ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses

Wait, their one hit wasn't "Christmas Wrapping"? The Waitresses's ode to toying with boys and their stupid emotions got them on the charts, but a tossed-off holiday novelty has dwarfed their hit in hindsight...
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[@codywebb3610]

Whenever Todd does an ad he should say “I don’t like doing ads, but I need the money so I can keep the lights off.”

[@MetalMarauder]

Good one

[@jamesduncan6729]

Heh, clever 👍

[@linusdn2777]

He wouldn't tho. His heart isn't in it anymore.

[@rileyscherer129]

@@linusdn2777 I disagree. Todd has always been wonderfully ambivolent to what he's doing

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

It costs money to keep the lights off? ...I guess that kind of makes sense.

[@ZOB4]

She sounds exactly like a waitress would sound - in my opinion, the lethargic delivery is crucial to the success of this song.

[@roguishpaladin]

I'm not sure you can use the word "laconic" to refer to someone who repeats the same sentence three times on multiple instances.

[@ZOB4]

@@roguishpaladin you’re right - meant lethargic, and changed it. My mistake.

[@DeadpoolX9]

@Hugh Surname_Xx420xX for.... research purposes would the male equivalent be like "bored of life" rockstars? "Everyone sucks and everything is pointless Heres a guitar"

[@roguishpaladin]

@@ZOB4 I appreciate the change. Laconic is a tough word contextually - a lot of people get it wrong.

[@doggowar]

@@roguishpaladin you're wrong, laconic works; it means using very few words.

[@chubiisio]

What I love the most about this song is that IT DOES NOT RHYME AT ANY POINT. And it not like Sia, when she alters the vowels to make words rhyme. This girl does not event try, and I love it

[@griffinmcgonagle3272]

Boys don’t like rhyming

Whoa I hadn't even realized!

[@thatonehumanoid7756]

Another good example of that is Talking Heads’ “People Like Us”, it’s sung so confidently that if you aren’t paying attention you almost certainly won’t notice.

[@okilfeathermusic]

you dont have to rhyme songs at all, as long as the lyrics are good and in your delivery you can sell every line

[@aprofondir]

Most Fall Out Boy songs don't rhyme, they're just random t shirt slogans strung together

[@trtx84]

I love the lead singer because it lets me imagine what it'd sound like if Aubrey Plaza was asked to make a Christmas song.

[@Ene-Chan]

it reminds me more of daria

[@jonathannagel7427]

Spot on simile!

[@kittygumdrop7442]

Lmao definitely

[@z3ke002]

that song was in the Shrek Christmas movie right?

[@johnathonsteeel6922]

Aubrey Plaza is trash

[@leemacwilliams9606]

Just wanna acknowledge that Patty's fashion taste was fucking fire. And that bassist... holy shit. What a talent.

[@miaatkinson1067]

“It’s not like you can build a career out of Christmas music either.” Um excuse me, I think Michael Bublé would beg to differ.

[@TitaniaBird]

Manheim Steamroller...Tran Siberian Orchestra...Mariah Carey's eternal relevance...

[@pjabrony8280]

Yeah, I thought that was the setup to some kind of counter-joke where he'd show such an artist.

[@ehmwhy]

Slade, Wizard, The Pogues, Chris Rae, Paul McCartney post Beatles all swimming in it at Christmas. In the UK at least.

[@zero-pl3tt]

@@ehmwhy John Lennon post Beatles too, and Frank Sinatra kind of.

[@ehmwhy]

@@zero-pl3tt Forgot about him. Shakin' Stevens as well. And Mike Oldfield.

[@tomcatprincess]

When he said a Christmas song by synthpunk band Suicide, I really thought it was a joke. I'm still shocked it wasn't.

[@Avrysatos]

My dog got concerned when I burst out laughing at that.

[@EpicB]

I assumed it was a joke too and I'm not even familiar with the band.

[@tomcatprincess]

@@EpicB I have a passing familiarity with them as a fan of punk music and it got me shook.

[@melm4251]

yes same, amazing

[@EpicB]

@@tomcatprincess I'm not much into punk but even I think the idea of Suicide having a Christmas song is just weird. A band like The Waitresses having a Christmas song isn't too odd but a Suicide Christmas song is just I can't even.

[@hallamhal]

"These kids with their instasnaps grumble grumble" "This song SLAPS" Pick a generation and stick to it Todd!

[@achair650]

He's just like me. He doesn't know what generation he was born in whether it was the right one or not lol

[@mychaeljones7526]

@@achair650 Ahhh yes!! 90s.

[@ehmwhy]

Would you prefer “This song is the BEE’S KNEES”?

[@widnawz]

his birth year puts him right in that small window between gen x and millennial depending on who defines generational lines

[@anthonydeadman]

I mean, he's not wrong about the first sentence. That shit is constant.

[@jessehenderson2967]

Their bassist was the true gem of this band, she's fucking killing it.

[@jlastre]

Tracy Ann Wormworth. Comes from a family of professional musicians. She also part of B-52s. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Wormworth

[@kowoh]

100% agree

[@markferguson3745]

Bassist's often are the real , pivotal, glue; listen to anything from Zeppelin , to RATM, strip away the bass track, and you realize how much extra credit guitarists get.

[@YouCanCallMeXoe]

@@markferguson3745 As a guitarist, I can totally attest to this!

[@grunthostheflatulent9649]

@@markferguson3745 Tool, Queen, RHCP the list is endless.

[@FavouriteScaryMovie]

I feel like this song is actually kind of perfect? That "nyah nyah nyah" part pushes it just over the top and I love it.

