What really happened when Bill Clinton played the sax

There's more to the Arsenio moment than the notes.
More info and sources at bottom.
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Very fun to look through these old Gallup polls:
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WaPo article about the Saxophone club:
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All the Clinton Library's YT sax content:
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The full Arsenio interview:
• Bill Clinton on Arseni...
The full MTV interview:
• Facing the Future with...

[@101twistrecords4]

i think the most compelling piece of evidence is surely just that he can clearly play the saxophone. its not an instrument you can just play in band at school and pick up again at age 45 and sound good on. it requires regular dedicated practice which he clearly would have been doing for decades at this point.

[@SeanLaMontagne]

Ehhhhhhh You'd be surprised how little work it takes to play a couple notes on an instrument you used to play. His solo wasn't in any way technically impressive. Think about your uncle that plays guitar on the weekend sometimes and at family parties. They aren't exactly practicing and putting any real effort into it, but it is still a thing they can do. What I'm trying to say, if Bill was actually practicing and trying to get better for 25 years, he'd have played a better solo.

[@FromTheRoomOfLittleEase]

@@SeanLaMontagne True, but on a horn you fo have to work up your emboucher (lip) so he would have had to prepared for weeks at least of he would be squeaking and squaking. Like me when I pick up mine now. Heh. I use it some times to create a Phil spector wall of sound/ single 5th note type pedal note thing in recordings and I have to get my lip up so I can blow for hours...and yes that would be how that is said, hahaha.

[@Just.Kidding]

As someone who plays a few instruments, one of which is the sax... yes and no. The saxophone does take longer than average to learn to produce a clean, clear tone. Even though it's a single-reed woodwind, embouchure (the position of the lips, tongue, teeth, and facial muscles) is still important, and difficult for beginners. However, other instruments also have their technical hurdles - guitarists must learn how to fret without muting adjacent strings, violinists have to learn how to use a fuckin bow (kill me), brass (and double-reed woodwind) players are heavily dependent on embouchure that has _drastic_ results from very minor adjustments, percussionists... hit things. Yeah lol, percussion/keyboards (although most keyboards, such as piano, are technically percussion) are the main exception. Like these other instruments, this initial hurdle doesn't take THAT long to get over, and while the sax is harder/takes longer than _average,_ there are certainly harder - the brass and bowed string families come to mind - but, just like with those, a student can start to reliably produce a clear tone after just a couple days of dedicated practice, at most. The other major thing here is that if Clinton really were practicing with dedication for decades, _he would not sound like _*_that._* Honestly, he sounds like a beginner. How long it takes someone to get the the level Clinton was at in the Arsenio clip varies - everybody's different, after all - but it could take anywhere from like a week or less for a gifted, disciplined student, or one familiar with similar instruments to a month or two for students who progress piece by piece, or who don't have much time to practice. As for picking it back up after a hiatus, it is like riding a bike to an extent. You won't instantly be at the level you were before, there is definitely a de-rusting period, but your muscles remember, even if its been years.

[@SeanLaMontagne]

@@Just.Kidding this is the best comment. "If he was practicing diligently for years, he wouldn't sound like that." & "It's kind of like riding a bike" *chefs kiss*

[@sirfizz6518]

Not necessary consistent practice all through one's life, but it's UNLIKELY (not impossible) that he played at that level (sure nowhere near pro but reasonable for an enthusiast with a demanding schedule lol) by brushing up on a hurry amidst a presidential campaign...

[@Saxplained]

Playing the saxophone actually prepares you pretty well to lead nations, it’s a natural progression

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

hahah 🎷 indeed

[@NickJohnsonSaxophone]

If this is true, vote for me in 2036

[@jobelthecoolkid]

Like a 2 5 1!!

[@thunderb00m]

Kenny G, President of the world

[@sirfizz6518]

@@jobelthecoolkid yooooooo i was gonna say just that lol. But in real world, progression not resolve...😏😄🔥💀😎

[@PM-zu3cz]

I can add some insight. My school hosted Bill Clinton while he was President. During his intro, he was going to walk past our school band. So the tenor sax player had the idea, "What if I have an extra sax set up, and we'll see if President Clinton will play with us.". Long story short, he did take us up on the offer, and the band played "Louie, Louie" a very basic song, just to give him the ability to join in as it was truly spur of the moment. Well, he did grab the sax, join in, and my friend said he was definitely playing for real. I don't know if that counts for anything, but that was my direct experience with him playing sax.

[@kevinli6790]

which school did you happen to go to? I think Bill visited mine as well.

