This week a 1989 kazoo tutorial video titled "You On Kazoo" went viral all over the internet and social media. This has led me to wonder, how do these things get rediscovered after so many years? I think that many of us miss the silliness of our youth and secretly want to live life like Brett the Kazoo Kid. My curiosity has led me to analyze why this video has been a relevant feature in 2016's pop culture.
When I first encountered this video, I was very impressed with the beginning disclosure, which warns all children to move furniture to create a safe environment when playing the kazoo. At first, I thought that it was an extreme warning for this video. After viewing the full 30-minute video and seeing how it encourages kids to become more active, I realized that this disclosure was necessary. Brett invites the viewer to shake their hips, move around their living room with the kazoo still in their mouth. "You On Kazoo" is not your ordinary music tutorial video; in fact, it incorporates exercise, which brings a new twist to our current "Netflix and Chill" lifestyle.
The next scene the viewer experiences is an actual invite to "come on and play." I think the last time I heard this phrase was when I was in elementary school. People of all ages use the terms "wanna hang out" more often than using the word "play." By definition, "playing" means to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. This is especially important for college students: We need to play with each other more often. Relieve your stress and ask people to engage in a stimulating and silly activity. Just like Brett, we can be shy, but opening yourself up to new people, maybe even strangers, can lead to some amazing spontaneous interactions. So go ahead and play with strangers!
Brett struggles with some social anxiety when meeting his new friends at first. He is overwhelmed with their enthusiasm and energy. Brett's secret of being a musical prodigy appears to hold him back from joining the group. Will they accept him, or will they all go against him? I believe that many college students could relate to Brett when they first transitioned into living away from home and making new friends their freshman year. Will you be yourself and pull out your kazoo, or will you hide it in your pocket? Brett becomes bold, allows himself to play his whimsical music, and hopes that others will appreciate his uniqueness.
Opening up to someone and letting them into your life is very intimate. Brett knows that if his new friends can let him teach them how to play the kazoo, they can become special friends. What does being a special friend mean to Brett? A special friend means that you can connect to each other on an intellectual and intimate level. Here, he knows that you will understand his passion for the kazoo and respect it.
It should be noted that Brett's new friend group includes many different ethnicities, which is something that stands out greatly. Carolyn is a blonde, curly-headed girl with a pink shirt with a very interesting green leafy pattern on it. Carolyn has the most prominent voiceover in this video. To put it in a different perspective, she's the kind of girl that edits her selfies with lots of filters before she posts them on Instagram. She also is a follower and has to watch her other friends to make sure that she doesn't look stupid shaking her hips. John has dark hair and tan skin, and greets us with the word "howdy" while rocking a green tie-dye shirt. John is eager to take control, yet he does not yet understand how to do it. In fact, he didn't understand the concept of "The Land of Make-Believe" being a part of playing pretend. Hilda has super-high braids and dresses like her parents own a posh vintage clothing shop. She's not afraid to let loose and whip her hair back and forth. One should strive to be a Hilda. Jonathan is very excited to begin dancing, but he also has a sense of judgement. During the singing of the "You Can Do It, Just Kazoo It" song, when his other friends get out of hand, he begins to question his actions. Carl is an enthusiast ginger, that I hope has applied many layers of sunscreen prior to filming this video. Carl begins to conduct his friends as they practice their kazoo song. I would assume that Carl has a sense of leadership and can some day be a kazoo instructor just like Brett. Nicole is the cool Asian that everyone wants to be friends with. Once you get her to have a little bit of fun she just wants more of it.
One of the most intriguing characters in this video is what Brett refers to as "The Pretend Spirit." At first, The Pretend Spirit sounds like he could be a villain and mislead the children away from The Land of Make Believe. I personally think that The Pretend Spirit (TPS) acts as the voice inside Brett's head. The Pretend Spirit is like an imaginary friend that Brett often visits. Brett wants to share another secret with his new friend group by introducing them to his imaginary friend. When Brett and his friends reach the house of TPS, the door is a giant rock that they must remove. Brett displays his leadership skills by motivating everyone to not quit and to keep persevering. Although the invisible rock does not move, the fact that they are all working together to accomplish a task (invisible or not) proves a great point. When working together to reach a goal, someone has to step up to be a motivator and try not to be a follower. We can all learn from this lesson. On a side note, The Pretend Spirit reminded me of that voice inside your head when you go out on the weekends and you have to act sober. You might need TPS to get home safely.
The final scene of "You On Kazoo" bids farewell to your kazoo adventure. This farewell song can be compared to the relevance of playing "Closing Time" at the end of a fraternity party. We had fun, we sang, we danced, and now we need to grab our special friends and roll out.
