Sona Has A Problem With Conan’s Masturbating Bear Music | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Sona recently realized that the “Late Night” crew used an iconic Armenian song to score The Masturbating Bear’s hijinks and she wants an apology.


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[Por-poI]

Matt name-droppping Lando as a popular Armenian was so quick lmao. Almost makes me think he already thought of that ages ago and just got the time to make a reference to how Armenian surnames normally sounds like hahaha

[Miranda_Ghost]

As a classical musician, I have nothing to add to this discourse except my hysterical, grateful laughter.

[lightwjohnny]

When I first got an Xbox almost 20 years ago, I couldnt use any version if the name Masturbating Bear. I assumed they were blocked. So I named myself after Pimpbot 5000. One day, playing Call of Duty, a teammate comes and stands next to me, in view. His name was Mstrbting Bear. He looked at me, did a little shuffle. I did it back. And we continued playing normally. I almost tear up thinking about it.

[mattmays]

UGH! Can we all just pause for a moment and truly listen to Conan's heartfelt exclamation: 'Oh my God, no, seriously, you have a beautiful culture. Don't say "we have so little"—you have SO MUCH!' This speaks to who Conan is at his core, echoing his own words during a pivotal moment in his career: 'Please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism — it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. WE LOVE YOU, TEAM COCO!!!

[PopeLando]

You Armenians have Cher! You have the Kardashians! You have Doctor Kevorkian!
Matt: Lando Calrissian!
😂😂😂

[Lines]

And to Conan's generation, it's the spinning plates guy music.

[betsyduane]

Aram Khachaturian died in Moscow on 1 May 1978. He was buried at the Komitas Pantheon in Yerevan next to other distinguished Armenians.

[Tonyhouse]

Conan, Sona, and Matt is all I need. Just a really great trio.

[davidyoder]

Major points to Eduardo, because El Mariachi Loco would TOTALLY work for the Masturbating Bear. I want to see a cut of it now!

[OnTheNerdySide]

"No, he was a real bear." Thanks for committing to the bit, Conan!

[littlebumgorf]

Khachaturian wrote Sabre Dance in 1942 as the finale of his ballet which was being put on in St Petersburg during WWII. So yes. Under the thumb of Stalin.

[MoneyChanger]

Before MB, i always associated Sabre Dance with circuses, clowns in particular. A bear pleasuring itself is a step up, IMO

[rubentrevino]

For real, Conan is an Armenian allie. I had not heard of the genocide until Sona and Conan went to the memorial, very powerful remote they shot. I love their friendship.

[PatrickMersinger]

When I was younger that song was, in America at least, was called “plate spinning music.”

A guy had 5 sticks, and 5 plates. He balances 1 plate on 1 stick and spins the plate until he can keep it spinning and balanced. Then he furiously runs around to get the other 4 going, while often having to run back and forth to keep the previous ones going too. Early American television variety shows had a lot of this stuff.

[zaptreethunder]

5:39 Sona's FACE says it ALL for her reactions as soon as Conan said Judge, HAHAHa! XD
6:48 her reaction and face AGAIN when aaron speaking the truth, culture shocked

[contrarian]

Googled: Khachaturian did fine in the USSR, he was in the Communist Party, dedicated his music to October Revolution etc. There was a brief spat in the late 1940's, he was accused of being a "formalist" (too "bourgeois"), but nothing serious. He died in 1978 (possibly heart-related) and is buried in Yerevan Armenia.

[spidrawebster]

To Boomers, it's the music used by a spinning plate act on The Ed Sullivan Show and that's important context to why it would have been used for comic effect with the Masturbating Bear. (Interestingly, when I tried to consult old Ed Sullivan Show clips, they played "It's Just One of Those Things"...which makes me wonder how the trope of the Sabre Dance being used for plate-spinning acts got started...)

[miniature_marie]

Sabre Dance has a super fun and hectic piccolo part, loved playing it in orchestra.

[ThatsOnYoutube]

TBF Aram Khachaturian's "Gayane's Adagio" was used to great effect in the movie Aliens. It's been around the block a few times. And out of some guy's chest.

[dugferd]

Sabre Dance had been used for so many things long before that. Anything that needs very fast and frantic music.