[@nothingisawesome]

@@Robespierre-lI my main childhood memory of Bill Clinton is my dad ranting about how evil Bill was so i dunno, i hope thats true. and my dad is still ranting about Clintons and demoncrats but now thats the norm i suppose

[@soyreeng8864]

Clinton played sax in Jr high and high school. What'd the big deal. Alot of people were in band. I was in band. There's lots of soprano.alto.tenor.baritone sax players on this planet lol

[@noisepuppet]

"Jump back, Jack! Nobody hacks my sax!" --Bill Clinton, probably

[@sirboomsalot4902]

@@nothingisawesomeMake no mistake, the Clintons definitely did some bad things. But they are humans too, and humans do both good and bad

[@willychilton]

Phil - the extensive research it must have taken to get all this 1990s archival footage, your mustache, your studio - its all fantastic. Loved the video. Proud of you.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks will. i was supposed to see carlos today but i got covid. we would have talked about you. :(

[@readingthepsalms7513]

I couldn’t believe my ears when you mentioned Vaclev Havel. His 1978 essay, ‘The Power of the Powerless’ is a fabulous piece of Soviet era criticism. They way it speaks even to lowly interpersonal relationships makes the essay even better. To hear that he gave a sax to Bill and chilled in a club warms my heart.

[@jasongreek2342]

Holy crap. The Simpsons... crazy vaclav's place of automobiles. "Put it in H!"

[@adamjenkins190]

Very well stated

[@fearsomefawkes6724]

I think you missed the biggest argument for him being a sax man. He can play. Experts might not think he's great, but he clearly wasn't new at it.

[@SuprousOxide]

I don't think he ever meant to present himself as an expert sax player. Just something he sometimes did in his free time.

[@adamjenkins190]

Exactly. He may not be an accomplished sax player, but he clearly knew how to play it. I've been playing guitar most of my life. Almost 40 years. I don't consider myself good by any means, but I know how to play the instrument.

[@zacharyklein9520]

Bill Clinton: renowned saxophone player and reformed orthodox rabbi. Oh and I guess he was president or something idk

[@Mikewee777]

Gay sex criminals are still upset about a adult female's blue dress Clinton allegedly squirted jizz into .

[@olavsantiago]

Have vague memories of him playing the sax, but didn't know he was such a sax geek

[@neonsashimidream1075]

This just in: man who dedicated all the years of practice and study necessary to not only become technically proficient on a very difficult musical instrument but also to understand the musical forms required to be able to improvise and express emotion with that instrument (also requiring a profound knowledge and appreciation for that music and those forms), actually likes to play that musical instrument.

[@Ghost456t]

I love that the topic gave an excuse to have laid back jazz in the background. Really made me enjoy the bideo just for the music. Also when you said Bill Clinton had a "love afair with Kenny G," really didn't think you were going to end that with Kenny G. Kinda was hoping you wouldn't actually, because that would have definitely made for a intersting twist in the saxiphone story. 😂

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

yeah how do i get smooth jazz in all my videos, thats the question...

[@throttleblip1]

You are the only vox employee still making things interesting! Your videos stick out on vox for being better than others!

[@andremaldonado7410]

Might want to check out Johnny Harris then, he's been making good stuff for a lil bit

[@joshuastoltzfus4910]

@@andremaldonado7410 Vince may have meant current employee.

[@throttleblip1]

@@andremaldonado7410 I wasn't trying to steal views to Johnny's channel and I think his channel is less fun these days since he has others doing most of the work

[@graham2014]

@@andremaldonado7410 Also perhaps this is just me, but the whole style of his channel really bothers me. Like he prints out tons of papers (needlessly) and goes “yeah I do lots of research guys,” but then his story is based off like one source. Disregarding the fact he was also exposed to be making propaganda for the WEF.

[@clard52]

Carlos maza also doing pretty good but not a current employee I guess...

[@deborahmatatall]

I always thought the Saxophone Moment was about making Bill seem like a regular person, rather than another politician. He has always been extremely personable and this was just one more layer to that skillset. I found it very appealing and I wasn’t that young. I was approaching 40.🌸

[@melissacooper8724]

It was exactly that. Not only did he get elected but it also raised saxophone sales!

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

After all it’s all about who you’d want to have a beer with.

[@Maki-00]

I was 18 and it was my first time voting back then and yes, he seemed so cool at that moment!

[@CalvinsWorldNews]

I just saw it as more BS, like his successor "W" pretending to be a regular guy from Texas (despite being New England aristocracy). Even today you have Biden repeatedly telling that debunked Amtrak story. Clinton spent those years with Epstein on the Island and would be in jail if he wasn't "extremely personable" with people in power. The nonsense when every candidate goes for a lite beer with some low-wage worker, pretending they're both the same, is what led to where we are now. It says a lot that it took someone as loathable as his wife Hilary to lose that election to Trump. One viewed half the country (women) with disregard, the other viewed half the country (the 'basket of deplorables') with open contempt. A few tens of thousands of votes decided it.

