Every week, we dig in the archives for videos that we find noteworthy, memorable, or just unbelievably stupid. And then, Jon McMillan breaks ‘em down for you. Why Video Hangover? Because when you watch as many videos as we do, you’re going to feel it afterwards.

“Lady You Bring Me Up”
Commodores, 1981

Twenty-six years ago, Lionel Richie & Co. did their best to set American soccer back twenty-six years.

The Commodores and soccer: inspired pairing, or prelude to a fiasco?
I don’t want to ruin the ending, but, as far as teaching tools go, this is the least helpful R&B artist-sport video pairing I’ve seen since Michael Bolton and Winning Softball.

As an American, I find soccer alien and confusing. Also, I don’t know the names of any goalkeepers.
As a footballer, Lionel Richie might best be compared to:
a) The American Pele
b) The tall Thierry Henry
c) The funky Landon Donovan
d) The black David Beckham
e) The black Victoria Beckham

Hello, is it me you want in goal?
See, this is why everybody loves Lionel: While the rest of the gang is doing their best to sabotage the game with grab-assing and frequent line-dancing breaks, the King Commmodore is a rock in goal. Look at him bob and weave as he tracks the ball’s every move — the director can barely keep him in the frame! And he’s singing the whole time! He has about 35 saves, including a beach ball, a football, and an enormous pair of black underpants. Sure he gives up a goal on the highly controversial “hide the ball in the ref’s shirt and throw it in the goal with your hands” play, but hey, can you blame him? That lady striker is pretty hot.

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