1999 The Offspring: Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

Formally an underground, indie punk act, The Offspring confounded their seemingly carved in stone 'also ran' status to find commercial success with their fifth album (Americana) and a more mainstream rock sound. Or should that be 'mainstream mixed with comedy rock sound' - 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' is a none too subtle dig at the white, suburban college types who steeped themselves in the 'keep it real' surface trappings of the hip hop/gangsta lifestyle just for the cool kudos. To be honest, that's a barn door target for anyone and The Offspring manage to hit it with a series of barbs ("He may not have a clue, and he may not have style. But everything he lacks, well he makes up in denial") wrapped in a jangling ska punk tune.

So far, so good, but in illustrating the shortcomings of this particular white guy through their own supposedly superior knowledge of all things street ("they didn't have Ice Cube so he bought Vanilla Ice", "Now he's getting a tattoo yeah, he's getting ink done. He asks for a 13, but they drew a 31") the band, in trying so hard to be hip as the people it takes the piss out of, come across as insufferably smug and superior. I can imagine a Randy Newman supplying a wry comment on the phenomenon, but in rubbing everybody's face in it 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' simply takes the standard bully boy tactic of picking on the weakest to draw attention from themselves. And as far as that goes, 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' might have carried more weight and/or humour had it not come from a skate/punk band with a line up all in their mid thirties. 'Pretty rad for a bunch of oldies' as da youf may well say in relation to Dexter Holland's "uh huh, uh huh" squawks and over excitable 'look at the fool' vocal. The "Give it to me baby" line is good value, but for the most part 'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' has all the tiresome jock humour of a National Lampoon film that doesn't star Chevy Chase. And most of those that do.