[@sethbieber5127]

You look great for being close to 80

[@ericcarabetta1161]

I (unknowingly) peed next to Ross Perot at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Hall back in '94. I came out of the restroom and my dad says; "Do you know who that was?", (I didn't because I was only 10), "That was Ross Perot! He was the guy that ran for president!". I said, "Ohh cool, he said hi to me." Lol. And that's my memory of Ross Perot.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

This is a weird thing to be jealous of, but I kinda am.

[@mikemcaulay9507]

He was the most charismatic President since Kennedy. I was staunchly Republican at the time but even I was caught up in his persona. He felt incredibly personable. And his campaign team was top notch. They ran an ad showing Bush saying "Read my lips, no new taxes." Which turned out to have been false though it's arguable if that could be laid at Bush Seniors feet. If I recall in the same ad Bush had made promises about how Americans would be better off in the years of his presidency and things had gone pretty sour for many. So the add shows him making this great series of promises then cuts to a black screen with white text saying (with an excellent genial voice over) "So, how are you doing?" Pure freaking genius. It didn't feel nasty or heavily political. The tone of voice was that of just a friendly check in. Bill Clinton really was a different breed of politician. As cynical as it can look in reflection, he came across as fundamentally genuine and an amicable guy.

[@ernestov1777]

Italian here, one of my favorite presidents. So many people tried to discredit him with gossip and scandals but as an history major i can tell you he is well received.

[@robertgraham2656]

Great saxophone player and for his station in life, Bill does an amazing job of coming across as a regular guy. When I envision the devil, I can't think of anyone more like him than Bill Clinton. I mean, you know he's evil. You know bad things will happen when he's around but somehow, you still feel like you want him around. It's no wonder he became president. I checked my dictionary and sure enough, there's a photo of Bill next to the definition of charisma. He's smoooooth.

[@brt5273]

Well he certainly wasn't any worse than most of the ones I've seen in my lifetime. His impeachment for lying about having an extramarital affair seems rather quaint at this stage in the big game.

[@fuckcensorship69]

​@@brt5273 Waco? OKC.....responsible for children burned alive ...but hey, it's cool brother

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

It was Reagan in 1980 who first made the whole "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" famous. And I think Trump said much the same in a debate too. Obama used a similar strategery (as Rush Limbaugh would say) when he made McCain out to be "Bush Lite" which McCain replied, "Senator Obama, I am not Pres'znt Bush. If you wanted to run against Pres'znt Bush, you shoulda run four years ago."

[@PrivateEye10]

"Hey Clinton! Get back to work!"

[@Bflorio12]

Make me!

[@diegofel99]

So is that the orthodox Rabbi playing the saxophone?

[@onlinefriend3889]

Also the Gamer of the Year!

[@benklingman]

I enjoyed this video way more than I thought, very well done as always!

[@franzfanz]

I can't believe you threw such a priceless artifact on the floor. It should be in the Smithsonian!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

i'll speed dial a conservator right now!

[@dalegaliniak607]

I think Bill Clinton did exactly what you do with this channel. I get the vibe that you're actually interested in the topics you cover. Because you can post them on youTube, get some experience making videos like this, maybe get some ad revenue and boost your resume, you do, but I get the impression that even if youTube wasn't a thing, you'd still go down internet rabbit holes about random topics you found interesting. And, tbh, this is what makes your channel better than the people who are just trying to post the latest trend.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks!

[@damienrockstarthholyonofg3103]

yes, this is exactly what I found interesting about this channel. Ditto! The investigation is perfect and I'm convinced. Good work

[@steelers3321]

I thought this was going to be you saying Bill didn’t actually play the sax and it was a recording HAHA

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

good Milli Vanilli crossover opportunity

[@throttleblip1]

I mean most of the times he's playing there is another sax player there...Its in top secret files next to aliens and real jfk shooter...the aliens

[@FromTheRoomOfLittleEase]

@@throttleblip1 Yeeaah...probably not needed. I played in high school. It's not that hard to play what he plays. It's actually very believable. They teach chubby grubby 12 year old boys this skill every year all over america. Like guitar, piano, accordion it's one of those instruments that anyone can learn but few can _master._

[@daffyrwt]

I was in the 1st or 2nd grade at the time so I was oblivious to what was going on politically, but I do remember that moment was immortalized in the Animaniacs intro theme. Never understood it until a handful of years later.

[@MrBaskins2010]

saw kenny in the first inauguration clip and started sweating. that man is smoother than vaseline at a bowling alley. thought you'd go the whole video without mentioning him but 7:48 is where justice resides

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

lol gorelick cannot be silenced

[@TK-_-GZ]

algorithmic punch! (In elementary school we got a new principal, and in her introduction she played a flute, as she was a fairly talented flautist. At the time, I didn't really have the words for it, but I remember thinking it was an odd thing to do, as it did not seem to have a lot to do with her job, a job that in the end that wasn't really about her, but the kids in her stead. But thinking about it, this was about the mid 90s, a few years before Monica Lewinsky, and I wonder if part of her motivation for this style of introduction was Clinton's performances with his sax. In any case great video, gave me some things to think about.)