[@dramatictrauma331]

Yeah, same. The malicious smugness is what really puts this song on top.

[@philly_sports1558]

Reminds me of the outro trolling on Eminem’s Without Me

[@_Snowflame]

"They get so angry [...]" Because you're stealing his saxophone! Of course he's mad!

[@liamaldrich2476]

Nobody takes a man's sax and gets away with it!

[@jessicaw9011]

Sir, I'm awarding you with the accolade of Best Comment

[@Celticelery]

In a way, "I Know What Boys Like" was ahead of it's time. It wasn't until the 90's that snotty, smug rock became mainstream.

[@FragmentedR_YT]

Yeah, when I heard that vocal delivery I immediately thought that it was the perfect fit for basically every 90s alt rock band (except Radiohead which requires falsetto).

[@Celticelery]

@@FragmentedR_YT I immediately thought of Harvey Danger and the other alt rockers deeply entrenched in irony and sass. Garbage could do a killer cover of this track, come to think of it.

[@FragmentedR_YT]

@@Celticelery hell yeah they could, completely agreed.

[@tchoupitoulos]

You obviously missed out on the early 80s "skinny tie" era.

[@gst013]

You haven't listened to much new wave from the 80's, have you? Skinny tie smugness indeed, lol 😅

[@theman4884]

An even odder case than The Waitresses is Tony Burrows. He was a one hit wonder with five different bands: "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse "United We Stand" by Brotherhood of Man "My Baby Loves Lovin'" by White Plains "Gimme Dat Ding" by the Pipkins "Beach Baby" by First Class

[@sonofaspyder3000]

Yo you were ahead of your time

[@ltbq]

NOSTRADAMUS

[@nickchambers3935]

I guess Todd saw this comment

[@laggy3099]

We found the one other person who knew Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

[@canyounotmydude9155]

Also Tom Cochrane He had his big solo hit in the 90s “Life is a Highway”, but he also is the lead singer of the band Red Rider, which had a one hit (albeit a very small one but still recognizable for a lot) called “Lunatic Fringe”

[@jmckenzie962]

In a way the Waitresses were way ahead of their time; Patty's snarky 'cool girl' energy was all the rage in the '90's (although you could probably credit Kim Gordon for popularizing that, Sonic Youth were around in the 80's)

[@knutthompson7879]

"I Know What Boys Like" is one of those non-hits that seems like it MUST have been a hit. It was only 62 on the charts but at the time everyone knew it and 40 years later still remembers it, but I bet half of the top 20 from that week is completely forgotten.

[@tamcon72]

Hugely popular at my Catholic high school homecoming dance a few years after release. And every year afterward, ha!

[@Mirokuofnite]

Got a lot of play but not a lot of sales.

[@MultiPetercool]

Romeo Void!!!

[@annburlingham4563]

@@MultiPetercool Yours is clearly the right comment for me to say that I bought the Waitresses album with this song on vinyl, *and* I went to see Romeo Void live in a basement club because I loved "Never say never" - a song a couple of us would sing/shout at each other every time it came on the college radio - and because, hoo boy, saxophones are sexy. The youngsters won't know but you can pretty much peg my age exactly from this.

[@MultiPetercool]

@@annburlingham4563 Psychedelic Furs, Devo, XTC, Talking Heads… my kind of music!

[@ОлегЕршов-м3с]

I don't know why, but the singer really reminds me of Winona Ryder in Heathers, and it makes the song better.

[@awfulwoman]

“I know what boys like” *gunshot* *gunshot* *forgery noise*

[@willpritchard3471]

I’ll call it. It’s the hair

[@duckrutt]

Turns out boys like Eskimos. Who knew.

[@GabrielTorres1974]

All women in the 80s looked the same because of the hairdo

[@billslocum9819]

It's those eyes. And more "Beetlejuice" than "Heathers", IMO.

[@rusted_ursa]

This song feels like the slash-fic version of Lucy telling Charlie Brown that she won't pull the football away.

[@SparkleDeluxe_minecrafter]

Lmao YES

[@cayden6057]

This is hyperspecific but also I feel like I know exactly what you mean.

[@sweetpeabee4983]

Omg what a perfect description of my music taste lmfao, thanks for that! 😂

[@FuzzyBunny28]

How is it a slash fic?

[@ShogunZIlla]

Totally

[@adambutsch2820]

Every time Todd says that the band deserves better I get a little teary-eyed

[@milocopeland]

“Sucker” is the *ABSOLUTE BEST* part of this song. For one fleeting moment, it makes me feel swagger like nearly nothing else ever does.

[@petercahill6696]

I honestly wouldn't bother about wading into that sort of empowering vs misogynistic argument because I don't think its a song that was ever meant to be taken that seriously. Maybe it's Patty's singing that makes the song sound this way, but I honestly find it to be more tongue in cheek than anything.

[@DestinyKiller]

I actually kind like that it can have two rather interesting messages got also be just a snarky, tongue in cheek reading as well

[@VinVonVoom]

The band is too "artsy" (for lack of a better term) for me to immediately write their songs off as meaningless fun. Especially given how Butler talks about the song and how he went out of his way to get a more female perspective for his next songs.

[@bkd69ster]

I'm completely baffled as to how Christmas Wrapping hasn't yet been adapted into a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. I've got my own screenplay already.

[@Kochiha]

Send it to Netflix. You're greenlit.

[@aliensporebomb]

Heh I had one too but I bet yours is better - the words literally tell the story though so..

[@chrisowens4550]

Because it takes place in an evil bad big city?

