R.E.M.

What's the Frequency, Kenneth? was the first single from Monster by the American rock and roll band R.E.M. The song was released on the tail end of a recession with jobless recovery, and the coming of the Republican Revolution. The original video had an opening shot of the stage at the feet of the lead singer, Michael Stipe, and slowly pans to his head surprising longtime fans with his shaved head.

This shot is reminiscent of the infamous final sequence in Taxi Driver when Travis Bickel attempts, unsuccessfully, to assassinate a presidential contender. As is well documented, this is the movie that inspired the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan by way of an infatuation with Jodi Foster.

It's important to note that R.E.M. had pinpointed a moment in our history when there was a very real anger throughout the heartland. We were experiencing a loud, irrational and irate political movement not seen in this country since the days of Father Coughlin.

Of course, this was many years ago, and enough time has passed that even Jodi Foster is making Dirty Harry style movies. R.E.M. has recorded a "comeback" record, Accelerate, with the same style of Monster, but sadly, what is missing is R.E.M.'s connection to our culture.