150 Microsoft Employees Release a New Music Video: 'Microsoft: The Musical' (theverge.com) 53
Microsoft's 2019 summer interns have created Microsoft: the Musical, an 8-minute video whose director describes it as "a Tony Awards-style musical theater opening number."
Long-time Slashdot reader Your Average Joe shared the Verge's article about the video: 150 full-time employees and interns at Microsoft have volunteered their mornings, weekends, and nights to create a Microsoft musical video. The video was shot in various buildings at Microsoft's corporate campus in Redmond, Washington and it features interns and staff members singing and dancing about how it's "all happening here."
It starts off with a section about co-founder Bill Gates, before some classic lines like "all around the world our products are well known, except for when we tried to make a phone!" The musical even briefly acknowledges the company missing a beat with Vista, and features former CEO Steve Ballmer's famous "developers, developers, developers" chant.
The video's description on YouTube says the music is "coming soon" to Apple's iTunes store as well as Spotify.
Directed by one of Microsoft's data science interns, it opens with a narrator remembering that "There once was a lad whose eyesight was bad, but his vision was crystal clear. He looked a line that was clearly defined and declined to align by its rigid design." (Was that a reference to the antitrust case Microsoft settled in 2001?) A later lyric emphasizes that "more than plain old gadgets is the gall that makes the magic..."
The narrator then introduces a woman with a book as Bill Gates, explaining to her that "These days, Bill Gates is more of an idea."
I think it's appalling that there's absolutely no mention of recently-deceased Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. (Although they found room for a tongue-in-cheek reference to "Clippy's strength of will.") But among other things, this whole video project really begs the question: what else did they leave out about Microsoft?
Long-time Slashdot reader Your Average Joe shared the Verge's article about the video: 150 full-time employees and interns at Microsoft have volunteered their mornings, weekends, and nights to create a Microsoft musical video. The video was shot in various buildings at Microsoft's corporate campus in Redmond, Washington and it features interns and staff members singing and dancing about how it's "all happening here."
It starts off with a section about co-founder Bill Gates, before some classic lines like "all around the world our products are well known, except for when we tried to make a phone!" The musical even briefly acknowledges the company missing a beat with Vista, and features former CEO Steve Ballmer's famous "developers, developers, developers" chant.
The video's description on YouTube says the music is "coming soon" to Apple's iTunes store as well as Spotify.
Directed by one of Microsoft's data science interns, it opens with a narrator remembering that "There once was a lad whose eyesight was bad, but his vision was crystal clear. He looked a line that was clearly defined and declined to align by its rigid design." (Was that a reference to the antitrust case Microsoft settled in 2001?) A later lyric emphasizes that "more than plain old gadgets is the gall that makes the magic..."
The narrator then introduces a woman with a book as Bill Gates, explaining to her that "These days, Bill Gates is more of an idea."
I think it's appalling that there's absolutely no mention of recently-deceased Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. (Although they found room for a tongue-in-cheek reference to "Clippy's strength of will.") But among other things, this whole video project really begs the question: what else did they leave out about Microsoft?
Oh Dear... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
why does the phrase "Stay in your lane" come to mind?
Diane or Nathan?
Re: Oh Dear... (Score:2)
Weren't they supposed to be... (Score:3)
Oh, I don't know... WORKING?!!?! WTF is this? Summer stock?!
Tried watching it, but ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Mine blue screen. Oh wait, I don't use W10. ;P
Except for when they tried to make a phone (Score:1)
Too Zune.
I wouldn't exactly say "missed"... (Score:2)
But a couple things come to mind:
- Windows Genuine Advantage
- Blue Screen of Court Slideshow
- Microsoft Weapons Development projects.
Simmer down (Score:3, Insightful)
I think it's appalling that there's absolutely no mention of recently-deceased Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. (Although they found room for a tongue-in-cheek reference to "Clippy's strength of will.") But among other things, this whole video project really begs the question: what else did they leave out about Microsoft?
Take a chill pill, it's just a gag. If you are appalled that interns did something just for fun you have more serious concerns to deal with in your life.
Perhaps this can be that one thing today we don't get outraged over?
Resistance is Futile (Score:2)
Meanwhile, in China... (Score:5, Interesting)
...tech executives are rubbing their hands thinking, "we'll crush these fools within the decade!" Seriously, when we have "data science interns" who are far more interested making musicals than data science, it's apparent there's no hope for the future.
Young people have been destroyed by an education system obsessed with telling them how creative and special they are, and now those people are entering the workforce, they believe that working is below them. Instead they want protest about what their employers are doing, chastise themselves for their privilege, make musicals, and do anything but what they're supposed to be doing. When they do work, they all want to be "innovative" and "creative" which generally involves taking functional software and turning it into worthless trash.