[@Baseballnfj]

Call it "You Mean you Forgot Cranberries Too."

[@crookycumbles]

The footage of Patty taking a drag off of her cigarette as you mention her death, very sly Todd.

[@billslocum9819]

"Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" is a pretty hard-to-top album title for a band with no future. It also summarizes the early 1980s for me.

[@evapalma9899]

The title track was in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel too

[@AnvilPro100]

"One Hit Wonder with two half-hits" I'm excited lmao

[@lockerpaint2955]

FINALLY. Someone who appreciates "Christmas Wrapping," one of my top three 1980s Christmas songs.

[@Baseballnfj]

It's the greatest bass line of all time lol

[@glennpagemusic]

Christmas Wrapping wasn't an immediate hit; it grew into something better: a holiday staple.

[@phastinemoon]

You put it into words!

[@petermccannell7565]

I'll be honest I learned of its existence from this episode, I guess it never penetrated the maple wall

[@colmryan9289]

Real talk: Christmas Wrapping is my second least favourite Christmas song. She just sounds so disinterested in the song, even though the instrumental is okay.

[@leaffinite2001]

​@colmryan9289 thats crazy. Thats the whole appeal!

[@glennpagemusic]

@@colmryan9289 I think her "disinterested" affect is part of her style, since she's not a technically great singer. It's kind of like punks who turned sneering and shouting and singing slightly off-key into an actual style, since most of them weren't classically trained really great singers. Also, half-ass singing conveys a sort of "everyman" or "everywoman" vibe, since most people can't sing very well. Punk and new wave are very populist movements; the emphasis isn't on technical prowess, usually. Thirdly, "disinterst" singnifies somebody with attitude; somebody who is "too cool" to care. I think that's where a lot of her style comes from. I personally think her voice works perfectly on this song, but different strokes for different folks. 😊

[@Molly-kr7rr]

“Besides, it’s not like you can build a career out of Christmas music” ...Don’t let Michael Bublé see this

[@michaelbiscay9836]

Or Pentatonix.

[@ogsegasteve9430]

or TSO

[@FowlerAskew]

Or Mannheim Steamroller

[@kevinschultz6091]

Or Handel. seriously, When was the last time THAT guy put anything out? Now THERE's a one-hit wonder soaking up the Christmas royalties if I ever heard one.

[@casanovafunkenstein5090]

Or Slade Or Wizzard

[@ShakespearsCyst]

I have no clue why but whenever I have this song in my head, it's that secretary from Monster's Inc singing it and I die.

[@CarlosHernandez-jv6wk]

I'm now visualizing a music video where she sings this and it is my everything.

[@Stelios78910]

Oh my god. Thank you for sharing this. 😂😂

[@TwighlightLugia]

Thank you, I now have a new mental image to torment my housemate with

[@ninetyonesiege8907]

Im watching you wazowski. A L W A Y S W A T C H I N G.

[@Anastas1786]

Celia or Roz?

[@chrishornbostel9831]

It's Patty's laugh after she sings "Sucker!" that's always stood out to me. As a 13 year old kid when I first heard this on MTV, I can tell you that at least for me, it was the sexiest thing on the entire network. Like, sexier in its own way than any of the Duran Duran videos. It wasn't until Kim Gordon's talky break in Sonic Youth's "Kool Thing" that anyone else got close.

[@Microtonal_Cats]

That dismal Christmas song from the band Suicide is the most upbeat and sweet sounding thing I've heard by them.

[@jeanmichellelaurent]

Yeah, kind of expected the same Band who wrote such warm and happy joyful songs like “Frankie Teardrop”, to have a Christmas carol as dark, gloomy, and depressing as their other songs

[@SuperheroChuck]

"It's not like you can build a career out of Christmas music." Hey Todd, ever heard of a group called Pentatonix?

[@ricebeansrockroll882]

...no?

[@elfpi55-bigB0O85]

@ElyC West oof

[@wppb50]

@@ricebeansrockroll882 They did the significantly less bad cover of Hallelujah that gets played at Christmas.

[@MadameSomnambule]

Or Trans-Siberian Orchestra?

[@ragismrotzrochen5776]

@@wppb50 Significantly less bad maybe. But still very, very, very, very, veeeeeeeery bad. They didn't get what the song is about at all.

[@CazTheGamerGuy]

The Waitresses know what boys like, but can they see why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch™?

[@sticks4632]

It's the cannibalism. They love watching them eat each other

[@Malik_Hoff]

Nailed it

[@mesousagaby740]

(In overexaggerated British accent) Is it new wave-y?

[@repulsethemonkey1396]

Because it's the taste you can see!

[@Hypnotiqgenes]

Maybe, but do they know why kids like Apple Jacks even though they don't taste like apple?

[@RobertJRoman]

In the early days on MTV, before MTV took over the mainstream, there was such a thing as a huge MTV hit that did not become a chart hit. "I Know What Boys Like" is definitely an example.

[@Nanthecowdog]

Unrelated, but your dog profile pic looks exactly like my dog! She passed away in October, and I’ve been amazed how many dogs I’ve found that looked like she (she’s a mutt- I think a beagle and corgi mix)

[@RobertJRoman]

@@Nanthecowdog Because this is written in the KZbin comments, and because it's about a dog, someone might think I'm being snarky or insincere. But with a completely open heart let me say, I'm sorry for your loss.

[@kittymervine6115]

I had a newborn baby, and a husband serving at sea, and MTV was totally NEW. It ws on all the time and my daughter grew up singing some of the songs and "I know what boys like!" was one of the first things she said.... just all as one long word. It felt at first like they had maybe 20 videos, if you wanted to see and hear a song you could just wait long enough for it to come around again!

