What Did I Just Watch

I was reading a post discussing Sia’s newest music video entitled Elastic Heart. I loved Sia’s video for Chandelier, so I was excited to see that her newest video followed the same concept. In the post it talks about how some people saw it as being inappropriate and some of the theories people had of it’s meaning. The controversy wasn’t anything new, even the first video was deemed too explicit by some viewers. The post also mentioned Nicky Minaj’s Anaconda video and how it didn’t receive as much backlash. The video did start an uproar, however the entirety of it didn’t last long. Honestly I didn’t really think that much about it myself, I saw the first thirty seconds and it was enough for me to know how the whole video was going to be. I just though it was another singer dancing provocatively with barely any clothes on. Nothing new really.

When I watched Sia’s music video, even though I didn’t completely understand it, I liked that it  made me think. Music videos these days are just so typical, they all look the same. Even those few people who try to add a weird element are becoming boring. I decided to talk about some of the most interesting videos I have seen that left me thinking “what did I just watch?”

T.O.P-Doom Dada

So the first time I watched this video it freaked me out, with the Ape Planet thing, the creepy baby, and that part at the two minute mark. And what is up with all those random things thrown in; like the deer, zebra,cauliflower and the huge microphone. All I thought was, hey at least the guy is not bad looking. However when I learned what this video was about I was so surprised how every single little thing had a meaning to it and how detailed it was.

The whole video revolves around the Dadaism moment that occurred in the early 1900s. The movements’ use of avant-garde styles eventually led to post-modern art, surrealism and abstract art. Witch can be seen throughout the whole video. Such as the portrait by Kim Hwan Gi and references to Salvador Dali. T.O.P said in an interview that he was inspired by cult movies, many of witch where parodied throughout the video (Dr. Stranglelove, 2001:Space Odyssey,  The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and many more). He even included the Zoe-trope which began motion picture in the first place.

The song and the video could be alluding to the fact that T.O.P is superior to other rappers,hence the use of  evolutionary path, which could also represent his own evolution. Another theory is that he is sending the message that music should return to it being an art form rather than jsut anotehr way to make money. I thought that the Dada movement could represent rap and Doom could mean end, therefore stating that the rap genre is coming to an end due to the mediocre rappers. People have analyzed every single scene in this video and the lyrics, coming up with all type of theories. There is just so much to be said about this music video, that it could be another post withing itself.

Stromae- Tous Les Memes

This video became controversial due to its depiction of women and men. Stromae himself plays the main character, the left side of his face being masculine and the right feminine. Even the gestures, movements, and lighting (green for the masculine side, pink for feminine side) throughout the video are separated due to gender.

The lyrics are written from the perceptive of a women, but the video depicts both genders.  I find it interesting since I have never seen an artist depict both sides of a story in a video. It’s basically about a break-up and the way both genders react in ridicules ways, which Stoamae thinks people never want to show.  Some people have concluded that the video represents how men and women are the same and should not be separated due to their gender.

Naughty Boy-La la la ft. Sam Smith

I have to admit the first time I watched this video I couldn’t get through it. I think it was the child singing La La La that gave me the creeps. I finally decided to watch the whole thing a couple days ago, I mean the video has almost half a million views. Obviously something about it is causing people to click on it; whether it be the song, the video or the combination of the both.

If you scroll through the comments all you will see is reoccurring theme of Illuminati. Which nowadays every artist seems to a part of. Some people have connected it to the The Wizard of Oz. The boy being Dorthy, the dog the cowardly lion, the ash face man as the tin man and the elephant as the scarecrow.

The video follows the story of a Bolivian legend, where a deaf boy leaves an abusive home and finds a stray dog who accompanies him. The boy then realizes that he can perceive people’s problems and can solve them through his scream. He then finds a man who was stoned by the villagers, he screams and the mans troubles are erased. After that they come across a man who was shunned by society. The man says that he is a prophet cursed by El Tio who is the leader of the underworld. The prophet says that El Tio lives in the desert and causes people suffering. In order to stop the suffering the boy goes to see El Tio himself. The others have to leave him alone because anyone with intact hearing could be cursed by him El Tio.

I guess in a way people are right, it does deal with a character who was based off of the devil. But you honestly can’t blame a culture for coming up with a legend that revolves a theme that we all know to well.

Even though these videos seemed odd to me at first I have learned to appreciate them for there creativity. You definitely have to have an open mind when watching some of them and I don’t blame you if you end up being weird-ed out.