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

haha just imagining this epic flute solo...

[@nvrndingsmmr]

Lol at the thought of an elementary schooler watching a talented flute player perform for free and only thinking "What practical purpose does this serve?" in confusion instead of "Wow, music is beautiful, this flute player is pretty cool, what a cool principal." XD

[@stevenjlovelace]

This really makes me realize how long ago 1992 was! Clinton was our first Boomer president, back when Baby Boomers weren't all old. It's amazing how something like appearing on a MTV special was really avant-garde then, and now just seems weird and dated.

[@RichV20]

Bush was 68 and Clinton was a spry 45. Bush was the Golden Girls age. Clinton was 3 years younger than Mick Jagger, but 5 years older than Sting. He fit right in on Arsenio and MTV. People daydreamed about what a young Boomer in the White House would look like after 12 year of geriatric, senior-citizens holding the top job.

[@daniexists6]

Now I get it. Those of whom know their animation history know that the original Animaniacs theme had a nod to Bill Clinton via a verse saying "While Bill Clinton Plays The Sax." I never understood that joke until now.

[@JohnHarrerHorses]

I remember Clinton as being one of the first candidates to “feel” like he got the common man. Wasn’t in the MTV interview that they asked the scandalous “boxer or brief” question? I also wonder what really happened to Ross Perot? He was making a charge, then dropped out and came back in, but it was too late. I always wonder what kind of president he would have made.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

I thought the boxer or brief thing was in this too, but I couldn't find it! Musta been somewhere else. And also I am captivated by the Perot dropout too.

[@EliStettner]

@@PhilEdwardsInc Ross Perot was compelled to drop out because of some political intelligence against his daughter which was being held against him.

[@icouldntthinkofaname379]

As someone mentioned above, it was because of I think the Bush campaign threatening to make his daughter's wedding a big scandal in the press and all that jazz. Though, to be honest, its unlikely he would've won. A three-way Electoral College tie would end up in the House of Representatives, and there's no way Perot was winning that. Plus, he would've lost ground anyway later on when Clinton started moving up in the polls and the economy improved somewhat, which would've helped Bush. If you handwave it and make him President... well, he would've tried pulling out of NAFTA/refused to sign the deal. He would've tried to balance the budget (there was a political will for this at the time so maybe he would've succeeded). Otherwise, with an uncooperative congress, I doubt many of his other signature proposals would've made it through. But who knows.

[@danishzahurr]

In a nutshell, Bill happened to have a hobby and passion that also helped him win the election, when used at the right time for right audience.

[@likebot.]

I think it was 1995 when I heard about the sax. I was watching Animaniacs and the theme song clued me in.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

most modern knowledge can be traced to yakko, wakko, and dot

[@likebot.]

@@PhilEdwardsInc My ♥ belongs to the Warner Sister

[@ilRosewood]

I’m surprised there wasn’t an animaniacs clip in there.

[@SamiJ1508]

The saxophone is really the perfect instrument to play for a presidential candidate. It's classic enough to appeal to old people but rock and roll enough to appeal to young people

[@crankyreed]

When you said "love affair" I thought you would be taking it a very different direction 😂

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

only on the Phil Edwards AFTER DARK channel.

[@DELC1]

If anyone is looking for the smooth jazz song at 1:13, it’s called Neroli by Ennio Mano

[@Dimitri-Jordania]

I saw Bill Clinton go into the bookstore when i went to Berklee back in '12/'13 (College of Music, Bahstin MA not CA) like the sidewalk was shut down & huge crowd was out, they only had music books there (at the time at least, or merch) so he def legitimately plays/loves music/is trying to get better. That one thing is certain.

[@SmokeyChipOatley]

Back in the 90s Nickelodeon had an SNL-style show called All That. One of the younger female cast members played Ross Perot as a running semi-regular character. When I was a kid I had zero political knowledge so I never “got it” but now that I’m older and more familiar with him from old clips I think it was absolutely hilarious. I know this is only tangentially related to the video but I still felt I needed to mention it since I hardly ever hear him talked about anymore.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

i will always accept an all that reference

[@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917]

Ross Perot is like the Bernie Sanders of his time. If I remember right, everyone was hyping him up, but he lost so badly it was embarrassing. People were like "Nah, it's not his fault, it was his running mate being an idiot, and Bill's saxophone playing." So, everyone stopped talking about Ross and instead spent the decade bringing up Bill's saxophone playing, instead. I think that's why no one remembers him. It's like how Bernie only really became memorable when he was memed on ("I am once again asking for your financial support.") while all of "Look at this perfect, gentle man. He's so wonderful that a bird sat on his shoulder," made his campaign extremely forgettable.

