4 is Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany (“Every wall you build”); 8 is definitely Gadaffi – Pinochet wasn’t a target of Spitting Image this early; 9 is Yuri Andropov, leader of the USSR ’82-84; 11 is Leonid Breshnev, leader of USSR ’64-82; 12 is the aged Adolf Hitler who lived in Downing Street; 13 is definitely Mrs Ghandi; 16 is Konstanin Chernenko, leader of the USSR ’84-5.
@Corpuscani Sorry no that is the puppet they used for Pinochet later on. Ms, Ghandi wasn't a target either at this point either and she was included, in fact so were quite a few others. Also Honecker didn't build the wall that was Ulbricht. And that isn't Brezhnev that puppet was used as a stand in for the Communist party the joke being they were all the same. And this may just be me but number 9 looks nothing like Andropov.
This is a brilliant way to end a series. A grim, angry, blackly comic song aimed almost at world leaders as a concept, followed by slowly scrolling credits, white on black, consisting solely of names without roles.
where is Spitting Image now, when we need it most? They`d have so much material to work with: Phone hacking, the dodgy coalition, corporate greed, eurozone crisis, Obama inacativity, Arab spring the list is endless
@freekicking85 I *think* number 13 (before Khomeini) is Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India until 1984 when she was assassinated. India became a nuclear power under her premiership.
@jblackburn44 You know I think you might be right. That ones been bugging me for awhile, "every empty plate" could refer to the money she spent on the nuclear weapons program rather then on combating food shortages and raising living standards. I think the President Bhutto (the first one) said similar words "Pakistan will eat grass for a hundred years if need be, but we will get nuclear weapons". Thank you I'll add her to the list.
@commandermccluck ??? Did you miss the part where this video and indeed the program where made in the 1980's? or where you under the impression Ian Hislop and co have the power of time travel. Look mate you and everyone else is welcome to express your opinions. I do however ask that you keep the discussions relevant to the Videos especially in regards to criticism.
@CommissarRed No, when posted this video in this context, you should have also said that you predicted what was going to happen by retrospectively stating that all the worlds future events were planned by the illameinutty/bliderberg/NWO/manufacturers of bacofoil or something.
@pjvenner A few years ago I watched one of those "behind the laughter" programs about Spitting Image. Apparently though they were proud of the show given the amount of work it took to build the sets and get the puppets to do what was needed on a very limited time scale (less then a week for the really topical sketches) many of the crew were warn out. I remember Hislop admitted to consider suicide due to the stress of the show. I'd say the strain just broke them in the end.
Can anyone list the faces in the background so far I have: 1.Ronald Reagan 2.Margaret Thatcher 3.John Major\Thatcher 4.Gerry Adams 5.?? maybe Gorbabchov? 6.?? Maybe Henry Kissinger (big guess) 7.Fidel Castro 8.Colonel Gadaffi 9.??? 10.Idi Amin 11.?? 12.?? 13.?? 14.Ayatolah Khomeini 15: George H W Bush?? 16: ?? Most are probably wrong, what do others think? Can they fill in the gaps?
@freekicking85 Sorry mate but the Gerry Adams is definitely wrong, thats Ian Paisley, at the time I uploaded I thought the puppet for Paisley looked different but after watching a few clips with him in (like my God is bigger then your God) its definitely the same puppet. Then there's the "Irish wake" comment blaming Paisley's lot for the murder of Catholics. And Gorbachev s wrong, thats Chernenko the first series came out before Gorbachev became leader of the USSR
@freekicking85 Also the guy after Chernenko isn't Kissinger its Robert Mugabe, in the 80's he was infamous in Britain for massacring a number of rival Black liberation groups including ZAPU. Number 8 after Castro isn't Gaddafi its Augusto Pinochet. Number 15 isn't Bush (he was just a Vice President at the time and wasn't worth satire) that is P.W. Botha then leader of Apartheid South Africa "those who subjugate". Don't worry I don't know all of them either.