[@Formoka]

I really like Todd’s analysis of this song. The duality of it being misogynistic and empowering at the same time is an interesting read that I didn’t think of at first.

[@the-NightStar]

Kinda like the show and character Daria. A spin-off show about a very cynical, embittered feminist teenage girl that has become an icon for feminists everywhere.... that was originally just a one-note side character in Beavis and Butt-Head that existed only as a harsh, mocking parody of opportunist hipster feminists created by a middle aged dude from Texas.

[@Octavian2]

Not sure it's misogynistic on the basis that the 'tease' is being framed almost as not existent slur. I'd totally disagree and say a lot of woman can be that way.

[@moe45673]

It's not misogynistic nor empowering. It's a dumb song and a fantasy for some men and some women. And in that sense it's brilliant. Shadow dude nails it when he says the first 30 seconds make you think the production was pure laziness (which, btw, was the whole "punk music" image)

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

@@the-NightStar Daria in the original show is more so depicted as the opposite of beavis and butthead (hence why she's a feminist, though that isn't even really explored much in B&B), very level-headed but is also the only girl who tolerates them and gives a shit about anything they do. Even though her role is miniscule, she's presented as pretty fucking cool in that show, especially compared to the pathetic hippie teacher. I've sort of always seen B&B Daria as a parody of the youth counter-culture of the early 90s. Also Mike Judge was ahead of his time for creating that character, yeah I said it.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

@@BananaPhoPhilly What is Mike Judge's best show, Daria, Beavis and Butthead or King of the Hill? Most people I know say King of the Hill.

[@DABL-bt4lw]

As a northeast Ohioan, hearing Todd mispronounce Akron so relentlessly gives me life

[@JarrodBaniqued]

I thought Robert Hazard already knew what girls want, which is to have fun

[@glennpagemusic]

Jarrod Baniqued Wow, a Robert Hazard shout out... Nice.

[@calmbbaer]

They want it, but do they like it?

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

I don't think it's inaccurate to use the word "tease" here since her tone of voice literally sounds like an older sister picking on her younger brother

[@ddjsoyenby]

yeah.

[@floyd2386]

Todd's "logic" in this video was asinine really. The song isn't at all referring to a wholesome girl who isn't giving into what her boyfriend wants because she isn't ready. It's a girl who knows what guys want, turns them on and turns them down because she wants to.

[@tommytomthms5]

@@floyd2386 yes, also as I guy, I have to say, I'm into it as a type of soft BDSM kink... I feel being teased needs to be made more clear, I'm into it and may ask a girl to tease me before we go all in.... or not! or, we go all in the next time... etc!

[@floyd2386]

@@tommytomthms5 Hey, no shame in that. Myself, I'm known to be a teaser of teases. I throw them off their game and it frustrates the hell out of them.

[@frenandin]

@@floyd2386 Exactly. Copying my other comment in the thread: "Why does the song have to be mysoginitic or empowering? Just because it deals with a woman in a sexual situation? I'd say it is neither. It's just a fun song that is carried by the vocal performance. I wouldn't say teasing is some evil sexist concept completely out of reality either. I had female friends that said they did tease guys in the club once or twice for fun. No harm done. I don't think the lyrics to this song come from a bitter or sexist place, it's just playful." Todd can be really obsessed with the political and potentially problematic implications of lyrics from 40yo songs sometimes.

[@reidbronson6358]

You are so right. Christmas Wrapping is a modern classic. Tells a really cute story about a young couple. When I hear this, it brings back wonderful memories of the first years that my late wife and I were married. Loved the 80’s.

[@dvt1393]

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your wife. I'm sure that you have many wonderful memories to hold on to. All the best to you and your family this holiday season.

[@permanentstateofawe6544]

Well Marina's Electra Heart album does the Girl Heartbreaker thing well. Like "Primadonna" and literally "How To Be A Heartbreaker".

[@mccperin]

however, there's a difference from i know what boys like electra heart (the character), if u listen to the entire album, uses her girl player abilities as a coping mechanism after being heartbroken so many times, whereas patty's character doesn't have that much depth related to that song

[@SpinalTapFan95]

I'm not sure if they actually are a one hit wonder, but I'd love to see an episode on "The Bad Touch" by The Bloodhound Gang. They're unironically one of my favorite bands

[@musical-chick-134]

Wow, both a Good Charlotte reference and a Glee reference less that three minutes in? We're really hitting the ground running on this one.

[@prismaze]

I'm surprise that he didn't mention that Kylie Minogue's version of Christmas Wrapping features IGGY POP, seems like something to want to bring up

[@textnumbers22]

I'll add it to the list of collaborations between Kylie and punk legends

[@RobRandomVids]

@@textnumbers22 hehe, sucker! Edit - shit! I appear to have replied to the wrong comment :/

[@zombiedodge1426]

So Kylie has collaborated with Iggy Pop *and* The Wiggles.

[@Kylora2112]

It's kinda funny that Kylie Minogue's perception in the US is "Your first career single is a *cover*? Pfft, to One Hit Wonderland you go!" *15 years later* "Oh, well that IS an earworm you can't get out of your head," and that's basically it (I'm a huge Kylie stan and her new album slaps).

[@prismaze]

@@Kylora2112 beautifully said, Disco is amazing! 💖

[@tamcon72]

That theme song to "Square Pegs" is still one of the best theme songs for a youth show. There would be no Daria without it.

