The Bad Touch

"The Bad Touch"
The explicit cover of "The Bad Touch"
Single by Bloodhound Gang
from the album Hooray for Boobies
Released	September 3, 1999 (1999-09-03)
Genre	Euro disco[1] dance-pop[2] rap rock[3]
Length	4:20
Label	Jimmy Franks Geffen
Songwriter(s)	Jimmy Pop
Producer(s)	Jimmy Pop
Bloodhound Gang singles chronology
"Along Comes Mary" (1999) "The Bad Touch" (1999) "The Ballad of Chasey Lain" (2000)
Music video
"The Bad Touch" on YouTube
Audio sample
file help

"The Bad Touch" is a song by American alternative rock band Bloodhound Gang. It was released in September 1999 as the second single from their third studio album, Hooray for Boobies, which was released the following year in the United States and United Kingdom. In most territories, the song was released as the first single from the album, as "Along Comes Mary" was issued only in German-speaking Europe.^[4]

"The Bad Touch" became a hit in Europe throughout late 1999 and early 2000, reaching number one in Flanders, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Spain, and Sweden. Outside Europe, the song peaked at number five in Australia, number four in New Zealand, number nine in Canada, and number 52 in the United States. The song was remixed by many artists, including God Lives Underwater, KMFDM, and Eiffel 65, and was referenced by Eminem in his song "The Real Slim Shady".^{[citation needed]}

Music video[]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The song's video features the band dressed in "MonkeyRat" costumes with oversized ears, in numerous locations in Paris, (including the Place de l'Estrapade, Avenue de Saxe, and Champ de Mars), and the Eiffel Tower is visible in many shots. During the video, the band uses blowguns to shoot tranquilizer darts into the buttocks of four passing young women, then carry them away. They then use a fishing rod to dangle a croissant in front of a group of chefs, enticing them to follow. The band members dance around for a few seconds and then lure three chefs into following them. The band members swallow several mealworms before finding two effeminate gay men in a café, who are then beaten over the head with baguettes and knocked unconscious. A mime artist played by actor Jordan Prentice is captured in a net then thrown into a cage with the four women, three chefs and gay couple in a parody of animal-collectors capturing frightened specimens. The band leap around the cage, taunting their captives. As the song draws to an end, the prisoners are released and all dance together in formation in the street. The mime artist escapes and is run over by a speeding Renault 5 car driven by Lüpüs Thünder.

The uncensored version of the video shows the band playing with and eating a brown semi-liquid food, with the implication it is diarrhea, and a beginning which features them feigning sex in a doggy-style position rather than dancing as in the clean version. The violent capture of the gay couple is also missing from some versions.

Controversy[]

A scene in the video featuring a pair of gay men, who share french fries and are subsequently beaten by the band members with baguettes, was cut after it premiered.^[5] GLAAD complained about the scene to MTV stating "a gay-bashing scene in any context in today's climate is not acceptable".^[5] MTV reviewed the video and suggested to Geffen Records the scene be cut.^[5] Lead singer Jimmy Pop commented: "I would give any gay man two tickets to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of his choice if he could describe exactly who's going to become violent based on that scene."^[6]

Track listings[]

Charts and certifications[]

Weekly charts[] Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 5 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 1 Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[13] 10 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 9 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[15] 6 Czech Republic (IFPI)[16] 16 Denmark (IFPI)[17] 2 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[18] 7 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 8 France (SNEP)[20] 21 Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 1 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[23] 1 Italy (FIMI)[24] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 17 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 19 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 4 Norway (VG-lista)[28] 1 Poland (Music & Media)[29] 6 Scotland (OCC)[30] 1 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[31] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[34] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[35] 52 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[36] 6 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[37] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[38] 21 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[39] 29 Chart (2020) Peak position Hungary (Single Top 40)[40] 40

Year-end charts[] Chart (1999) Position Australia (ARIA)[41] 99 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[42] 16 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[43] 30 Germany (Official German Charts)[44] 13 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[45] 9 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 31 Chart (2000) Position Australia (ARIA)[48] 87 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[49] 14 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[50] 34 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[51] 91 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[52] 14 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] 83 UK Singles (OCC)[54] 20 Certifications[] Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[55] Platinum 70,000^ Austria (IFPI Austria)[56] Gold 25,000* Belgium (BEA)[57] Gold 25,000* Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[58] Gold 45,000 Germany (BVMI)[59] Gold 250,000^ New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] Gold 5,000* Sweden (GLF)[61] 2× Platinum 60,000^ Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[62] Gold 25,000^ United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Platinum 600,000 * Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

References[]