@CommissarRed Oh yeah, it's obvious now you mention it. Do you know who any of the others might be? I just can't place them. I like politics and satire, but I couldn't tell you about the likes of Chenenko and PW Bothra. (I was only young in the 80's). But thnx for the input.
@freekicking85 "I couldn't tell you about the likes of Chenenko" Thats understandable he was only leader for a year and spent most of it in hospital, his death wasn't even front page worthy in Pravda. The others I'm not too sure myself, the lyrics are clues but if you missed the event they reference there is not much chance of remembering. I'm sure one of the puppets at the very end was the one used for the old Hitler sketch thanks to repeatedly watching the clip on YT.
still amazing after all this time - sting was so impressed with what the spitting image crew wanted to do that he personally re-recorded the song for it good on ya mate
What I like about this song, or at least the imagery used in it, is that it rather accurately depicts all the world leaders as being guilty. None are innocent and even those who we often see as "good," in their own way, contribute to all the world's problems.
This is something special. I recorded it on VHS a long time back but lost it. I am 47 and this is a very poignant and telling video about the times we live in today,despite it's age.
Would be great if Sting + whoever's left of Spitting Image team up and re-release this in time for Christmas 2011. Especially if it beats the likes of Simon Cowell.
Seeing as we have another Tory Government I think we should have Spitting Image back.As my mother did with Thatcher before you, David Cameron....I'll Be Watching YOU.
All credit should be given to Sting who recently might have become a parody of himself, but he had the initial wisdom to see what Fluck & Law were doing with this song and he went along with it, rerecorded his lyrics for the show and gave them licence to use it.
I remember it came as a slap in the face and wake up call at the end of a programme of taking the piss, It pricked your conscience and made you think no matter what age you were.
Always thought this was far better than John Lennon's Imagine, which is just some OK lyrics badly in need of a proper tune. Some clear thought and passion has actually gone into this song!
the sad thing is that the people of today need to listen to this song becuase sometimes we can be hartless and cruel it just shows that spitting image is funny but underneath it all they have a true and just meaning
A new clip for this song should be made, with puppets of Howard, Gillard, Bush sr, Baby Bush, Obama, Clinton, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Abbas, Abdul Aziz, Clark, Putin, Medvedev, Lee, Kim, Sarkozy, Berlusconi, Netanyahu, Ahmadinejad, and Khamenei...amongst others.
As a ex pat living overseas that served in the British Army for 17 years and lived through and served through the 80,s i feel humbled that what was seen as a lefty comic show had such vison and empathy , i guess you learn something everyday even as you near fifty,, good work to whoever posted this to the world !!
Cool. I'm very much against bureaucracy, because I see how it is corrupt in itself, and with that is ruining the entire world.
It occurred to me why civil servants, police, soldiers do what they do, even if they feel it's not right. It's in the bureaucratic system; since it is corruptable it can and is used to make people do what they'd prefer not to do, BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL, IT IS THE LAW.
This song is a warning to everyone who finds him or herself in a position of power! Every world leader, every CEO, every banker, every military officer; we''ll be watching you! You can't fool all the people all the time.
Thought a spoof, I've never seen ore heard anything more true, in non-comedic ways.
SONBoomer 1 week ago
Here we go, huge comments -.-
Cheabs123 1 month ago
Deep.
MidnighWolf 1 month ago
4 is Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany (“Every wall you build”); 8 is definitely Gadaffi – Pinochet wasn’t a target of Spitting Image this early; 9 is Yuri Andropov, leader of the USSR ’82-84; 11 is Leonid Breshnev, leader of USSR ’64-82; 12 is the aged Adolf Hitler who lived in Downing Street; 13 is definitely Mrs Ghandi; 16 is Konstanin Chernenko, leader of the USSR ’84-5.
