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Risks Of 'Driving Under The Influence Of Adele'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf4cQ01QoOs&feature=share

Okay, the connection to health care is minimal, aside from the fact that the pop singer Adele did have a vocal cord operation at Massachusetts General Hospital last week. But this morning I belly-laughed half the way to work, so maybe this is a gift worth sharing.

The proximate cause of my laughter: On a quiet side-street, I happened to pass a thirtyish man, sitting in his parked car and belting out, along with the blaring radio, the chorus of the perniciously irresistible Adele hit "Someone Like You." It would have struck me as comical anyway, but it hit me square on the funny-bone because over the weekend, I had watched the hilarious video above by author (and now Xtranormal virtuoso) Laura Zigman, who has some very personal connections to the song. In the video, a woman is pulled over by a police officer, and he explains why:

"You were singing 'Someone Like You' by Adele while driving. Which means I'm going to have to give you a DUIA, that's Driving Under the Influence of Adele."

"Were you pointing one of those radar speeding guns at me?"

"No. I could hear you. Even with the siren on. You were really belting it out. It was ridiculous. I was embarrassed for you."

So what was she being cited for, exactly?

"For being a cliche. A middle-aged woman driving around the suburbs singing Adele's emotional anthem to the broken-hearted. I see so many women singing their guts out in their cars every day. It's sad."

This program aired on November 14, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.

Headshot of Carey Goldberg

Carey Goldberg Editor, CommonHealth
Carey Goldberg is the editor of WBUR's CommonHealth section.

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