TARD SPASM
If you've never heard of it, that's not exactly surprising. It's a pretty obscure thing. With the exception of Underground Taping Trading, the only place to find it was the now defunct Blackest Heart Media. If you have heard of it, you are likely in one of two schools of thought about it. Either you are the sort that likes to laugh at retards and listen to crappy heavy metal, in which case you love this, or else you are the sort who think laughing at the mentally disabled is morally wrong and are whole heartedly offended by it.
So what's it about? This is a home movie type video made circa 1990 when the worst Metal band in the world Gob Stopper plays for a Christmas Party for the Children's Haven School in Sarasota, Florida. Children's Haven is a school for the mentally disabled.
How this came about is not explained. Legend has it that it was set up by the drummer's parol officier, who suggested they volunteer to play this show to take care of some community service hours. It is hard to imagine the organizers of the party had any idea what sort of band Gob Stopper was. In any case, the result is like when the two dudes bump and mix their chocalate with their peanut butter.
Now the music, by most peoples standards is crap. But to it's defense, camcorders don't make for great music sound recording quality. Sure you can't understand a word, but you can bang your head to it, if fact you'll want to bang your head too it, you'll NEED too...
As for the Tards, er mentally disabled, there are quite a few characters. And they will make you laugh.
So if laughing at the Mentally Handicapped is your bag, then you will be rolling on the floor to see this.
Or maybe you think it's exploitive to laugh at others.
In either case there just may be a certain amount of cognitive dissonence involved in watching this. If you seriously watch this and give it a chance, you might just feel that you are no longer laughing at them, but laughing with them...because these people (well most of them anyway) had a truly fun time, maybe even the best time of their lives. As the music blares, you will see the handicap transform into the handican! These people just rock and rock! Sure there are a couple bad apples who just don't appreciate the music and have a flip (but that's funny too), but you can't kill Rock! And the music goes on. Even some who were die hard Backstreet Boys fans (a true sign of retardation) become metal heads before your very eyes.
One young lad gets up with the band and sings. Gob Stopper should get him in the band. After the music is over and the clean up begins, the band and camera does some interviewing with the party. These people dont get the name special for no reason.
If you think it's fun to laugh at retards, this is the Ultimate video for you. But it is also an excercise in humanity. It's a view into these people, and you will see, they are not so different than us, They can party, and they can take pride in the things they do, they have feelings and can love and above all they can appreciate truly bad heavy metal music performed live! After all it was christmas, the time of miracles.
It makes one wonder what has become of these people. Did Gob Stopper go on to play local bars? Who did Children's Haven have play next Christmas and did they hold an audition first? Who did the girl in the yellow dress go home with? It would be interesting to see them all now!