[@visionop8]

I liked the comment. Makes sense to me lol

[@monicarenee7949]

Same. I don’t remember the real Perot, just the skit and cartoon versions lol

[@RichV20]

@@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917 Ross Perot was very similar to Bernie Sanders shaking up the election. Ross Perot was even bigger. He lost, but won 19% of the vote. Not bad, and the best third party candidate showing in a long time. He sabotaged himself in 1992 and might have come in second and won some states.

[@The_Sofa_King]

It’s very interesting to see this moment as it shows some willingness to listen to the younger crowd yet promising nothing.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

haha yeah definitely not much promised for them! i suppose that's to be expected for the big moment of boomer ascendancy

[@jenniferbates2811]

Gen Xer here, I remember this, I watched this. I was high school, Clinton was the first president I voted for. Many people were fascinated by Perot he wasn't really taken seriously.

[@ChiefsFanInSC]

When Clinton was running in '92 he was in TOP form . He was SMOOOOOOOOOTH on the debate stage.

[@mrwarr]

You mentioned Ross Perot. I think I need a deep dive on America’s most successful 3rd party candidate. I’d love to hear your take, but in the meantime…to the internet!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

Ugh yes I really want to understand Perot better. I think he's so important. Could spend a whole video just on Admiral Stockdale!

[@nickkoenigs5837]

@@PhilEdwardsInc Stockdale was the worst VP pick until Palin.

[@ilRosewood]

Perot’s story is wild and at least around here his general message still resonates to this day. Many republicans in TX OK KS area would probably jump from the GOP given an alternative … at least until you factor religion in 😢

[@Crow7878]

He was not the most successful 3rd party candidate in American history, though. The most successful third party candidate would actually be Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 Presidential Election. After the Republican Party renominated President Taft over former President Teddy after his bid to regain the nomination failed, the Bull Moose started "The Progressive Party," a short-lived political party and ran for President, gaining 27.4% of the popular vote and winning 6 states netting him 88 electors (compared to Ross Perot's best performance in 1992 Presidential Elections 80 years later with 18.9% of the popular vote and zero electors from having won zero states), putting him in second place ahead of the actual Republican nominee President Taft who got 23.2% of the vote and 8 electors from winning two states. Still, Woodrow Wilson won the race ultimately, having gotten 41.8% of the electoral vote and won 40 states netting him 435 electors on account of the ridiculous amount of vote splitting between Taft and Roosevelt voters allowing Wilson to secure such important Republican strongholds as New York and Ohio.

[@jefftomasello3258]

@@nickkoenigs5837 Research Admiral Stockdale and you will be shocked to learn that he was a highly intelligent brave man and war hero. The image you are referring is to the fake news media of the day that destroyed the reputation of this man. He was he best man out of all the candidates that year and there hasn't been a better one since except for President Trump!

[@moonyKristy]

Long-time listener, first-time commenter 👋 Really really love these titbit deep dives you’re doing but gotta say, this one’s so far the best yet! Thank you for making these, Phil. The only thing missing from perfection is a clip from the Animaniacs intro referencing Bill’s sax 😄 as a non-American and a kid then, that was the reason I learned about it actually! Also, one last note: regarding Havel’s name, 'Vaclav' is actually meant to be pronounced kinda like [vatzlav], think of the 'c' in Czech being sort of like a German 'z'.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thank you- and yeah I'm mad I missed the Animaniacs - totally forgot about it, even as a Wakko fan!

[@readingthepsalms7513]

Dude - your Animaniacs reference is sublime. Your pronunciation help on Vaclev is greatly appreciated.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

Also oy sorry about Vaclav - I have been really falling on my face with the European names lately. Will fix!

[@moonyKristy]

Thank you @@PhilEdwardsIncand no worries at all! It was mostly just a tiny titbit I wanted to share ☺️

[@Ephisus]

Always impressed with the editing in your content.

[@natheniel]

So erm, as a musician and music instrument nerd, 8:36 tells me Bill Clinton really does like saxophones. Adolph Sax is the inventor of the saxophone (his name’s in the instrument’s name). To acquire one made by Sax himself would be a dream for any saxophonists.

[@4rumani]

He was also my favorite reformed orthodox rabbi

[@SaceedAbul]

This story makes me miss the 90s. Truly the golden age of America

[@ZipplyZane]

I agree that it was both. In fact, I suspect it was something he was into that he decided could be useful politically. It wouldn't work very well if he picked something he wasn't actually into. The skill is in finding what it is you are into that you can make into a political advantage. Obama, to a lesser extent, had his basketball stuff. And notice how both talked about smoking weed (though Clinton said he didn't inhale).

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

You should see the "inhale" riff in Arsenio. It turns into this 3 minute story about him trying to inhale but not being cool enough to do it. It's pretty funny.

[@donovankriasol]

hasta yo recuerdo a Bill tocando el Sax. fue muy importante en la polictica

[@TheBrewdonkey]

Bill knows all about blowing.

