A round-up of this week’s news stories, including Trump’s town-hall sing-along, steel-conker-related drama at the World Conker Championships and the AI dodo voice at Cambridge University. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
We learned this week that the hefty chorus of musicians who have dispatched cease and desist letters to Donald Trump vis a vis playing their songs at his weird rallies has been joined by Rufus Wainwright.
We learn specifically that Wainwright was displeased by the inclusion of his version of Leonard Cohen's fine but frankly overcovered him Hallelujah.
In the playlist for recent Trump town hall session in the Pennsylvania settlement of Oaks and had expressed his displeasure.
Thus, as will now be read by Monocle's ceasing and desisting desk chief Fernando.
Augusto Pacheco, witnessing Trump and his supporters community's music last night was the height of blasphemy.
Of course I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen's masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he's caused.
I'm not holding my breath.
We learned when we examined the matter further that Wainwright's version of Hallelujah had merely been one part of the soundtrack of what may have been Trump's oddest campaign event yet, a superlative which we are well aware is akin to declaring some or other body of water the world's wettest.
We learned that Trump had first decided to repurpose the conclave as some sort of school disco.
Let's not do any more question, just listen to music.
Let's make it into our music.
Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?
And then the foreign president decided that the thing that he would do instead of continuing to answer questions, would be to start calling out songs that he would want played.
But it went on for 39 minutes of Donald Trump calling out songs and dancing, and people in the crowd seemed to be somewhat confused.
Although in fairness, being somewhat confused is prerequisite for attending a Trump event in the first place.
Am I right?
Anyway, we learned when we reviewed the footage further that Trump had spent that figure again 39 minutes, wobbling, bobbling and waddling about like a drunk pigeon to a selection including but not limited to this though her estate had told him not to this though they told him to stop and it's hard to hold.
A candle in the guilt.