I think that Annie Lennox's weird and funny pronunciation of the word "this" as these in the song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" might have had the effect of imparting a campy humor to the word "these," at least in certain contexts, perhaps especially when the word occurs at the end of phrases or sentences.

A preacher speaks on televison of "the least of these," and I laugh because it reminds me of somebody singing about the notion of something (such as sweet dreams) being "made of these" — perhaps with a sweeping hand gesture of the sort made by models presenting a lineup of merchandise on The Price is Right, a silent gesture of "look at these."

"Sweet dreams are made of these, the least of these; look at these!, do you like these?" — it all gets me laughing. "Can't you read? It says right here on the record sleeve: I'm not saying these, I'm saying this!"