[@bjt81366]

The main reason Bill Clinton went on Arsenio Hall to play the sex was to get a stranglehold on the black vote. At that time Ross Perot was killing it in a black community. He was extremely successful, a billionaire yet down the Earth and it played well in the black community, especially with black men. Once Bill Clinton played the sacks on arsenio Hall (a black comedian who was taking on the standard late night brand) with those shades on it was a wrap. Slam dunk move one of the greatest political moves I've ever seen.

[@amazinggrace5692]

Clinton (Bill, that is) was the first president nearer to my age group than to my parents and also the first one I voted for that won. He also wrote a personalized letter back to my daughter when, as a young child with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, she wrote exhorting him to enact his healthcare plan. It took Clinton’s opponent (Hillary, that is), Obama to pass the act that saved my the. 26 year old daughter from being without any healthcare at all when her RA and other autoimmune problems had gotten much worse.

[@BalderOdinson]

Well discussed! I feel the one piece you left out however, is that it is (and was) rare for a politician to let his guard down and show us something other than polished talking points. This was a definite non-talking-points moment that struck the nation as unusual, but in a good way. example of bad way: Howard Dean's 2004 "Yeaa-aah!"

[@jalowery1246]

It depends on what your definition of "is" is....nostalgia

[@robkunkel8833]

A person who plays a woodwind runs against the grain because we only play single notes. No chords. It is a feeling of power. Strong sounds. To do it well enough (as a saxophonist) is a strong feeling. Yes, a man having fun with an instrument he loved.

[@VeeFerns]

I can't believe the orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton played the sax in thingy

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

Check it out at 5:18. Just under the highlighted portion, it says that Jon Stewart was the host of the Saxophone Club's $250-a-head buffet. Jon Stewart didn't start hosting the Daily Show until 1999. So in 1992, he was mainly known as the obscure host of an MTV show called You Wrote It, You Watch It, where members of The State would act out skits sent in by MTV viewers.

[@Masterman274]

Its a good day for yet another banger from ya

[@OstensiblyJakob]

Exceedingly interesting deep dive, thank you for it! A tiny pet peeve of mine, though, is that Schrodinger came up with the thought experiment to show the paradox that arises when applying quantum models to classical objects. It's not to say the cat actually would be both states at the same time, it's saying that is an obvious impossibility and that likely both quantum and classical physics are incomplete.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

totally reasonable pet peeve! i think you're on point to mention it, i just got too taken with the analogy.

[@skeven0]

As a Belgian, im happy that the sax is such a wonderfull instrument

[@rabolli1030]

Of eldin ring fame

[@Rondo2ooo]

Somebody felt inspired and wanted to play Bill's sax, too.

[@robplaysguitar93]

This is my new favorite KZbin channel. Thank you for teaching me bitesized things!

[@lordsiomai]

I'm not American so there's every chance I'm wrong, but I like to think that he just loves playing sax and one day the thought suddenly came to him that: "Hey you know what would be good for the polls? I should play the sax on live TV! It'll make me hip with the kids".

[@triciac.5078]

I was 16 when he appeared on Arsenio Hall show. And yes I thought it was reaching the youth vote. The idea of Bush appearing on any late night talk show was just ridiculous. I know I felt that Clinton was the only one listening to people under 50.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

watching some of the bush archival jabs at clinton definitely show the contrast

[@RichV20]

FDR, JFK, Reagan, and Clinton all expertly used their new mediums for victory.

[@wooddogg8]

Great video, I enjoyed it. Sorry you broke your "Uptown Bill", lol, it was worth the scene though

[@robertruschak7083]

Great coverage 🚀

[@ilRosewood]

That doll looks more like Boris yeltzen than Clinton.

[@KlausKusserow-ClassicalGuitar]

10:43 Didn't Quentin Tarantino made a movie about that? :-)))

[@yo-sefakimbey7009]

Bill Clinton playing saxophone on Arsenio Hall wearing no shades It was him going after the black vote. He was going for a blues man vibe, and the blues man was still relatively a popular image at that time. He for sure was playing blue saxophone on Arsenio Hall for the Blackfoot

[@yo-sefakimbey7009]

Yikes.. wearing *those* shades. He was for sure playing *Blues* saxophone on Arsenio Hall for the *Black vote*

[@RichV20]

He was trying to court the 18-45 Gen X and Boomer vote. The Black vote had been 90% Dem in 1988. Although it went down to 83% in 1992 when 7% voted for Perot instead. It wasnt really for the black vote. They werent voting for Bush, thats for sure.

[@hardcoreherbivore4730]

Before watching the video - I’ll say he’s appealing to black voters. That trick worked so good, it sustained itself through Hillary, to Bernie’s dismay.