[@coradelaney4936]

I got their Greatest Hits CD in 1998 and LOVED it. Years later (2006) I’m writing a blogspot blog about my past and crazyness: Chris Butler from the Waitresses messaged me to say he liked my blog! Instantly I wrote him back fangirling about how their songs should he made into a musical (he said it’s always “in talks”) and told him how I learned of Patty’s death during one of my first internet sessions and gave my condolences. It was the most random cool thing. I miss blogging where people would pop in and out to say hi and generally enjoy reading other’s opinions. Anyway Todd, thanks for this, so excited to see this video! And I love it when people pronounce Akron “a-KRAWN” - you make it sound much more exciting (it’s actually “ACK-rinn” and the Black Keys are from there as well).

[@RobGalo]

Chris Butler is a real sweetie, he's popped up at things I'm involved in on occasion. (I live in Cleveland, he's not terribly far from here).

[@nv52895]

here are some recommendations for the next one hit wonderland episode: kevin rudolf-let it rock len-steal my sunshine wheatus-teenage dirtbag white town-your woman david archuleta-crush the verve pipe-the freshman eagle-eye cherry-save tonight atc-around the world (la la la la la)

[@swineherd_]

The correct song title is The Freshmen

[@Baseballnfj]

New Radicals "get what you give"

[@nv52895]

@@Baseballnfj he already did an episode on that.

[@jeanmichellelaurent]

B-witched - ce la vie Montell Jordan - this is how we do it

[@blackburn-ud9dm]

Yay, he did your woman

[@dirtgirl6227]

i just love how she sounds so bored

[@qty1315]

Check out Romeo Void. Personally, I think that they were a better version of The Waitresses. After Hours by The Velvet Underground is also cool. "I might like you better if we slept together."

[@gamezharks]

Post punk singers either sounds very bored or very very dramatic

[@qty1315]

@@gamezharks Pretty much. There's not a lot of middle-ground.

[@dirtgirl6227]

@@qty1315 Debora Iyall now has my heart

[@qty1315]

@@dirtgirl6227 Yeah, she's awesome.

[@zeta970]

This is the first unambiguous "yes" I can remember to the question "did they deserve better"

[@jeffvarty1675]

Semisonic was an unambiguous yes, and much more emphatic.

[@Sugarman96]

@Marusya Asarabacara Midnight Oil was also an exception to the "they already did well in their own native country, so not really" rule he would use for foreign acts.

[@Posiman]

It was also a big yes for Hanson. By now Todd has made a couple of OHW vids about bands he really likes and respects and wants to spotlight how great they were beyond their big hit...

[@napalmblaziken]

I think A-Ha got a yes. Same with Scatman John.

[@sailoritaly]

The Darkness too

[@stevethepocket]

OK, as soon as I saw this on my homepage, and remembered what month it was, I got super excited. Literally years ago I imagined him doing an episode on this song, and basically using it as an excuse to spend most of the video talking about "Christmas Wrapping" instead and making it a Christmas episode. I don't know if I understand Todd's mind better than I thought or if it's just such an obvious move that it was inevitable.

[@beaudure01]

May we take a moment to celebrate the life of the recently deceased Mars Williams, the sax player here who went on to be in the Psychedelic Furs …

[@frankthespank]

Damn she died at age 40...... so sad... she was a long time smoker, damn..

[@robertwilloughby8050]

That's why, although Christmas Wrapping is one of my favourite christmas songs, I always have a tear in my eye when I hear it.

[@ATBPRODUCTlONS]

Todd still cringing at Glee is something I'd never thought I'd see in 2020.

[@MCSMeister]

I still remember when he called Glee "the new MTV" back in 2012

[@ronstoppable5659]

@@MCSMeister At least MTV made Blink 182, Korn, and Eminem into the biggest names in music in the late 90s/early 2000s, I get it if you hate all those artists but their ridiculous popularity on TRL single handedly saved the youth of America from being subjected to the stuff that was actually getting radio airplay during that time, I mean Jesus Christ, have you seen the Billboard year end lists from 1998-2002? Yes, a lot of the avalanche of nu Metal and teen pop that the youth of that era was on raised on was awful but it sure as hell was memorable and wasn’t an absolute slog for the most part, unlike the majority of what filled Billboard’s year end lists from that same timeframe

[@imfamoushero]

Glee did not age well, that's for sure

[@patricklauer4452]

Glee sucks ass! I regret ever liking that show when I was a kid

[@cypher515]

@Tyler Hackner Honestly some people just never stopped cringing at it. Which is fair.

[@BenCol]

I’ve heard ‘Christmas Wrapping’ many, many times over the years, but I’m only now learning the name of the song and the name of the band that sung it. It’s always been one of those Christmas standards that you know simply by having the radio or TV on during December.

[@KramerKontained94]

"A Christmas song by Suicide." Is my new favorite sentence

[@psukebariah3435]

As an 80's teeny bopper I *loved* this song. I won't quite call it an anthem, but it was close. It's super snark was way close to my heart. And "Christmas Wrapping" remains one of my favorite holiday tunes.

[@Ashestoashesjc]

surprised their christmas song i've never heard before is apparently a bigger hit. that people still listen to? tbh the idea that it sounds timeless is kind of funny. i think it sounds Very much like an 80s song

[@Lance37a]

It always gets played at Christmas time, so that pretty much makes it timeless.

[@herrikudo]

You clearly never worked american retail at christmas. You have my envy. I cant UNHEAR that fucking song.

[@Bradley_Lute]

I got tortured with over a month of Xmas music in the lab I worked in and Christmas Wrapping is one of the songs that saved my mind. I hate most Xmas music.

