Act of Being Polite

"Act of Being Polite" (or "The Act of Being Polite") is the sixteenth track on The Residents' Commercial Album, released by Ralph Records on October 29th 1980. Like all songs on the album, it is exactly one minute long. Later in the year it was one of four songs from the album which received a short music video, as part of the film One Minute Movies (a concept later expanded in 2004 for the Commercial DVD).
The Residents recorded a new arrangement of the song for the 2001 retrospective DVD/soundtrack project Icky Flix. This new version of the song was also performed live on the related tour in a medley with the other new One Minute Movies arrangements.
==Lyrics==
 I found her crying in the morning
 Sitting in a chair 
 She was wrapping something up 
 And wrapping it with care
 I did not mean to hurt her 
 When I fell asleep last night 
 I was just exhausted 
 From the act of being polite 
 Yes I was just exhausted 
 From the act of being politeIma Buddy, Ima Buddy's Totally Impartial Companion to Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated BIG MAMAS, 1992
== Music videos ==
A short music video by The Residents was created for the song the same year it was released as part of Commercial Album. It was included as the second of four such videos in their short film One Minute Movies. 
The video co-stars a Resident wearing the blue eyeball mask, laying in bed while trying to rest, and a woman with another eyeball mask, sitting in a chair and rubbing a mysterious box while she giggles. Both of them end up laying on top of a bed, exhausted. The video also has animated sequences, with a cartoon heart being crushed by a hydraulic press, and an animated mouth singing the final lyrics of the song. The music video ends with the caption "THANK YOU".
A second video for the original song was created by Bill Domonkos in 2004 for the group's Commercial DVD. This new short has a man looking around the surroundings of his house while it seems that he has gone insane. There is heavy implication that there is a history of domestic violence between him and his wife. The video ends with blood spiling down from his mouth. 
== List of releases ==
* Commercial Album (1980) 1980 Studio Version (1:00)
* Ralph Video Volume I (1983) 
* Video Voodoo Volume I (1987) 
* Twenty Twisted Questions (1993) 
* In Memoriam Torso (1994) 
* Icky Flix (2001)  2001 Studio Version (1:00)
* Live! ...On The Outskirts (2002) Icky Flix live recording, October 2001 (1:00)
* Kettles Of Fish On The Outskirts Of Town (2003) 
* Commercial DVD (2004) 
* Icky Flix Live (2009) Icky Flix live recording, March 2001 (1:00)
* Icky Flix - The Original Soundtrack Recording (2020) 
==== Versions ====
==See also==
*Commercial Album
*One Minute Movies
*Commercial DVD
==External links and references==
*Commercial Album at The Residents Historical
*Commercial DVD at The Residents Historical
*Commercial Album on Discogs
*Commercial DVD on Discogs
*"Act of Being Polite" at Genius
Category:Commercial Album
Category:Icky Flix
Category:One Minute Songs
Category:Songs