So a few weeks back I posted the first in what is now a series on a look at our culture today and back in the 80's through the lens of the music video.
Why the music video? For one, because the music video was new back in the 80's, so it's interesting to take a look back and see how music videos have changed and how they haven't. And two, I like music videos. I've also been focusing on the New Wave and Indie genres—for now—because many New Wave artists were the first to make really effective music videos, and because Indie artists tend to make, well, let's say interesting music videos. Also they were/are both not quite mainstream but fairly popular.
This episodes choices both have a slight semblance of plot, which allows viewers to attempt to read between the lines and come up with a deeper meaning, even though there probably isn't one. Classic strategy!
Starting in the 80's, the scene: A British courtroom where, evidently, everyone wears wigs. Black men in black-face tell the viewers that this video is going to be political. Boy George then puts on his time-traveling sunglasses to go on a protest of history. The judge gets really mad because you can’t protest history, so he locks George up in a cell. He get's really emo about it, but luckily his backup dancers know a cell unlocking dance, and they go hang out in a stairwell with all the cool kids that also hate history.
Now fast forward to today, somewhere in Denmark, where everyone looks really Scandinavian. A young woman stands in front of an audience of old people who all look really somber, and she starts to take off her clothes. This is obviously a statement against sexism or exploitation of the young or capitalism or something. One of the old men smiles creepily, and that's when things start to get weird. There's some more stripping for a generally approving elderly audience and then AWKWARD DANCE BREAK! A couple of big middle aged men see the dance party and want to take off their clothes too. At this point it becomes pretty clear that everyone is on ecstasy and probably a lot of other drugs too. There's a foot washing, a German shepherd, another dance break—this time with a Ford Fiesta—and a bunch of other stuff too. And at the end of the day, everyone agrees that it was a pretty good ecstasy party. Don't do drugs kids.
(I should probably post some kind of warning that there's some skin and artsy shit that make this one a little NSFW, but on a scale from one to "Interior Semiotics" I'd probably only give it, like, a three.)
So what general conclusions can we make from these videos? I think the 80's seem like a simpler time don't they? You were either with the Reagan-Thatcher conservative revolution or you were rebelling against it. At least that's my oversimplified conception of the 80's. And the whole Culture club video seems to be basically about being an outsider and not fitting to the social norm. Meanwhile, today we've got AIDS, globalization, terrorism, malnutrition, predatory lending, political polarization, you name it. Everyone's upset at everything and it's generally just a big confusing mess. I think our art and culture tend to reflect the complex, interconnected nature of these types of issues. At least that's my excuse for not being able to make sense of that video.
Also, does it seem like everyone has gotten really serious about everything?
Strangely the first two segments have both featured androgynous singers from the 80's and music videos shot in a plain white warehouse from today; this is purely coincidental. However, I think it might be a trend that the recent music videos are more random with more involved cinematography as a way to garner attention in our media saturated environment.
Finally, no American bands to date. That was completely accidental and I apologize for not being more patriotic. This will change.
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