In perhaps the biggest "Eh? Really?" entertainment rumour of the month, if not the year, the Middle East woke up yesterday to hear that it had been assigned a new Cultural Ambassador of Partying by the US Department of State. And adding further oddness to the news, the man handed this curious baton is a rocker who is no stranger to partying: Andrew WK.
Yes, that's right, Andrew WK – a man famed for pulling daft faces and urging fans to Party Till You Puke (well, that was the name of an album). And April 1 was a good eight months ago.
According to the notorious frontman’s own website, he was appointed by the “US Department of State in partnership with the US Embassy in Manama, Bahrain”, and will visit the country to “promote partying and positive power”.
“In the tradition of the American Jazz Ambassadors who travelled the world in the mid-20th century as examples of American culture and spirit, Andrew has been invited by the State Department to travel to the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain and share his music and partying with the people there.”
Not our words, people, the words of Andrew WK’s website.
It goes on to claim that Andrew will travel to Bahrain in the first week of December – that's next week – and will visit elementary schools, the University of Bahrain, music venues and more, “all while promoting partying and world peace”. Mr WK himself added that he could “hardly wait for the adventure”.
Perhaps this is a new tactic by the US government after a good century or so of promoting peace through slightly more aggressive means. What’s next – Paris Hilton being sent to Iran to “promote being hawt and nuclear disarmament”?
Actually....
UPDATE: It seems Andrew WK's Bahrain trip has now been cancelled by the Department of State. "The embassy determined that was probably not a best choice and didn't meet our standards," a spokesperson said. In a response on his Facebook page, Mr WK said he was "blown away" by the decision and that "after a year of planning, the US State Dept. just canceled my Middle East trip because I'm too party."
One of the most peculiar ambassadorial decisions in recent memory or just a ridiculous marketing exercise from a ridiculous man? You decide.