La lettera di MCA al New York Times

Adam Yauch, aka MCA, fondatore dei Beastie Boys, ha tristemente lasciato questa terra all’età di 47 anni il 4 maggio scorso. Questo lo sappiamo tutti. Quello che molti non sanno è che MCA, oltre a essere un cantante, era anche video maker. Nello specifico, sotto il bucolico pseudonimo di Nathanial Hornblower, è stato il direttore dei video del suo stesso gruppo. Uno di questi, Ch-Check It Out, finì (era il 2004) nel mirino della giornalista del New York Times Stephanie Zacharek, che lo stroncò (purtroppo il video è bloccato in Italia, ma la recensione è disponibile qui). La risposta è ovviamente affidata all’esilarante penna di Hornblower, ed ecco cosa ne viene fuori (conserviamo la versione originale per mantenere intatto il quoziente comico, ma vi aiutiamo: quel “curried” è una svista voluta, e sta per “carried”, ossia trasportata):

One Goat, on Account

To the Editor:

I had the great pleasure of reading your unsolicited critique of the “Ch-Check It Out” music video [“Licensed to Stand Still” by Stephanie Zacharek, May 16]. It took some time to get to me, as it had to be curried (sp?) on goatback through the fjords of my homeland, the Oppenzell. And in the process the goat died, and then I had to give the mailman one of my goats, so remember, you owe me a goat.

Anyway, that video is big time good. Pauline Kael is spinning over in her grave. My film technique is clearly too advanced for your small way of looking at it. Someday you will be yelling out to the streets below your windows: “He is the chancellor of all the big ones! I love his genius! I am the most his close personal friend!”

You journalists are ever lying. I remember people like you laughing at me at the university, and now they are all eating off of my feet. You make this same unkind laughter at the Jerry Lewis for his Das Verruckte Professor and now look, he is respected as a French-clown. And you so-call New York Times smarties are giving love to the U2 because they are dressing as the Amish and singing songs about America? (Must I dress as the Leprechaun to sing songs about Ireland so that you will love me? You know the point I make here is true!)

In concluding, “Ch-Check It Out” is the always best music film and you will be realizing this too far passing. As ever I now wrap my dead goat carcass in the soiled New York Times – and you are not forgetting to buy me a replacement! Please send that one more goat to me now!

NATHANIAL HORNBLOWER

Manhattan

La Zacharek, appresa la notizia della morte di MCA, ha twittato: «I still owe him one goat, big-time».

(via Gawker)