In China they're producing a highly educated, highly productive and highly motivated workforce who will eat these snowflakes for breakfast. China's tech revolution is only getting started, but they've already taken two of the top three spots in the smartphone market with Huawei and Xiaomi, and their growth will only continue. Meanwhile, our decedent, useless workforce will be busy protesting their own employers, demanding gender neutral washrooms, and finding ever more things to be offended about.
It's clear that the age of the US tech dominance is coming to an end, and the current stagnation will be followed by slow decline as the workforce becomes increasingly inept, unproductive and ineffective. We're utterly fucked.
Counterpoint (Score:5, Interesting)
While I was watching the video, it also occurred to me that, "Wow, these computer science / data science interns have quite a diverse array of talents!" But I wasn't cynical about that train of thought; on the contrary, I was quite surprised.
The music video told me that, not only does Microsoft have interns with multiple creative talents, it also told me Microsoft wants creative diversity on its team. I think they see this as a strength, not a weakness. Yes, China is a dominant technology producer. But China's greatest weakness is that it is -not- creative nor innovative. Remember: China got where it is today because it was an intellectual property pirate. It stole all its modern technology and ideas from other companies and countries. It does not have a creative bone in its body. It trains its citizens to be mindless workers working 60+ hour work weeks tirelessly to glorify the might of the empire and its national party.
I think creativity is quite valuable, and I'm happy that Microsoft seeks out creative workers to hire as interns.
Re: (Score:3)
Your point is valid, the Borg, err, I mean China will eventually run out of things to assimilate and what happens then?
China is great at copy and paste, but innovation is hard, especially in a system that doesn't reward hardworking innovators. China is a culture where steal and copy as fast as possible is the name of the game.
The strategy that made China excel and rise will also be its downfall.
Products are currently copied so fast in China it is often hard to tell who first invented them.
Re: (Score:2)
"Products are currently copied so fast in China it is often hard to tell who first invented them."
And it often doesn't matter. What do i care whether the solar charge controller was originally made by MakeSkyBlue or PowMr if they're a gift-wrapped house fire either way? What do i care if renogy copies are crap if renogy is crap? (Gotta love these names, you think we're suffering from namespace exhaustion in the USA? Try China.)
Re: (Score:1)
"Wow, these computer science / data science interns have quite a diverse array of talents!" But I wasn't cynical about that train of thought; on the contrary, I was quite surprised.
ahahahahaha thank you good Sir, i haven't had such a good laugh in a long time. TODO: need to hire more strip dancers and prostitutes for 'dev positions', we need diversity :)
Re: (Score:2)
I guess I'm cynical.
Microsoft can have as many Summer Internship programs as it likes, and there is no reason they all have to do with coding, or bug busting, or writing manuals, or anything else that is actually related to the development of any of their products.
If Microsoft recruits interns from performing arts students ---dance, choreography, singing, etc--- to make a 6 minute musical, it has a perfect right to do so. However it is a bit disingenuous, maybe even dishonest, to represent this as the sam
Re: (Score:2)
Sad as it is, I cannot really disagree with this analysis.
Re: Meanwhile, in China... (Score:2)
reality is knocking on door (Score:1)
Meanwhile usa tech workforce is slowly coming to terms with their reality lol (its extra funny because they were so arrogant, lived in denial and ignored how real world works) :
https://yro.slashdot.org/comme... [slashdot.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Don't forget to downmod this to -1, its another 'inconvenient truth'
Re: (Score:2)
'"data science interns" who are far more interested making musicals than data science'
all work and no play make ...
Back in the day... (Score:2)
Back in the day... I had interns from Kettering and Mi Tech that could write software and make server based web apps before LAMP. Today the interns get to work on musical's like this, how sad.
Is There Backmasking In It? (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
This is MS. They're not trying to hide anymore that they're evil, you can hear it just by playing the stuff forwards. You can't escape anyway, why bother hiding it?
Ok Google/Apple Summer Interns, What you got ?! (Score:2)
This could be an annual summer intern competition in tech...
Google?
Apple?
Facebook?
Instagram?
Ebay?
Amazon?
Bring it!
Insufferable (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:1)
What the heck are you talking about? You are a new user. This is your first post.
You haven't worked out how to do paragraphs on Slashdot yet, which leads me to believe that you have never actually posted on this site before. and you've never had an account until today.
