Mark Metcalf

MARK METCALF
 
 
Mark Metcalf  (born March 11, 1946 in Findlay, Ohio) is an American television and film actor.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

You might remember We’re Not Gonna Take It as a classic music video on MTV back in the day; as Wikipedia describes it:  “The song is notable for its popular music video directed by Marty Callner, with its emphasis on slapstick comedy, where a parent gets the worst of the band’s mischief.  Controversy arose when the depiction of the family in the video caused a public outcry long before the ‘explicit lyrics’ warning was placed on records, cassettes, and CD’s.  

This led to the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center, co-founded by Tipper Gore (who later became Second Lady of the United States).  Mark Metcalf, the actor portraying the father in the video, had previously played   Neidermeyer, the ROTC student commander in National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978).  In a reference to his role in the film, Metcalf says in the video, ‘A Twisted Sister pin? On your uniform?!’.  [Lead singer Dee] Snider himself can also be heard cursing and swearing the question ‘A pledge pin? On your uniform?’ at the end of the song.” 

 

(June 2013/2)

 

*       *       *

 

It didn’t register right away, but eventually I noticed that Presidential candidate Donald Trump had the Twisted Sister song We’re Not Gonna Take It playing at a lot of his early rallies. Lead singer and songwriter Dee Snider personally gave Trump permission to use the song. I have written of their music video for this song before, featuring Animal House star Mark Metcalf and several lines of dialogue from the movie also. (Even the song has some of the dialogue in it).  
There was a follow-up song from Twisted Sister that is not so well known. “I Wanna Rock” also had Mark Metcalf in the video and an Animal House theme; and another actor from the movie, Stephen Furst had a cameo. In this one, a boy is accosted by his teacher (played by Metcalf) for putting a Twisted Sister logo on his textbook. After a booming taunt, “What do you wanna do with your life???”, the boy says: “I Wanna Rock!” 
(March 2016)

Last edited: March 22, 2021