[@Crusader1089]

Jingle Bell Rock sounds extremely 50s but it is still considered timeless. Timeless can mean that it appears not to have come from any single period of time but it can also mean it belongs to the ages forever to come. Just look at timeless classics from literature the other examples. They are quite clearly set in the time but they speak to the human experience in a way that will last forever. Similarly the waitresses Christmas song speaks to the simple desire to have a quiet Christmas while also making sure everyone is happy which is a human experience I doubt will fade away For hundreds of years At the very least.

[@ValleyOfTheKens]

@@herrikudo I guess both OP and I just never heard it because we aren't American? I also only heard Christmas Shoes for the first time like 5 years ago; I like this song more.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

*tv clip plays* Me: That's gross Todd: It's Glee Me: That explains it

[@Arcademan09]

40 minutes in: No takedown yet, on standby captain.

[@floydfanTN]

Hell Yeah! Christmas Wrapping is my second favorite Christmas song (Behind Bob and Doug McKenzie's 12 days of Christmas)

[@ninjabluefyre3815]

A beer...in a tree.

[@Legato-2057]

It’s not Christmas until I hear “Christmas Wrapping.”

[@zombiedodge1426]

Another one hit wonder (“Take Off” featuring Geddy Lee, which actually hit the top ten) whose Christmas song is better remembered.

[@fhqwhgads1670]

@@zombiedodge1426 ten bucks is ten bucks.

[@roguishpaladin]

@@zombiedodge1426 I knew the song...but I had no idea that it charted, or that it's Geddy Lee's higher charting song ever! That's crazy. I can't imagine that Todd would include them in a OHW episode because of the novelty act clause and partly because Lee's too influential and basically is the song, but still - that it even gets that close is crazy.

[@damitdonTV]

Growing up in KC, the only place to hear Christmas Wrapping, or the Waitress in general, was The Dr Demento Show. I tried to get the AOR station to play it, and by the following year you might hear it once or twice. It wasn't until about 10 or 12 years ago that it became a holiday mainstay. I had been a big fan of What Boys Like, so this was an instant favorite for me. I think it's great that it finally got the recognition it deserved. I was devastated when I heard that Patty had passed away, and I think it's a shame she didn't get to see how her Christmas song ended up in heavy rotation on the 24 hours Christmas stations.

[@timothy4097]

KC as in Kansas City?

[@damitdonTV]

@@timothy4097 yes

[@timothy4097]

@@damitdonTV - well hello from Olathe.

[@foxbasealpha]

“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” was also written (and originally recorded) by a man.

[@enerjawns]

I’ve never heard Christmas Wrapping before but it almost sounds like a Kero Kero Bonito Christmas song. Awesome.

[@mimmikibilly]

We stan Kero Kero Bonito! Well... I stan them at least.

[@katyh4487]

@@mimmikibilly WE DO

[@patricklauer4452]

@@katyh4487 ^

[@macsenplays]

You probably have heard "Christmas Wrapping" before, but just didn't know what it was or who it was from.

[@jacklfitz]

We need new KKB

[@ericrobins5188]

" It's not like you can make a career off of Christmas music" have you heard of Michael Búble? Lol Great job Todd, Good video.

[@TimmyTickle]

Or Pentatonix?

[@zombiedodge1426]

The Romantics have a similar weird OHW status as The Waitresses. “Talking in Your Sleep” was their biggest hit (and they did have a follow-up, “One in a Million,” squeak into the top 40) but their best known song by far is “What I Like About You.” Similarly, Lindsey Buckingham had a couple of solo Top 40 hits (“Trouble” and “Go Insane”) but neither are as beloved as “Holiday Road,” which didn’t make it out of the bottom half of the Hot 100.

[@nickrustyson8124]

The same goes for Dangerous Toys, Teas'n Pleas'n was a more popular song (Kinda, they're MTV hits, none of their singles hit the charts, but their self-title album was 65th on the Billboard Top 200 for 89), but Scared is way more remembered given it's a Spooky Halloween Song

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

"It's not like you can build a career out of Christmas music either..." Trans-Siberian Orchestra has entered the chat

[@RIXRADvidz]

Andy Williams, TSO, Buble, this person is arrogantly ignorant and need to learn some History before blowing smoke up the asses of his subscribers.

[@Onattamato]

@@RIXRADvidz Chill, bro.

[@pgreczek]

@@RIXRADvidz I mean out of all his albums, Buble only released one Christmas album and a couple singles. Andy Williams released 2 albums before he made a Christmas album. In that same year he also released two non Christmas Albums. Sometimes artists just end up being "the guy who sings Christmas songs" like Bing Crosby. TSO is a one in a million but in a different category. They're more of a live performance people go see during the holidays.

[@skywalkerchick]

Mannheim Steamroller is typing...

[@racso20000]

@@RIXRADvidz it’s a dated style, but negative hyperbole is Todd’s style! Let the boomer be

[@greeneyedselkey]

I always thought the "Rapping" in the title was both slang for talking and a pun on Christmas wrapping paper.

[@gymcat100]

I worked retail 87-88 and 88-89 twelve hour shifts. "Christmas Wrapping" was on a forty five minute loop. I could gladly never hear that song again. Thanks as always for all your hard work on these videos!

[@WilliamMaranciMashups]

Surprised you didn't mention this song being interpolated on a Chris Brown track.

[@japanrocksgousa]

Oh yeah

[@MoonShadowWolfe]

Everyone has a limit.

[@samt3412]

I can feel a cursed mashup incoming

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

I just threw up a little.

[@greenhowie]

Well I WAS having a good day.

