Riling Conservatives, Flaming Lips Hit Named Official Rock Song of Oklahoma

Well folks, the wheels are really coming off our democracy now. It seems that America's den of rogue, fringe leftism, Oklahoma, has embraced the music of a couple of baby-eating hippies, The Flaming Lips, by naming their hit single "Do You Realize??" the official rock song of their state.

The controversy began when an online poll was launched to name Oklahoma's official rock song. (The state already has an official non-rock song, "Oklahoma!"-- best known as the title song of the Broadway musical by Marilyn Manson.) But among rock songs, "Do You Realize??" was the poll's runaway winner, although it still had to be ratified by the state legislature.

And the legislature had other ideas. While ratification passed unanimously in the State Senate, it fell three votes short of the required 51 for passage in the State House.

Representatives were apparently angry that Flaming Lips bassist Michael Ivins was once seen in public wearing a hammer-and-sickle t-shirt and that members of the band were overheard using profanity several years back. Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City) was particularly incensed, and thus offered the oratorical throw-down that the Flaming Lips' "lips ought to be on fire." (Reynolds is known as the Daniel Webster of the Oklahoma State House.)

Enter Democratic Governor Brad Henry, who has announced that he will override the House vote with an executive order to be signed tomorrow, April 28. The details are enumerated in a stirring press release entitled Gov Henry Overrides House, Honors People's Choice of Lips.

We just hope the controversy won't carry over into the next online poll, which will be to name the official Hate-Mongering Country Song of Oklahoma. If "Okie from Muskogee" isn't the runaway winner, look for Sen. James Inhofe to defect to Kansas.

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