Are You Offended Yet? (Part III)

As blogs come to a close, I felt it was only appropriate to finish this series of posts. So here we go!

What place does the profane have in music videos?

Hooooooo Boy. There are some...."interesting" music videos out there. You know the ones. The ones that "like big butts," "turn down for what," and "come in like a wrecking ball." The ones that we'd all like to ignore and avert every child's eyes away from. But music vids aren't really a children's media in the first place. In fact, I can't really put them in the same realm as film either. 

So do these kinds of extremes have their place? That depends. What's the song about?

If your song is about big butts, then I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see just that when I watch the music video. Music videos, I feel, are a visual representation of either the song, the artist, or both. 

One great example of this is in the music videos made by an artist named Sia. You might remember a certain video that was released not long ago that stared Shia LaBeouf. They also have great dance choreography.

This video struck me as very strange when I first watched it, but it actually has a lot of meaning in it. It is actually the second video in a trilogy that Sia is working on. In this video, we get a glimpse into her (really all of our) mind, and the struggles in her head. In the making-of video for this, she explains that the cage is symbolic of a skull. This skull then acts like a prison for the thoughts/ emotions/ feelings inside. Both the girl and man are the same person having a conflict with themselves.

Making-of Video

My point is, that the music videos reflect the feel of the song. If the music videos of the songs you listen to bother you, does the song bother you? What about the lyrics? What about the artist? 

As naked women, penises, and other wildly inappropriate things dance across the screen, ask yourself. WHY? Not in an ironic way, though that will be your first reaction, but in sincerity. Why did the artist make the conscious choice to include something profane in their video? What does it say about them or what does it say about our society?

I believe the profane has its place in music videos maybe even more so than any other media. Now, that doesn't mean I approve of such videos. Good holy guacamole do I wish there were less of them. But I think they state clearly the mindset of the people who live in each generation. 

And now on a lighter note, I'd like to share with you, possibly the best music video of all time. With professional artist, DENNY BLAZIN HAZEN in the song that put him on the map, 

Average Homeboy.