[@0cramoi]

"It's not like you can make a career oit pf Christmas music" * laughs in Roberto Carlos *

[@rockaway0beach]

He had to make a Christmas song to every one of his 1.000.000 friends, that's why

[@santiagobauza4257]

Christmas music and curling free kicks

[@SynclairPereira]

I hope they have already defrost him for this year's Christmas special

[@mccperin]

@@SynclairPereira if he doesn't appear for this year's christmas special i think 2020 might just not end

[@HSMiyamoto]

I was there. Not New York there in the early 80s, but Minneapolis there and I remember that "Boy's Like" was a very different song at that time. Todd sums it up right: Women's Power FANTASY. Emphasis on "Fantasy." 99 out of 100 women don't really do this because it's how to get raped or killed or both. But yeah, when a guy is interested in you, you do want to play with him to see how far you can take him. Moreover, if you go all the way and then dump him it's "Seduction," which is something else. Place "Boy's Like" alongside another contemporary artifact: "Basic Instinct." Sharon Stone played with Michael Douglas as she wanted and she treated sex like a casual thing, a notch on her bedpost. Musically, the Waitresses remind me of "One Way or Another" by Blondie. But Chris and Debbie wrote melodies and even "Boy's Like" is anti-melody.

[@xp8969]

99 women out of 100 disagree with you lol

[@pacificostudios]

@@xp8969 - Disagree with her about what? Blondie is more melodic than The Waitresses?

[@Thecoochincanoocheecreek]

Omg. It’s a pop song. Chill 🤣

[@pacificostudios]

@@Thecoochincanoocheecreek Media shapes public opinion. Even this cult recording had more impact than 99% of the Zines made by riot girls.

[@RetroVzqz9313]

When someone older, wiser and clearly in full control of their mental faculties speaks You would be smart to listen to what they are dropping She was there and this whole video is an essay on the song, the band that wrote it and its meaning So yes, her points are very valid and add much to this, just "a pop song" or not

[@indiestripper5374]

As a stripper who has referred to myself as a professional tease for the last half a decade, I love this song.

[@exquisitecorpse__]

If ever you need to put stripper on your resume you can put professional tease and maybe get away with it

[@jonathancote9372]

As a creepy boy who has referred to myself as a nice gentleman for the last 30 years, i love youtube comments section.

[@thomaswhite3059]

I mean it really is the perfect stripper song, eh?

[@likecrazyhorse]

Thank you for your service

[@Aint_no_senators_son]

@@likecrazyhorse Great comment!! 🤣

[@michaelbiscay9836]

Thank you so much for giving "Christmas Wrapping" the love I've always thought it deserves.

[@rattrap1009]

“ACK-RON” It’s just funny hearing it said like that; I’m from Ohio and we all say it like “AK-rin”.

[@steveh2418]

For real, Ack-ron sounds like an alien planet.

[@nickieisknittingtoomuch]

lol and hello fellow Ohioan

[@charlieyonker4910]

Omg thank you, thought I was going crazy! My boyfriend is from Canada and said it the same way.

[@15marsj]

Yes, Ak Ron, just south of Cleve Land.

[@jimihendricks5602]

Ope, knew I'd find this comment. good ol Akron/Canton area, I could tell Todd had never been there as soon as he said it Ak Ron. Good thing they weren't from Coshocton lol

[@bradoozy]

i got recommended this album (wasn’t tomorrow wonderful) once, and i thought that these guys were a 90's alt band instead of a new wave band. cool to know the background.

[@thedangermouse1991]

I thought the same, Especially Christmas wrapping I thought that was 90's song

[@bradoozy]

@@thedangermouse1991 i think given that the person who recommended it to me really enjoyed 90’s alt stuff (as do i) that was a notion i caught, and i had never heard of them prior.

[@nriqueog]

Amazing how observant he is from the shadows. He NAILED ever facet of the group, their songs and career. The Waitresses were got pretty big air time on KROQ and had a strong following here in So.Cal.

[@matthewmead2374]

Television, now that's an underrated band. They were like a post-punk jam band. I thought it was just me who thought of jam bands when I heard them but I ended up reading somewhere they were deadheads. They wrote great songs and the singer had a perfect voice for the music. The dual lead guitars were ambitious while being garage-ish amateur sounding in a great way. Marquee (sp?) Moon is an awesome album.

[@sailorseraphim]

LOVING the presence of Kylie in this video!!!! I won't lie, right from the beginning I was like "is he gonna shoutout Kylie's cover???" and I got unnecessarily excited when it happened lol

[@zombiedodge1426]

I thought it was Katy Perry at first.

[@TheNobod3]

I have literally no memory of ever hearing that Christmas song before. I feel like I'm being gaslit here

[@anjetto1]

Yeah. I agree

[@MixMasterLar]

I think the first time I heard it kn yhe radio was last year and when everbody said they not only knew about it but had liked it for years, I about lost my shit. I'm ok with it being considered a stable though.

[@TheNobod3]

@@MixMasterLar Yeah, it's catchy, and the lyrics actually conveying a story and providing commentary on the season puts it miles ahead of almost every heavy-hitter.

[@gcooper642]

Gets played on the radio every year in the UK. One of the classics. Do you have Slade Merry Christmas in America?

[@MalloonTarka]

@@gcooper642 Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall?

[@jonahfalcon1970]

I remember this song on MTV. It played ENDLESSLY. It forced me to enjoy the taunting. "I know what boys like, I know what boys want"

[@jonahfalcon1970]

I always interpreted this song as a growing girl who has just discovered she can turn the tables on boys and now had the power to get them to do what she wanted, hence the "nyah nyah nyah" part.

