MTV's The State and Nation of Ulysses

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ok, dumb question. does anyone remember the comedy show called the state that was on mtv in the mid 90s, and if so can you tell me if i am right in thinking that there's a nation of ulysses song sampled in the theme tune? i'm not sure if it was used on all the episodes, but i'm sure i can hear the intro to 'the kingdom of heaven must be taken by storm' in the titles of the skits and stickers video. little help?

― racing_the_tide, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i remember the show but can't help u with the song. all i can remember is "it's not a couch...its a LOVESEAT" but i don't know what that means

― V, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

haha, i love the state; it's probably my favorite sketch-comedy show... anyways, if memory serves, the theme was done by the main guy from, er, shudder to think or somesuch similar indie band.

― dave k, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I remember noticing it as well. Plays Pretty for Baby is a killer album.

― bnw, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

it certainly is.

― racing_the_tide, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Never thought The State were that funny, really. Three of them went onto the ill-fated "Viva Variety" show on Comedy Central. One of them does Snickers bar commercials now. One of them became the voice of the Pets.com puppet dog. I saw the red-headed guy at a wedding recently (he was tending bar). The one female in the troop was also in a band on Vapor Records called Cake Like, who were.....bizarre, if memory serves.

I was always more of a Kids in the Hall fan.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, the post-state stuff is pretty grim, but i think, even the dumb skits were really well-acted. that's not quite what i mean, more like, they all had like a single gesture or expression that would drive me wild even if the rest of the skit was collapsing... my favorite was tom lennon but i don't know what he did after viva variety... um, not that i've seen it in like a decade though. this was back when i liked mtv's non-video programming, haha - remember 'the head'?

― dave k, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm pretty sure that it was one of Girls Against Boys (I want to say Johnny Temple) that did the State theme music...

― mike, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i know the theme tune itself isn't by n.o.u. it's just that i'm pretty sure i can hear a couple of seconds of a song of theirs within it, and i wondered if anyone knew the whole story. the theme itself is pretty crappy if you ask me.

i don't know his name, but the guy in the state who i found the funniest is now in some filthy daytime sitcom/drama called ed. needless to say he's the best thing about it. in the state he played barry lutz and the guy with no trousers. yeah, i'm sure you know.

i was never a big fan of the head, but aeon flux was cool.

― racing_the_tide, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Head" was godawful, as was "Dead at 21" (starring the unfortunately named Jack Noseworthy), but "The MAXX" had some great animation -- if a completely convoluted plot-line.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I loved the State when it was on. My crew in high school had 'em on tape, memorized, etc. I always liked the theme music, too.

Cut to: years later in college, a friend of mine from DC who grew up w/o cable is playing me NOU: "all the girls/gather round/c'mon everybody/dig this sound/ACTION!/ACTION!"

I totally lose it. "Oh fuck oh fuck dude the state the state the fucking state that's it that's it!" "Man, are you ok? what state?"

A great pop moment.

― GCannon, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I WANT TO DIP MY BALLS IN IT!"

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The state's theme song was performed by Craig Wreden of Shudder to Think. He also did most of the music for the movie Wet Hot American Summer (which was written by and starred a number of state members) which was a fantastic post-state project. David Wain, Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black (all of The State) currently work on something called Stella which is performed live in NYC from time to time and is possibly even funnier than the State.

― Sam, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Wow, it's been a while since I've seen The State. The theme song to the show was composed by Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys. He used a sample of Ian Svenonius saying "Action! Action!" from I forget which NoU song. There may have been other NoU samples in the theme, not sure...

― Diego, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Doug, do you even know who Bob Dylan is?"

"Yeah, he's some guy who died of drugs."

"He's not dead. I produced his last three albums."

"Oh. You mean uncle Robert?"

― Prude, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The dancing hormones!

― Jordan, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

aw, i really should have called this thread 'state of the nation'. damn my inability to spot clever thread titles.

― racing_the_tide, Tuesday, 30 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

it's Craig Wedren from Shudder to Think. he also did the music for the "one hot american summer" film that was done by the State guys.

― jeeezmaaan, Friday, 20 September 2002 13:34 (twenty-three years ago)

i meant "wet hot american summer" and i didn't realize that someone already posted that it was craig wedren... sorry for ruining this thread... now i'll go kill myself.

― jeeezmaaan, Friday, 20 September 2002 13:42 (twenty-three years ago)

There are a few scetches on Kazaa.... if anyone cares... "MTV's The State"

― JonnyBlaze654, Tuesday, 24 September 2002 19:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Just last week I downloaded like 10 different skits..

― JonnyBlaze654, Tuesday, 24 September 2002 19:06 (twenty-three years ago)

The one female in the troop was also in a band...

Carrie Kenney (sp)? My younger brother went out on a few dates with her in high school.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

statemedia.net has all the State clips you could ever want, including some Stella clips too.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 21:38 (twenty-three years ago)

eight years pass...

xp I was never a fan of people who were never a fan of The State.

― billstevejim, Saturday, 30 July 2011 19:23 (fourteen years ago)

nine months pass...

It's two NOU songs. I just realized.

― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 14:18 (fourteen years ago)

ha your question was answered in another thread you revived about this: The State

― some dude, Friday, 18 May 2012 14:20 (fourteen years ago)

it's Hickey Underworld and Kingdom of Heaven Must Be Taken

― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Friday, 18 May 2012 14:34 (fourteen years ago)

ok wait I think it's at least three songs -- the *sad horns* sound like N-Sub Ulysses

― this guy's a gangsta? his real name's mittens. (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 20:57 (fourteen years ago)

love the idea of Hurting just constantly thinking about this and bouncing around different ilx threads and websites for 2 weeks straight

― some dude, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 21:02 (fourteen years ago)

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