[@hardcoreherbivore4730]

Post video - Pretty close The same reason George W was regularly filmed in staged scenarios working on the farm in Texas. 🤠

[@RetroPlus]

I laughed when you hurled the Bill Clinton figure across the room

[@amandajones6241]

I always love watching your content, fun topics presented with awesome journalism :)

[@frankypainter]

Dot is cute and yakko yaks wakko packs away the snacks

[@retroactiveIifestyle]

I only clicked on this video to find this comment if it was here or leave it if it wasn't

[@misswinnie4.8]

Good work. I remember watching the show from my dormitory.

[@bes03c]

I learned about his playing the sax from the Animaniacs theme song.

[@z.r.r4593]

My school somehow ended up with one of Bill Clinton’s saxophones, signed and everything. We have a whole bunch of musical memorabilia, but I personally find that one to be the coolest.

[@ernestov1777]

History major here. This video is pure gold. It has helped me with studying the 90s America. And I'm from Italy so it's not that easy for me

[@Jun-fm1kp]

The KZbin Algorithm is beautiful

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

🎷🤖

[@jannetteberends8730]

Not about his sax, but about Kinky Friedman. Clinton is a fan of Friedman. And I love this anecdote: Bill Clinton, who explains how Friedman once offered him one of his inevitable Cuban cigars. Due to the boycott, Clinton could not accept the cigar, to which Friedman said: 'Don't see it as supporting their economy, but as burning their crops

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

Haha, Kinky Friedman, haven't thought of him in a bit. He'd be a good video too.

[@clarewillison9379]

I thought he played sax but didn’t exhale 😉

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

he makes a joke like that in arsenio!

[@KittyToothSalad]

I never saw Bill Clinton playing the sax on Arsenio. But I did see him play it on Animaniacs every day after school.

[@louisestaats234]

Robert Byrd, Mountain Fiddler. "Make your fiddle case your briefcase."

[@teamjay2837]

I have a different take on it, having meet Bill Clinton. There's a third element besides his love of the saxophone vs. being politically calculating. That element is his public persona. I interacted with him when he was in front of and out of the view of the public. Two different people. As soon as he steps out in front of people his public persona switches on. Even when he's not campaigning for someone it can come across as schmoozy and disingenuous. It looks like he's being political, even when he isn't. He's worn his public persona for so long I don't think he can turn it off.

[@JH-pe3ro]

I was still in second grade when the Clinton Sax happened. I grew somewhat aware of it, probably because my parents watched too much news and it got parodied elsewhere. But having gone back and studied the cultural period in detail later, and having experience with a fair few social climbers in entertainment, I have some suspicion that his liking the saxophone and always wearing the public persona are the same thing: If, early in life, he decided that he was going to present as an all-audiences crowd-pleaser, he would develop hobbies that forwarded that, and saxophone is a pretty good one for a young person in the 1950's - not as radical as electric guitar, not as stuffy as piano or violin. There's a more conspiratorial explanation at hand, which is that by the time Clinton ran for president, he was already in a position to have popular culture make waves for him. There are very distinct eras in pop culture that are tied to election cycles - which, on its face, is a case of audiences always wanting to buy representation of their beliefs, and the market responding in kind by changing narratives and aesthetics to suit the climate. But it can also be seen in inverted form as a conspiracy to shape culture. Articles have been written about how "new sounds" were pushed top-down through the music industry; all industries have some element of being tied to powerful interests through investment and lobbying, and so popular culture's gatekeepers are always agreeable to the sentiment, "what's good for politics is good for culture", provided it's ultimately in their self-interest. That is, if Kenny G was a breakout success in 1986, that's not a simple measure of merit and advancement in his career. That could be forces in the Democratic party saying, "we'd like to position Clinton to look good for '88, could you promote this Kenny guy a little more?" But likewise it could also be the case that the demographic of Boomer saxophone enthusiasts was reaching its peak, and both Clinton and Kenny G were riding that wave - Clinton deliberately, but Kenny by chance. Both explanations could be true and without specific evidence, it's hard to say whether the direction is bottom-up or top-down.

[@joseybryant7577]

Bill played the sax on national television. Mac Tonight, a musical moon disappeared from airwaves around that time. Coincidence? That's for the conspiracy theorists to decide.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

AND CLINTON LOVED MCDONALDS!!!

[@RichV20]

Mac Tonight I heard went Alt-Right at that time

[@m0L3ify]

I just have a hard time believing he actually played live, which isn't a criticism of him, just the show. My High School marching band played on the Arsenio Hall Show around the same time, and even though all we ever did was play live, the producers made us pre-record our performance and then fake it on camera, silently pretending to play. I wonder if they did the same for Bill to make sure the performance was perfect. TV is a weird platform.