[@rigopeligro]

Waitresses are actually a really good group. I think most people just know them for their two big hits but their first album had a lot of really good gems. Their live performances were amazing. The band was made up of top notch musicians, especially the bass player. Listen to the entire “wasn’t tomorrow wonderful?” Album. Good stuff.

[@nonamelegend_vapor]

"No Guilt" is a damn banger

[@riverAmazonNZ]

I had never heard this song before today, but now it’s ricocheting in my head ‘I know what boys like ... neh neh neh neh neh ...’ Curse you todd and your inescapably interesting series! Gah! The earworms! The earworrms!!

[@simonwilliamson3684]

I'm amazed you've avoided it

[@simonwilliamson3684]

@@ELEcomments I mean he did Oh Yeah by Yellow, which basically fills the same niche as soundtrack hits. So I could see it.

[@JonesyMcDanes]

the aggressive lack of rhyming is weirdly off-putting

[@aprofondir]

If you look at songs by Fall Out Boy almost none of them rhyme at all

[@mychaeljones7526]

And then people hate on Eminem for rhyming too much and rapping too much. White folks cant get no love. Lol

[@mparstrikesback]

@@mychaeljones7526 Yes, white people have had ABSOLUTELY NO SUCCESS in the music industry ever. Poor white people! What'll they ever do???

[@discospider4120]

@@mychaeljones7526 I... what? I feel like you're trying to be sarcastic but it's just not landing. And if you're being serious, who's saying that Eminem, a rapper, raps too much lmao

[@Theevil6ify]

@@mparstrikesback I'm fairly positive they were just making a (not great) joke, you can wipe that foam from your lips.

[@KingHiki]

I've always known of this songs existence but I never really paid much attention to it before this review and now I think I kinda love it.

[@reneholly7994]

"Genius of Love" by the Tom Tom Club could make for a good episode of One Hit Wonderland.

[@insightworld422]

Definitely

[@GarrettEulett]

But Wordy Rappinghood was a thing

[@ElyseExplosion]

Christmas Wrapping is my dad's favorite Christmas song. It just ain't the holidays until he hears it on the radio. I have a lot of good memories of it.

[@samstuff8554]

If the replaced the new wave sounds with punk sounds they coulda done a really good riot grrrrl song

[@analogboi]

patty was def a foremother of riot grrrl.

[@CityofButterfly]

As somebody who has always had a passing interest in proto-punk and post-punk, it was cool to hear Todd mentioning Television and Suicide.

[@FragmentedR_YT]

Post punk is easily my favorite genre of music, and I felt the same.

[@brifox]

Am I the only one who keeps imagining this song having the bass line from "99 Red Balloons"?

[@LucisZ39]

I found you through someone randomly dropping your podcast in a twitch chat. After listening through the backlog that I made it to your KZbin channel and I have been working my way through these videos finishing up about last week. I have no recollection of hearing either of these songs ever. Period. And yet the other day I was out driving with my mother what else but Christmas wrappings comes on the radio. It was one of the most twilight zone feeling moments I have ever had. Thanks Todd

[@callumclay]

Love the waitresses, they have so many great songs, it’s a shame they weren’t/aren’t appreciated more then they are

[@Arcademan09]

Charlie Kelly's favorite song, it's all about The Waitress

[@ThomasWilson4]

And the waitress doesn't want him lol

Mr Pink, not so much.

[@xEscapeTheHatex]

“It’s not like you can build a career out of Christmas music” *Michael Buble is typing*

[@SaiOkami777]

*Mariah Carey has entered the chat*

[@Santoryu90]

@@SaiOkami777 Does she really count since she totally had other hits before and after the Christmas music. Sucks for Michael Bible since I guess no matter what he puts out there he’s just gonna be associated with Christmas.

[@SaiOkami777]

@@Santoryu90 True, but her one Christmas song gets far more attention than her other hits nowadays

[@Santoryu90]

@@SaiOkami777 Also true but I wouldn’t say she built a career on it it’s just a song that managed to become a Christmas standard if anything that’s a music achievement. The thing is Mariah isn’t known for just that one song.

[@TimmyTickle]

*Pentatonix have entered the chat*

[@paulfunyun5728]

Never thought i'd hear Todd talk about no wave but i'm here for it

[@ZOSO900]

Coming back to this because Mars Williams has now also passed away. R.I.P. to him and Patty.

[@TrueBackLash]

I’m here after Secret Galaxy covered Christmas Wrapping. I was certain I Know What Boys Like was a One Hit Wonder and I hoped if Todd covered it for Woderland that I hoped Todd would also talk about Christmas Wrapping. I am very pleased.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Glad we finally have another Christmas themed song from a One Hit Wonder. Been too long since Monster's Holiday

[@xxsilentreatmentxx]

That "adulting" song of theirs is so classic Talking Heads it hurts

[@zyxaqc]

"It's not like you can build a career out of Christmas music" Mannheim Steamroller would like to know your location

[@aidanm]

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra too

[@Marinealver]

Sarajevo from Dead Winter Dead is a kick ass song.

[@alpha-centaurius9409]

don't forget michael buble

[@letrippyhippie3903]

Michael buble has entered the chat

[@digamejh]

Would Bing Crosby count?

[@MLJ-zp3ju]

I have legitimately never heard of this Christmas Wrapping song even a once before this so now I feel like a transplant from some other dimension or something

[@margaretfogler1848]

SQUARE PEGS! Yes!! I was a freshman in high school during the one and only season of that show. It spoke to me.