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Don't touch that dial: Test Pattern tunes into television, movie, music and pop culture links, as well as gossip and idle chat from around the Web.

Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



Multi-link Monday

Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

I'm at the TV Critics' summer press tour in Beverly Hills starting today, so look for reports from that all week. But I won't be forgetting about our commercial contest, and here's another Multi-link Monday to start the week off right.

• The Avril Lavigne musical plagiarism scandal is nothing compared to this totally entertaining one: Did Bob Marley rip off "The Banana Splits"   (Via Metafilter. )

• Cowabunga, dudes! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles once had a magazine. Matt from X-Entertainment shares an issue online here. It was published in 1990, but really, it's as whompingly 1980s as neon leg warmers and jelly shoes.

• Retrocrush highlights the Worst 100 Cover Songs of all time. I'm thrilled that "The Brady Bunch" singing "American Pie" made the list. And yes, "Star Trek" fans, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy both show up. (Thanks to my co-worker Paige for the link!)

• I'm terrible at this cute little stickman online game, but it still fascinates me. Cute and addictive.

• This week's reader-submitted link is from Tiffanie, a very cool optical illusion.

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Comments

Bravo Retrocrush on the 100 Worst Cover Songs of All Time. They missed my nomination though. Pearl Jam's cover of (yeesh) Last Kiss really needed to be in there somewhere. Then again, since the original was nasty, perhaps there is a special category.

S. Booker, Toronto (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 10:48 AM)

Re: Marley & Banana Splits

While this was "cute" (I guess), The two melodies are NOPT exactly the same In music theory terms, The Banana Split theme does not include the IV note employed by Marley in the last phrase. Yes, it IS similar - and not identical. Any claims of melodic plagarism must involve exact matches for a minimum of 2 consecutive measures of music. Case closed.

Jon, Tulsa, OK (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 11:21 AM)

I loved the optical illusion, those are always fun to try! Also, Thanks for the "fancy Pants" (the cute little stickman online game)

C in lincoln ne (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 11:34 AM)

This is the cutest thing I have ever see, so I am sending the link. Thumbelina, the world's smallest horse is 17 inches tall and weighs just 57 pounds. Normal miniature horses are about 34 inches high and weigh about 250 lbs. She is currently touring the country visiting schools and nursing homes and raising money for children's charities. On the site there is a gallery. Just amazingly cute!!! http://www.worldssmallesthorse.com/

Shannon, KCMO (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 1:02 PM)

The only thing that Marley did that had anything to do with the Banana Splits is eat one after a fat splif from his bag.

Bender Ellicott CIty, MD (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 1:07 PM)

Not even close on the Marley tune Buffalo Soldier.  Though I can see that someone with little or no musical understanding could make that point.  But there is little to suggest that he 'ripped' it off.  The chorus has a similar feel, but not the same thing at all.

Eric - Chicago (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 2:17 PM)

The TMNT magazine? I had that issue. I probably ate the cereal at one point, too. Alas, I didn't develop any mutant powers. (Unless OCD counts.)

Brandon Riley, Sacramento CA (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 2:40 PM)

I don't think Marley ever saw the banana split thing - probably doesn't even reach Jamaica.

Fred Furrburgher (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 2:49 PM)

Of course the "la la la" is the same and it's ok. I'm the biggest Marley fan around and I'm cool with it. I have heard everything from the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to the Do Re Me melody incorporated into reggae music. Marley's early work is styled after the do-wop groups of the 50's and 60's. I'm sure he - like all artists - absorbed sounds from all over the world and incorporated them into his music - even a morning kids show. He also used biblical verses and Selassie speeches verbatim as well. Plagerism as well?

DT Ranks, Ellicott City, MD (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 3:10 PM)

Hah.  Stolen songs?  Hmm... Like, Eric Clapton's release of "I Shot the Sheriff"? lol.  I don't think it even sounds similarly enough to make an issue out of.  It's nowhere near like the Vanilla Ice scandal: "Ding ding ding chicka ding ding.  Ding ding ding chicka ding ding!"

BS.

john might (Sent Monday, July 16, 2007 3:13 PM)



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