Friday blog question: Forced karaoke night

We have some new people joining Off Madison Ave this month - which means they'll soon have to partake of the ritual of singing karaoke at their welcome aboard party. We've all had to do it, we've all hated the song that was chosen for us. What do you remember about your karaoke debut at your welcome aboard night out?

All I remember was walking up to the stage, and then walking back to my beer after I was done.  Everything between those two moments in time is lost forever...unless someone actually posts the video on YouTube, then it will live forever. Brian Renner

I'm not much of a public performer.  I was so nervous when I went up to sing that I tripped and hit my head on the booth. I sang Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" long before the Rickroll ever became popular.  I probably didn't do it justice, but I was lightheaded enough to feel a sense of accomplishment.  Roger even managed to convince the bar owner not to put the surveillance footage of my fall and subsequent performance on YouTube, although I've heard rumors the tape is still locked up in his desk. Joseph Jaramillo

 I remember channeling my inner Neil Diamond for what, if I do say so myself, was one of the best "Heartlight" renditions in the history of OMA. Paul J. Peterson

I'm still kind of peeved about having to sing a Gloria Estefan song because

1. I'm not a huge fan {shocker}
2. The Conga is really, really fast, and
3. I'm a dude.

Chris Sietsema

Because of my blond hair, someone thought "Barbie Girl" by Aqua would be an excellent choice. I had to smile through the whole song just like a Barbie doll! The worst part though was having to try and imitate the Ken voice. It was almost painful having to sing that low!! Then to top it off I was only allowed to have pink colored drinks all night. Vanessa Geary

The worst thing for me was the costume you guys made me wear.  I love Pat Benatar (even though I can't sing worth a damn), but that "Love Is A Battlefield" look works a lot better on her than it does on me.  I did have fun with the hair though, although it took me two weeks to get out all the knots.  Still, it's a much-beloved tradition even among its victims -- once you've seen Mike Corak dressed up like Boy George you can't help but have a smile on your face. Susan Baier

It seems like just yesterday ... (cue wavy dream transition) Okay, so I had to sing Rick Astley, which certainly would not have been my first choice if I got to pick, but seeing as how I had never sung karaoke anyways, I felt I had to go with it. The funniest part is I always thought Rick Astley would have looked like Isaac Hayes. This was the first time I found out he was actually a short white British guy (who knew). Anyways, since I had never karaoke'd before I was pretty nervous and it started very poorly. I missed the start of the song and then spent probably another minute of it trying to catch up and figure out where I was. I more read the lyrics than sang them. It must have been pretty brutal for all my fellow employees, probably even worse for them than me. I am not cut out for karaoke, but at least now I can say I have tried it. Brian Alig

Karaoke makes me uncomfortable, so I don’t remember a lot from that night...I try to block it out! But, it was a fun night as all agency happy hours are, so I'm sure it was its full of good conversations and drinking. Ellen Stevens

I love that someone thought, "It's not Unusual" would somehow embarrass me, when the truth is I've been praying at the temple of Tom Jones for years! Not only can I whip my hips about, but I can also hit those high notes in a Welsh accent no less. Not to mention undoing my top three buttons reveals a freakishly hairy chest, just like Tom. I think everyone was angry because I wasn't humiliated by my induction, and actually kind of got into it. But you know what? Sucks to be them! Eric Reid

Jacquie Hahey and I started on the same day so we sang a duet, classic American couple, Sonny and Cher. I was initially hurt that I had to sing the Sonny part, isn't that height discrimination? I mean sure she looks more like Cher, but come on! I had just started and people at the office didn't realize that i was the non-alcoholic of the group, seeing me rock out in my velour suit and platform shoes, they just assumed I was lit, it wasn't until much later that they realized I was just one fun girl! Jacquie, I still "Got You Babe" Michelle Zimmerman

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)

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