Corpuscani 1 month ago
@Corpuscani Sorry no that is the puppet they used for Pinochet later on. Ms, Ghandi wasn't a target either at this point either and she was included, in fact so were quite a few others. Also Honecker didn't build the wall that was Ulbricht. And that isn't Brezhnev that puppet was used as a stand in for the Communist party the joke being they were all the same. And this may just be me but number 9 looks nothing like Andropov.
CommissarRed 1 month ago
There is sooo much in todays society that a program like Spitting Image is required you have:
David Cameron & Nick Clegg and their Cronies
Barack Obama
Charlie Sheen
President Sarkozy
Former PM Silvio Berlusconi
Ed Miliband and his bunch of Labour Cronies
Think Murdoch was used in Spitting Image when it was on but theres room for him again.
Just a suggestion but then again with shite on the TV these days there is no chance.
turbostarbasher27 2 months ago
This is a brilliant way to end a series. A grim, angry, blackly comic song aimed almost at world leaders as a concept, followed by slowly scrolling credits, white on black, consisting solely of names without roles.
Applemask 2 months ago
where is Spitting Image now, when we need it most? They`d have so much material to work with: Phone hacking, the dodgy coalition, corporate greed, eurozone crisis, Obama inacativity, Arab spring the list is endless
glenn1340 3 months ago
@freekicking85 I *think* number 13 (before Khomeini) is Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India until 1984 when she was assassinated. India became a nuclear power under her premiership.
jblackburn44 4 months ago
@jblackburn44 You know I think you might be right. That ones been bugging me for awhile, "every empty plate" could refer to the money she spent on the nuclear weapons program rather then on combating food shortages and raising living standards. I think the President Bhutto (the first one) said similar words "Pakistan will eat grass for a hundred years if need be, but we will get nuclear weapons". Thank you I'll add her to the list.
CommissarRed 4 months ago 2
Should have put Tony Blair and George Bush jr in as well - pair of greedy bastards just after the oil in Iraq in my opinion
commandermccluck 5 months ago
@commandermccluck ??? Did you miss the part where this video and indeed the program where made in the 1980's? or where you under the impression Ian Hislop and co have the power of time travel. Look mate you and everyone else is welcome to express your opinions. I do however ask that you keep the discussions relevant to the Videos especially in regards to criticism.
CommissarRed 5 months ago 11
@CommissarRed No, when posted this video in this context, you should have also said that you predicted what was going to happen by retrospectively stating that all the worlds future events were planned by the illameinutty/bliderberg/NWO/manufacturers of bacofoil or something.
*That* would have made it more credible!
pigeonshouse 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hitlers in it too at 1:15
commandermccluck 5 months ago
Comment removed
commandermccluck 5 months ago
this is actually quite beautiful which is strange since its Spitting Image
lofthouse23 5 months ago 3
I can remember watching this iconic Spitting Image ending, it said a lot for the time…
KontourFilm 5 months ago 2
who da fuk could dislike this?
bumblescum64 6 months ago 3
@bumblescum64 Margaret Thatcher? Sting pissed because I'm not paying him royalties?
CommissarRed 6 months ago 2
@CommissarRed hehehe.....i have a bottle of vodka in my freezer,for when maggie corks it.
sting must of not been a total prick his entire life,to redo the lyrics.
wattching spitting image stuff today...it is brutal,compared to the toytown qwestions mps get asked today.
bumblescum64 6 months ago
Respond to this video... actually,...is it actually stink?
bearing in mind the whole programme is based on impressions ,like...man,woman ,pet.
bumblescum64 6 months ago
@bumblescum64 Yes its Sting, this was before he became a complete arrogant and greedy arsehole.
CommissarRed 6 months ago 2
@CommissarRed well,smack my fanny.
t all went a bit frilly after they realised,after loive aid,that if they spouted shoite about causes the sheeple would buy more of them albums.
i did think Queen were very good on the day...i do not think freddie gave a flying fuk aboot what anyone thot.
bumblescum64 6 months ago
@bumblescum64 : Great minds! Bob, George, Midge, Sting... All talented artists prior to Live-Aid.,,They didn't need the smug factor to sell records.
