OPRAH, WHOOPI & NICOLE RICHIE’S CREEPY CONNECTION TO JORDAN PEELE’s ‘US’
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A major plot point in Jordan Peele‘s new horror blockbuster Us is the often ridiculed 1986 charity spectacle Hands Across America (HAA).
For those that have blocked it out (or weren’t born yet), HAA consisted of over 6 million people joining hands to form a human chain from coast-to-coast for 15 minutes on Sunday, May 25th, 1986, in an effort to raise money to stop hunger.
Due to the success of celebrity benefit singles like Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” and USA For Africa’s “We Are the World,” HAA organizers tried to drum up publicity for the flash mob by creating a theme song in a similar vein.
But while Band Aid & USA For Africa featured A-list talent like Sting, Bono, George Michael, Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen, the HAA anthem only managed to cull together studio session singers, the New Jersey Mass Choir and a few members of Toto (cue”Africa” & “Rosanna“), who were then credited as Voices of America.
Although the song only reached #65 on the Billboard charts, a freaking amazing music video was made with some of the biggest celebs of the day singing along to the the track’s ridiculously basic & sappy lyrics.
Included in the patriotic gem were Oprah, Barbra Streisand, Robin Williams with C3PO, Miami Vice stars Don Johnson & Philip Michael Thomas, a four-year-old Nicole Richie and, believe it or not, Andy Warhol.
Now whether or not you’ve already figured out all the easter eggs, metaphors and symbolism in Us, the HAA music video stands on its own as an underated goldmine of glorious ’80s cringe that you simply have to see/re-watch to believe AND to spot the 31 celebrity cameos.
WARNING: YOU CANNOT UNSEE THIS VIDEO
ICONIC.
Now please take another moment to honor the sacrifices of this random assortment of celebrities, who, despite their best intentions, paid a price for unknowingly serving SNL digital short realness in this glorious video masterpiece. #haaHaaHAA
1. Kenny Rogers
This video was such a turkey that five years later the country singer got the idea to launch Kenny Rogers Roasters. In 1998, the company filed for bankruptcy.
2. Don Johnson & Philip Michael Thomas
When the video was released in April 1986, Miami Vice was one of the highest-rated shows on the air. By the fall, the series plummeted to #26.
3. Michael Douglas & son Cameron Douglas
At the time, we were told no children were harmed in making this video.
4. Robin Williams & C3PO (& Candice Bergen)
The Robin, Candice and C3PO romcom was doomed from the start.
5. Diahann Carroll
Blink and you miss her! One year after Dominique Deveraux survived the Moldavian Massacre, she barely got out of this video alive.
6. Lily Tomlin
The closet makes you do terrible things.
7. Kathleen Turner
And she thought appearing in Billy Ocean’s When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going video alongside her Jewel of the Nile co-stars was a career low.
8. Yoko Ono & Sean Lennon
This is what you get for breaking up the Beatles!
9. Jane Fonda
Fonda, Raul Julia & Jeff Bridges all appear in this video, which means someone at 20th Century Fox thought it would be good press for their soon-to-be released film The Morning After. Abort!
10. Raul Julia
Gomez Addams deserved better. Snap, snap!
11. Barbra Streisand
We still need Babs to apologize for this!
12. Lady Liberty
The Statue of Liberty debuted her new & improved look after being shrouded in scaffolding for two years during renovations. This was no way to treat a lady.
13. Michael, Cameron (again), Diandra Douglas
Michael & Diandra divorced in ’95. No doubt part of her $45 million settlement was for punitive damages suffered from the video.
14. Robin Williams & C3PO again
Despite having more sexually chemistry than Mork & Mindy, there’s was the love that dare not speak its name.
15. Nicole Richie
Nicole was just trying to live the simple life of a four-year-old normal here. Later she would be notoriously undermined by Paris Hilton, heroin, a DUI, Ugg boots, & several reality shows.
16. Andy Warhol & maybe Brooke Adams (left)
Warhol was a genius & knew HAA would be an instant camp classic once the video’s 15 minutes of fame were over. Sadly, he died ten months later.
17. Whoopi Goldberg & Mickey Mouse
The EGOT winner would later go on to be contractually bound by Disney to tolerate Elisabeth Hasslebeck for six seasons on The View.
18. Alfonso Ribeiro & Drew Barrymore
Parental guidance was strongly suggested.
19. Roberta Flack & Nona Hendryx
Killing me softly with THIS song!
20. Jon Cryer
The video came out two months after Pretty in Pink‘s release. It would be another 17 years until “Duckie” found success again on Two and a Half Men.
21. Glenn Close
At this point in her career, Glenn had only lost three Academy Awards. #Cursed
22. Father Guido Sarducci
On second thought, maybe it really was a SNL digital short!
23. Mikhail Baryshnikov
More unforgivable than what he did to Carrie Bradshaw!
24. Dyan Cannon
After this video, Cannon – who was once married to Cary Grant & has received three Academy Award noms – repented by becoming a born-again Christian. SAVED!
25. Jeff Bridges
Dude, no.
26. Susan Anton
‘Memba her? While the singer/actress’ height-challenegd relationship with Dudley Moore came to end prior to this video, Anton’s most recent credit is Sharknado: The 4th Awakens. You do the math.
27. Shari Belafonte-Harper
Harry Belafonte’s daughter dropped the Harper when she divorced her ex-husband, which coincedentally was about a year after the video.
28. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s meteoric rise is historic, but the fact that her talk show was nationally syndicated just five months after agreeing to be in this music video is suspect &, quite possibly, diabolical.
29. Lily Tomlin again
Tomlin is a lesbian icon & has been absolved of any wrongdoing. Don’t @ me.
30. Kevin Bacon
On a positive note, this video does level up everyone’s six degrees of Bacon game. #FTW
31. Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas again
Crockett & Tubbs signing off. #RIP
While the HAA video may be way more frightening than anything in Us, I definitely recommend seeing it if for no other reason than to witness an amazing dual performance by Lupita Nyong’o. She’s scary good!
Hands Across America
Hands Across the land I love
United we fall
United we stand
Hands Across America
Mother and Father
Daughter and Son
Learn to live as one
I can not stop thinking again and again
How the heart of a stranger
Beats the same as a friend
Learn to love each other
See these people over there?
They are my brother and sister
When they laugh I laugh
When they cry I cry
When they need I’ll be there by their side
We are the river of hope
That runs through the valley of fear
And there is a lady whose smile shines upon us
Saying all is welcome here.
Learn to love each other
See the man over there?
He’s my brother
When he laughs I laugh
When he cries I cry
When he needs me
I’ll be right there, right by his side
The kiss never felt so sincere
Full of countless dreams
This earth, it never smelt so sweet
Cradles a song in it’s great heartbeat
Learn to love each other
See the man over there?
He’s my brother
When he laughs I laugh
When he cries I cry
When he needs me
I’ll be right there by his side
