LifeZette: Forty years after singer-songwriter Barry Manilow won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Copacabana,” his melodic and still-popular music is now being used to shoo people away.
Away from the outside of a store, that is. The pharmacy chain Rite Aid is trying to weaponize Manilow’s music against local panhandlers and vagrants in California. A handful of Rite Aids in that state have been playing Manilow’s music outside their stores in an effort to get homeless people to set up somewhere else — as The Wall Street Journal reported a few days ago in a piece lightly titled, “He Writes the Songs That Make the Neighbors Cry ‘No More Barry Manilow!’” (That’s a play, of course, on Manilow’s 1975 smash hit, “I Write the Songs.”)
“The Ingraham Angle” on Fox News took on the topic Friday night with a few smiles and laughs — and Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo, who said Manilow killed it in concert recently, shared his thoughts on why Barry Manilow might be a compelling choice for trying to chase away vagrants from storefronts. more
Rap has that effect on me. It’ll drive me away or invoke a violent response.
Barry Manilow only induces vomiting.
Yeah, him and Neil Sadaka!
Band weinie music – us jocks no like.
As if broadcasting Minnie Ripperton wouldn’t have the same effect.
How could they do this to Andy Williams, he was 7/11s sure fire weapon. I guess time moves on.
Play the muslim call to prayer……followed by a recording of pigs squealing and barking dogs.
Why stop at the homeless vagrants? Play Screaming Uncle Ted Nugent and drive all the worthless lefties away.
Well I like Johnny Mathis ‘ small world’
There’s a 7-11 at State and Grand in Chicago that plays classical orchestra music quite loudly on its outdoor speakers. Always wondered why when we walked past. NEVER saw any shady loiterers around that place, which is a miracle for a 7-11.
How about Playing Slim Whitman’s. “When I’m calling You” At the border to chase off aliens?
Sounds like a South Park episode.
I still can’t believe he’s gay.
Two words, Tiny Tim.
No law saying you can’t play Copacabana on a 24 hour loop…
Those high-frequency ‘dog whistle’ sound machines keep teenagers away from storefronts.
Now, what will drive Moslems out of America?
A continuous loop of the barking dogs singing Jingle Bells played all year round since they hate both dogs and Christmas. And massive marathons of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin etc. and Arnold Ziffle on Green Acres.
There is a 7-11 in North Las Vegas that had people constantly loitering around it. Passing through one day I noticed no one was around. Another time passing through I saw a giant sign in the window: WE DO NOT ACCEPT EBT.
Well, ain’t that some shit?
Later on in the news I found out the owner was sick of the loitering and people selling their food stamps for cash in front of the store.
I think tunes sung by Seth McFarland could have the same effect, but there might also be some collateral damage to Rite Aid’s suicidal customers.
Seth’s latest album has the Suicide Hotline number stamped on the label.
in England, they use classical music. it works
Nuke the site from orbit by playing William Shatner’s rendition of Mr. Tambourine Man on a 24 hour loop.
@Phuzzy Logick July 1, 2018 at 2:58 pm
> William Shatner’s rendition of Mr. Tambourine Man on a 24 hour loop
A scene from a George Romero movie. A shambling mob of Trekkies, Playing Pokémon. And texting the Con Federate next to them. What’s that noise that John Kerry and the living dead make? Urhhhg.
I think a 24-hour loop of “Muskrat Love” would also be effective in making the homeless find a different place to set up their tents and drop their loads.