In late 1994, I was sitting in my bedroom listening to R.E.M.’s album “Monster” with headphones on, and during the song “Star 69,” I heard my dad intensely yelling “HEY, STOP THAT!!” I cringed hard and didn’t bother investigating, because I was used to my dad embarrassing me by yelling at me and my friends like that, and I didn’t want to know what this was about.
Later that day, my mom and dad offered the information to me, explaining that my classmate/neighbor Justin and this other boy Scott had taken their shirts off and began to fistfight on Justin’s front lawn. My dad spotted this happening across the street, and after yelling had started on his way to try and break up the fight, but thankfully Justin’s bigger and more robust father broke it up himself before my dad could make it over there. I was relieved that my dad didn’t get the opportunity to get involved (and likely hurt), and humiliated that such a dumbass hillbilly thing happened right across the street from me.
Anyway, that’s basically what’s happening at the White House right now. I still get chills when I hear “Star 69.”