[@TherealShabbadang]

Yes, it certainly looks like playback

[@dalegaliniak607]

As far as Schrodinger's Sax goes, I feel like that sort of move _only_ works when the person doing it can legitimately nerd out over it. I think politics is littered with people trying to appeal to their voters by showing a "real" side of themselves that voters can relate to, only to get smelled as phony a mile away. Clinton could pull this off because he actually _could_ nerd out over the sax, and probably would if he never got involved in politics. I remember an old acting coach give the advice, if you want to be liked, be interested, not interesting. Allowing yourself to nerd out over something ,and unashamedly gush over it, is a very infectious trait, and works a ton better than trying to craft a persona you think people will like. I think other politicians can learn from that, if they want to actually connect with voters, like Clinton did.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

Yeah I think you have to lean into the eccentricities to make people look normal sometimes.

[@johnpinneriv9958]

"What really happened when Bill Clinton played the sax" Yakko packed away the snacks?

[@JaykPuten]

Love the basement setup now... Looks perfect!

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks! will take any recs to improve though!

[@JaykPuten]

@@PhilEdwardsInc actually you 100% have it.. you look like you belong in that space and that it's where you wanna be... I know I've made recommendations in the past, but now.. how it all looks how comfortable you seem to be in the setup, it just wouldn't be Phil's little "let me show you this cool stuff I have to share with everyone" space if you changed it now... Of course as Dennis Miller used to say(I'm really dating myself that I was born in the 80s here) "that's just my opinion, I could be wrong"

[@pontifixmax]

Donald Trump to Ross Perot: "Hold my Diet Coke".

[@TheLedonne3]

Clinton was also wearing a leather jacket quite often during this time period. I can remember my history teacher telling the class that him wearing the jacket was so he could appeal to a younger demographic. My teacher had pointed out the jacket looked brand new, off the rack, like it was being worn for the first time. None of that mattered to my sophomore history class, in our eyes, our then potenital future president played the sax, did an interview on MTV and wore leather- we were won over.

[@kevinzhang6623]

"I did not have saxual relations with that instrument"

[@KayAteChef]

10:52 It is actually Boris Yeltsin confusing a sax for a stil.

[@GladmanNow]

As a northern moderate progressive roughly the same age as Clinton I can’t claim to having lived a totally righteous life of political integrity but I have always found Clinton’s triangulating presidency at least as heart breaking as living through Nixon and Reagan. Clinton saving his political skin by adopting big chunks of Republican positions on crime and poverty, his willingness to ditch retraining workers (it’s not that part of the economy, stupid) while repeatedly finding excuses to fire rockets into Iraq, his abysmal derangement of pro sexual masculinity, his best attempt to be his primal saxophone self while revealing his dog whistle vicious willingness to demonize a black woman artist whose racial wounding and marginalization he never had to endure for a minute. No, his loving to play saxophone never made me wanna play in his DNC band.

[@bufordhighwater9872]

You are one helluva video journalist/essayist. Subscribing to your channel is easily one of the best KZbin choices I've ever made. As far as Clinton goes, I remember the mock election in my 7th grade Social Studies class going extremely well for Ross Perot, with him gaining more votes than Bush and Clinton combined.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

thanks a lot!! ha i think i was also at a school where perot did pretty well in the mock election (though i think bush won)

[@Jessie_Helms]

So who else thought “sax” was a euphemism?

[@williamslater-vf5ym]

This misses an important point. In that time period, sax was considered the "cool" instrument, in the world of classical instruments. It sounded "sexy". This was an incredibly smart move by Clinton. He wasn't good, but he could play. And we are all suffering today because Bill Clinton could kind of play sax.

[@Bflorio12]

That Clinton Sax Toy looks like a cross between Jay Leno and Boris Yeltsin

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

The blush on his cheeks up close is....an interesting choice.

[@LioraLand1]

He played RockNRoll Hoochie Koo with us in the marching band at Arkansas State U. In Jonesboro. This was 1988. He just loves to play (and be in the spotlight) and so will play anywhere.

[@ehrenloudermilk1053]

Even as a child, this all seemed so blatant and obvious. Thanks for the rundown, Ive been curioius for decades

[@kenshinjenna]

I've always seen it as a way to humanize, or further develop, the character of Bill Clinton in our minds. Knowing something that seems pointless within the context of another person's obligations to oneself tends to breed feelings of familiarity with said person.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

The same uptown bill doll came in the dancing baby variety. I have that one. Thanks Alley McBeal.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

dancing baby!!!!! now that needs a video

[@trainman476]

Btw the Uptown bill you reviewed in the video is made by a company called YS Toys, there's another square base version that plays Surrender by Dave Koz.

[@PhilEdwardsInc]

wow this is fantastically niche info

[@trainman476]

@@PhilEdwardsInc thx that square base version is made my metro toys.

[@rdklarnet55]

He played my Sax instructor’s Sax…Rich Chairaluce…and i played that Sax…so it’s like i kissed Bill Clinton…indirectly. It was awesome!

[@patrickporter6536]

Check those shades, man! 😂