Those who have known me for any length of time, know that about this time of year I post an annual rant on the Alternative Minimum Tax. While I still think the parents of those who thought up this horrible money grab should be shot, this year there will be no rant. Why? Because this year, I managed to avoid its sinister snare because of the downturned economy.
So, in place of yelling and shaking my fist in anger, I offer the most popular YouTube video this week. It is the inmates from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), Filipino, Philippines. These are the same guys who did a Michael Jackson “Thriller” video several years ago. The difference between the earlier video and this one, is that Sony sponsored this one (note the tee-shirts the inmates are wearing and the obvious higher production values) for the Michael Jackson “This Is It” movie.
The song the prisoners are dancing to is “They Don’t Care About Us,” which Sony released from the rehearsal video to prove that Jackson was fit and involved in his comeback tour before his death in June 2009, despite rumors to the contrary. Jackson’s choreographer, Travis Payne, leads the prisoners in the dance.
What I find funny, is that Jackson originally had the idea to shoot the 1996 video for this song in a prison. That video is here. MTV wouldn’t air the video forcing Jackson to reshoot the video in Brazil, surrounded by kids. And make no bones about it, 14 years later the Jackson prison video is still ahead of its time. Anyway, enjoy the dancing inmates. I suspect Jackson would have.