PS: Kudos to MrDazza, the top rated commentator. I agree with every word. I often wonder whether Spitting Image jumped, or were pushed.
pjvenner 3 months ago
@pjvenner A few years ago I watched one of those "behind the laughter" programs about Spitting Image. Apparently though they were proud of the show given the amount of work it took to build the sets and get the puppets to do what was needed on a very limited time scale (less then a week for the really topical sketches) many of the crew were warn out. I remember Hislop admitted to consider suicide due to the stress of the show. I'd say the strain just broke them in the end.
CommissarRed 1 month ago
freekicking85 6 months ago
@freekicking85 Sorry mate but the Gerry Adams is definitely wrong, thats Ian Paisley, at the time I uploaded I thought the puppet for Paisley looked different but after watching a few clips with him in (like my God is bigger then your God) its definitely the same puppet. Then there's the "Irish wake" comment blaming Paisley's lot for the murder of Catholics. And Gorbachev s wrong, thats Chernenko the first series came out before Gorbachev became leader of the USSR
CommissarRed 6 months ago
@freekicking85 Also the guy after Chernenko isn't Kissinger its Robert Mugabe, in the 80's he was infamous in Britain for massacring a number of rival Black liberation groups including ZAPU. Number 8 after Castro isn't Gaddafi its Augusto Pinochet. Number 15 isn't Bush (he was just a Vice President at the time and wasn't worth satire) that is P.W. Botha then leader of Apartheid South Africa "those who subjugate". Don't worry I don't know all of them either.
CommissarRed 6 months ago
@CommissarRed Oh yeah, it's obvious now you mention it. Do you know who any of the others might be? I just can't place them. I like politics and satire, but I couldn't tell you about the likes of Chenenko and PW Bothra. (I was only young in the 80's). But thnx for the input.
freekicking85 6 months ago
@freekicking85 "I couldn't tell you about the likes of Chenenko" Thats understandable he was only leader for a year and spent most of it in hospital, his death wasn't even front page worthy in Pravda. The others I'm not too sure myself, the lyrics are clues but if you missed the event they reference there is not much chance of remembering. I'm sure one of the puppets at the very end was the one used for the old Hitler sketch thanks to repeatedly watching the clip on YT.
CommissarRed 6 months ago
Was that Gadaffi I spotted about 4 or 5 faces in ??
Kidsgrove49 6 months ago
@Kidsgrove49 Yes Gaddafi's been around for a long time causing problems.
CommissarRed 6 months ago
still amazing after all this time - sting was so impressed with what the spitting image crew wanted to do that he personally re-recorded the song for it good on ya mate
leroyjethrogibbs11 6 months ago
if i was a religious man i would pray as well, as it is i am disgusted with the young thieves
i saw on the t.v.,what happened to the riot act,is that old law ,i dont know
nogwei 6 months ago
@nogwei ????? I think you commented on the wring video mate.
CommissarRed 6 months ago 3
Apropos of nothing -- yay Louise Gold! Good work.
Julian9ehp 7 months ago
Where are these when we need them so badly
jacksons1950 7 months ago
I never forgot this one. Give thanks
SPANCHEZ1 7 months ago
What I like about this song, or at least the imagery used in it, is that it rather accurately depicts all the world leaders as being guilty. None are innocent and even those who we often see as "good," in their own way, contribute to all the world's problems.
Kooshmeister3 8 months ago 2
♥ .
MrMLD72MLD 8 months ago
This is something special. I recorded it on VHS a long time back but lost it. I am 47 and this is a very poignant and telling video about the times we live in today,despite it's age.
brianl890 8 months ago
Would be great if Sting + whoever's left of Spitting Image team up and re-release this in time for Christmas 2011. Especially if it beats the likes of Simon Cowell.
