Shut Up Little Man! wrap-up
This month’s doc, Shut Up Little Man!, was a lot of fun to explore, especially in today’s climate of viral online content and those who attempt to create authentic-looking moments of strangeness. Don’t forget that you can always contribute to the conversation in the comments.
Here are a few other things you may want to check out to enrich the viewing experience of the 2013 documentary.
Our exclusive interview with Eddie Lee Sausage gives insight into the making of the documentary, what it left out, and how Eddie sees the world of counter-culture media 11 years after the release of the film. *This interview contains some course language.
Listen here!
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The Shut Up, Little Man! tapes caught the attention of many fringe artists. Notably, Mark Mothersbaugh took notice and pays homage to Peter and Raymond by immortalizing them on an album released under the name The Whipeouters. The album’s last track, “Shut Up, Little Man!”, features lyrics comprised only of Eddie & Mitchell’s recordings.
••• Listen on Apple Music | Listen on Spotify
Shut Up Little Man! explores the culture of tape sharing and how audio ephemera was spread before the internet. This documentary features interviews and new footage with the inventor of the cassette tape, archive footage, and interviews with cassette enthusiasts who revere the feeling and unique quality of analog recordings.
••• Watch on Amazon Prime (subscription) | Roku | Tubi | Pluto | Freevee | Plex
This 2010 documentary (mentioned in our interview with Eddie Lee Sausage) is another look behind the curtain of a viral tape sharing, except this time it’s a VHS cassette. Winnebago Man is the search for Jack Rebney, a regular guy who happened to be taped on a particularly bad day during a film shoot for a corporate Winnebago video. Jack’s foul-mouthed bloopers resulted in a reel that was sent around the world.
••• Watch on Tubi | Kanopy (free with Library Membership)
As mentioned in the interview with Eddie, another classic cassette trading success story is The Jerky Boys, started by Johnny Brennan and Kamal Ahmed. These albums featured recorded prank calls and were a huge financial success, leading to a number of albums and a feature film. Although these recordings were planned by Johnny and Kamal, rather than true audio verite like Shut Up, Little Man!, they are still part of the tape trading conversation and an example of how this phenomenon can lead to a wider audience.
Listen on Apple Music | Listen on Spotify
And now for something a little more high brow…
In Eddie’s interview, he talks about his experience with screenwriter Larry Gross. In their conversation, Eddie talked about his passion for “drifting” - he would aimlessly explore San Francisco, sometimes with a tape recorder on the hunt for different sounds. Gross compares it to the 1960 Michelangelo Antonioni film, L’Avventura.
••• Watch on Kanopy (free with Library Membership) | Max (with subscription)
Whether or not you choose to absorb this additional content, you are encouraged to engage in the conversation!
