘Team America’
Andrew Sullivan‘s posting of Team America’s depiction of a puppet Kim Jong Il singing “I’m So Ronery” naturally sent me to look for other snippets from the flick. Apparently, I’m not the only one. NY Daily News (“‘Team America: World Police’ surges as Twitter topic following Kim Jong Il’s death“):
The death of Kim Jong Il has brought renewed interest in the North Korean dictator’s most high-profile performance on this side of the Pacific — as a singing puppet in “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 2004 comedy “Team America: World Police.” The marionette movie became a high-trending Twitter topic almost immediately after North Korean television announced Sunday night that the country’s “Supreme Leader” had died of a heart attack in Pyongyang at the age of 69. “I will remember Kim Jong Il by observing 90 minutes of silence while I watch ‘Team America: World Police’ this weekend,” tweeted @imagethief. The movie pits a covert team of U.S. military puppets against some of the world’s dictators — including a piano-playing Kim, who croons the politically incorrect song “I’m So Ronery.” “Kim Jong Il, Colonel Gaddafi, Osama bin Laden & Saddam Hussein all dead within the last 5 years. Conclusive proof that Team America exists,” posted FourFourTom.
I am aware of all internet traditions, and this is among its finest. So, too, are jokes that inevitably follow such occasions.
- Roger Simon: “Letterman always said Kim Jong-il would be succeeded by his son, Menta Lee-il.”
- Brian Beutler: “Shouldn’t Kim Jong Il be replaced by Kim Jong the Third?”
- “Rick Perry & Michele Bachmann SCRAMBLING to find out who Kim Jong Il was.” – Rob Delaney
- “Kim Jong il is dead. Looks like his Korea is over.” – Sickipediabot
Oh, here’s a montage of all the Kim Jong Il scenes from “Team America.” Probably not safe for work.
Josh Trevino’s observation that Hitchens and Havel got to choose who would complete their death-triad strikes me as an excellent observation.
Let’s not forget Margaret Cho’s appearance as Kim on 30 Rock.
“North Korea, everything sunny all the time, always. Good time, beach party.”
Just noting: OTB at 8:51 am vs. Sully at 10:41 am