And you chose today to make your first post, defending a Microsoft PR video. I would bet a large sum of money that you work for Microsoft - that would certainly explain why you drank the Kool Aid. I expect you thought us "non-Microsofties" wou
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Based on the typical comments posted on Slashdot, my guess is that the average commenter is a 50+ year old guy who in another few years will be yelling at clouds or telling kids to get off his lawn. The amount of negativity here is astounding (in this post and many others). My guess is that commenters think they are edgy and smart but in reality it makes them look weak and afraid of anything outside their narrow comfort zone. [/armchair-psychology]
Re: (Score:2)
Found one of the interns.
Re: (Score:2)
Good on them.
Re: Insufferable (Score:2)
I doubt that any of these people were responsible for the inexcusable turd of a recent release of Outlook Web that dropped the upcoming events notice from
Brilliant (Score:2)
IMO, Microsoft should hire every one of these interns on full time. In a company as big as Microsoft, interns need to do something to distinguish themselves or they're easily forgotten. These guys did it, gave the company great PR, and got the public in on it. That's the type of people you want working for you.
Spoofers, start your engines! (Score:1)
The WebTubes are gonna spoof the hell out of this. Ice-skating Clippy, Blue stage curtains of death, Snooping Dog-e-Dog, Hamburgularing the Mac, etc.
A slightly more truthful version of the musical (Score:4, Funny)
We spy on all our users
Spamming adverts at you losers
Running our software is a must
Did I hear you say anti-trust?
We'll force you onto Windows 10
We won't let you go back again
Our updates run without permission
Controlling your PC's our mission
What about making better software instead? (Score:2)
You know, something that would actually be barely adequate would be nice, instead of the unstable spyware they are pushing out these days.
Re: (Score:1)
I wonder, in what year of idiocracy are we currently? There is already President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, so there is that.
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed.
This is worse than sweaty Ballmer jumping (Score:3)
This is worse than sweaty Ballmer jumping all over the stage. And I say this as a former MSFT employee. At least Ballmer didn't try to lick his masters' boots.
Re: (Score:2)
BULLSHIT! (Score:3)
Not a single flying chair in the whole damn thing!
youthful exuberance ! (Score:2)
This is the kind of energy that sent the Hitler youth off to war. The kind that sent the youngsters of England, France and America into the fray. Young people have energy and enthusiasm that can be channeled in any way that fits the desires of the Authority. - And 'the Authority' has known this for thousands of years.
Young people with their partially formed minds can be very intelligent, very techno-savvy, and very innocent of the subtleties of manipulation. They have always been the cannon fodder of the Es
Suggestions for Next Time ... (Score:2)
(1) Whatever Microsoft Video software you are using sucks shit. Use quality software from a third-party next time so that your video does not look like shit. And learn about colour balance. And white balance. ...
(2) The biggest flog wasn't Microsoft Phone, it was Microsoft Bob
(3) You forgot to mention that "your" computer is now "our" computer and the customer can fuck off.
...not without precedent... (Score:1)
Re:...not without precedent... but in 2010... (Score:1)
they had to on up the Americans in Europe....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Grand architect Gates (Score:2)
Grand architect Gates, wasn't he the one who conceived of the monumental flop vista, which was to be all .NET (YES, SHOUT IT) and winfs, the one filesystem to rule them all? Proves that it's money and connections that make the billionaire, not brains or vision.
Re: (Score:2)
Anyone who has visions should seek professional help.
Springtime for Hitler (Score:2)
WTF? (Score:2)
OMG sell my Microsoft stock ASAP. Or donate it to an enemy.
Warm up your cringe muscles (Score:2)
That was occasionally funny, but mostly the cringey-est thing from Microsoft since Bill Gates posed sexily with a computer.
But then, there's no non-cringey way to unironically celebrate a convicted-monopolist megacorporation. I also thought it was odd that there was no reference to the stack-ranking system that probably cost most of the interns involved in this video their jobs, especially during the coffee bar scene where there was a *stack* of cups right there.
corrupting ISO to weaponize technical standards (Score:1)
I thought it was pretty funny (Score:2)
OK....it's a big cringy, but it was kinda funny too. At least they can laugh at themselves, like with their digs at Vista & Windows Phone.
Guess some people think it's still "cool" to hate Microsoft and dismiss any changes they've made as of late
Good on them, it was fun.
Industrial Musicals (Score:2)
Industrial musicals [industrialmusicals.com] were once common [www.cbc.ca], usually at large annual gatherings for sales representatives. I don't think they were ever good, but that's a matter of taste. Maybe they were another way for executives to demonstrate their power over their underlings, forcing them to watch terrible musical theater against their wills.