• Co-writer of ‘Rick Roll’ song compares not being compensated by YouTube to exploitation of workers in the Middle East

    Friday, April 10th, 2009

    Nicholas likes video games, soccer, UFC, and astronomy–particularly the study of asteroids. He went to NYU. → Learn More

    waterman

    Waterman, whose fortune was estimated at £47 million by The Times in 2004, compared this treatment to the “exploitation” of migrant workers in the Middle East. Yes, a man is comparing legitimate plight to his not being properly compensated for all those “Never Gonna Give You Up” (rickroll) views on YouTube. May he be forced to watched Friends for all eternity.

    So this guy, 62-year-old Pete Waterman, co-wrote Rick Astley nouveau hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and for that the human race is forever in his debt. You’ll recall that “Never Gonna Give You Up,” first made popular by the game Chrono Trigger, has had a second life of late, peddled by idiots who think they’re being funny. L O L U JST BEN RICROLLd. Yes, quite.

    Anyhow! Despite the fact that the video was viewed more than 154 million times on YouTube, Waterman has made only £11 (around $16). But he’s already worth £47 million (nearly $69 million), so who cares.

    Sure, he wants to be compensated for his work. Fine. But for him to cry poverty like that is disgusting, just like when FIFA’s Sepp Blatter compared Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United-Real Madrid tug of war to “slavery.” It’s just dumb, and we’re all worse for it.

    This is why we can’t have nice things.

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