Military members deserve to engage in pop culture on American soil
Viral videos like the Harlem Shake meme or parodies of pop songs rotate on an almost biweekly schedule on our news feeds and email accounts. Usually it’s an unknown person or group, but occasionally, more interesting characters or famous organizations will get in on the action, like the U.S. swim team’s elaborate “Call Me Maybe” parody during the Olympics or even members of our nation’s military.
One such video, the “U.S. Army in Afghanistan Tribute to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae,” depicts a handful of soldiers lip-synching to Jepsen’s popular song in what turns out to be a spoof on the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders’ own parody of the song. The guys are hilarious and entertaining, and the production quality is surprisingly high with special effects like colored smoke behind them in a few scenes. They incorporate things
on the base like popping out of Humvees in time with the music, showing off a handgun or seductively displaying a weapons utility belt, all while lip-synching and doing the dance moves the cheerleaders used in their version of the song.
The men in the video are clearly having a good time and finding a way to relax and enjoy themselves, which is important. Given the stress our soldiers face being deployed overseas and living in the never-ending danger of enemy attacks, they need to blow off steam, somehow. But with all of the time invested into the song, dance routine and the materials they used in filming the parody, I started to wonder just how necessary their involvement on foreign soil is.
We’ve all heard promises about pulling out our troops, but there’s been little progress. While it’s happened in small spurts, they’re usually followed by more deployment due to a bombing or attack in another country. Meanwhile, other wars sprouted up around the original conflicts of 9/11 response, and the nearby troops stepped in, further engaging us where it wasn’t really our fight.
Ever since our invasion of the Middle East and the start of the “war,” views have fragmented, and all we can agree on is that we’ve never fought like this before. The current wars aren’t nearly as organized as in the past. While there was once a clear and common military strategy, with front lines, trenches and constant battles, it has now morphed into a campaign centered around targeting guerrilla bomber attacks on military caravans or American camps. As a result, we are putting our troops into the line of danger that isn’t necessary for our national defense.
As for the video, I think it’s hilarious and it shows the Internet can keep our military overseas engaged in what’s happening in America pop culture ... even if it’s just Carly Rae Jepsen. But it can also lead some to wonder why exactly that video couldn’t have been made here at home.
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