Gazzar 9 months ago
There'll never be a show like this again.
thejobloshow 10 months ago
Spitting Image was pure genius...way ahead of its time.....made politicians sit up and take note....a remake, as mentioned here, may be a good idea
strangemagic42 10 months ago
Seeing as we have another Tory Government I think we should have Spitting Image back.As my mother did with Thatcher before you, David Cameron....I'll Be Watching YOU.
SirHawkeyeWho 11 months ago
All credit should be given to Sting who recently might have become a parody of himself, but he had the initial wisdom to see what Fluck & Law were doing with this song and he went along with it, rerecorded his lyrics for the show and gave them licence to use it.
I remember it came as a slap in the face and wake up call at the end of a programme of taking the piss, It pricked your conscience and made you think no matter what age you were.
wobblydog 11 months ago 2
@wobblydog nice work mate well said
MrDazza1964 11 months ago
Always thought this was far better than John Lennon's Imagine, which is just some OK lyrics badly in need of a proper tune. Some clear thought and passion has actually gone into this song!
kisbie 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Sting should re-release and go for the Christmas no. 1 slot. Preferably beating any X-factor'ites in the process.
Gazzar 3 months ago
/THIS :)
wobblyboost 11 months ago
Thanks for posting this as it once was on here...
MatlockJack 11 months ago
the sad thing is that the people of today need to listen to this song becuase sometimes we can be hartless and cruel it just shows that spitting image is funny but underneath it all they have a true and just meaning
foxychick246 1 year ago
A new clip for this song should be made, with puppets of Howard, Gillard, Bush sr, Baby Bush, Obama, Clinton, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Abbas, Abdul Aziz, Clark, Putin, Medvedev, Lee, Kim, Sarkozy, Berlusconi, Netanyahu, Ahmadinejad, and Khamenei...amongst others.
HumanistMercenary4 1 year ago 5
Sting should re-release and go for the Christmas no. 1 slot. Preferably beating any X-factor'ites in the process.
Gazzar 1 year ago 2
I allways thought that i was doing what i was payed to do , my duty to my queen, country ,commrades , and brave men that went before us.
i just feel as i get older that may be goverments pray on young minds and think that it has mabe allways been that way
who knows as the world gets smaller and people more informed the next generations may be a bit smarter than us and no.
MrDazza1964 1 year ago 24
Respect Dazza, and what a great blast from the past this vid is, so ahead of it's times, and so apt ;)
wurzel247 1 year ago
Very stirring stuff. It's the screen going black and the 'Spitting Image' text going up right after the face of Death that gets me...Brilliance. X
soapflake79 1 year ago
Timeless classic.............. Spitting Image should have ended forever on this song, as it could never better it!
hufclufc 1 year ago
As a ex pat living overseas that served in the British Army for 17 years and lived through and served through the 80,s i feel humbled that what was seen as a lefty comic show had such vison and empathy , i guess you learn something everyday even as you near fifty,, good work to whoever posted this to the world !!
MrDazza1964 1 year ago 40
@MrDazza1964 Aww shucks thanks man.
CommissarRed 1 year ago 2
@MrDazza1964
Cool. I'm very much against bureaucracy, because I see how it is corrupt in itself, and with that is ruining the entire world.
It occurred to me why civil servants, police, soldiers do what they do, even if they feel it's not right. It's in the bureaucratic system; since it is corruptable it can and is used to make people do what they'd prefer not to do, BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL, IT IS THE LAW.
Would that make sense to you?
Cheers, LW.
LiteWaiter 1 year ago
This song is a warning to everyone who finds him or herself in a position of power! Every world leader, every CEO, every banker, every military officer; we''ll be watching you! You can't fool all the people all the time.
Elwood1992 1 year ago
Glad you re-uploaded this.
MaffewJapaneseTable 1 year ago
Quality!!! :-)
EssexBoy696969 1 year ago