I wasn't surprised when they elected a black president, but I didn't think they would turn right around and elect a black Madonna so soon. Simultaneously releasing one album by yourself and another by your alter ego is such a Madonna-esque move that Madge is probably kicking herself for not thinking of it, although I suppose it is part of the point of Madonna that she is still Madonna no matter what kind of blasphemo-sodomite tomfoolery she gets up to.
I just like everything about this video. The double-dutch backbeat and the chainsaw synth sample appeal to the five-year-old in me. The 15-year-old approves of Beyoncé's R. Crumb/Modigliani look. The 25-year-old graduate student approves of the fluid, rhythmically complex vocal performance and is aware of the classic American allusions in the choreography; also, he, like the 15-year-old, wants 30 seconds with that ass so bad his palms itch. This is Girl Power exercised on a terrifying, Galactus-like scale; Britney and Christina and Gwen Stefani, for all their gifts at manipulating certain archetypes, must feel like rented pleasure skiffs watching a nuclear sub pull into the harbour.
Comments (14)
I didn't realize that pelvic thrusting and booty-shaking were prevalent in classic Americana. Show what I know.
Also, what is with the borg implant on her left wrist?
Posted by Paulus | November 20, 2008 4:10 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 16:10
I didn't realize that pelvic thrusting and booty-shaking were prevalent in classic Americana.
If you were turned 25 the day Elvis appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, and conceivably too old to "get" what he was doing, you would be 77 years old right now. (Your palms would probably still be itching, though).
Trust me, that in itself a classic American allusion.
Posted by Tybalt | November 20, 2008 6:57 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 18:57
Hey, 77 would still make Gramps over there four years younger than Bob Fosse.
Posted by Colby Cosh | November 20, 2008 7:08 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 19:08
They're doing choreography.
Nonetheless, there's an awful lot to like about that video.
Regarding Beyonce v. Madonna, I think Madonna's schtick for 20 years or so has been extracting interesting musical ideas from odd places (dance music in a few albums, world music for one) and having them transformed into appealing pop music. Beyonce's work here seems sufficiently strange and original that it doesn't even reference Madonna.
Xtina or Britney have much to fear from something as clever and good as this song, but I think Stefani's still safe.
Thanks for the find.
Posted by Ryan Cousineau | November 20, 2008 8:24 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 20:24
Fuck, is Michelle Williams one of the dancers?? Probably not, but I can imagine she could use the cash.
It grows on you. I'm a Beyonce fan from her Survivor days; she's been making me tingle for years. I can take all your points, but I was still a little bored, relatively speaking, watching this one. And yes on Stefani: she's in a different universe and she'll be fine.
Posted by Sarah | November 20, 2008 9:32 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 21:32
While I'm at it...30 seconds?!?
Posted by Ryan Cousineau | November 20, 2008 11:05 PM
Posted on November 20, 2008 23:05
Beat me to it, Ryan.
For most men, I'm thinking more like 30 minutes, minimum.
Posted by Garth Wood | November 21, 2008 6:50 AM
Posted on November 21, 2008 06:50
Say what you want about the ninnies in Nashville... But no matter how beloved you are, their first whiff of that 'alter-ego' shit will bring your career to an end. Which is admirable.
Posted by Crid [cridcridatgmail] | November 21, 2008 11:37 AM
Posted on November 21, 2008 11:37
"For most men, I'm thinking more like 30 minutes, minimum."
Remember, CC was talking about a 15 year old. 30 seconds would be more than enough.
Posted by Imethisguy | November 23, 2008 6:16 PM
Posted on November 23, 2008 18:16
The alter ego thing seems to have been working well for Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana. If Beyonce is successful with this, we can probably expect to see more of it in the pop world, alas.
Posted by Will S. | November 24, 2008 9:13 AM
Posted on November 24, 2008 09:13
Point taken, and I hate you for it. But OTOH that was a layer of showbiz pretense built into (perhaps sustaining) the whole venture. If Brooks or Knowles had warned us upon the release of the first record that this was coming, we might have gone back to listening to Randy Travis or Janet Jackson. The 14yo girl didn't ask fans who'd been spending (their own) money on her product for years to please understand that she had an entirely different side of her character yet too enchant and delight us.
(Many good comments in this one, but Cousineau drew blood with his second.)
Posted by Crid [cridcridatgmail] | November 24, 2008 2:45 PM
Posted on November 24, 2008 14:45
11 posts above and no one's noticed the camel toe?
Posted by grey wall | November 25, 2008 6:51 PM
Posted on November 25, 2008 18:51
speaking of sodomite tomfoolery
I mean, guuurrrl
So fierce
But somewhat seriously, this dancing boy has become almost as much of a youtube sensation as the original Beyonce video.
Posted by An American Passing Through | November 26, 2008 1:58 PM
Posted on November 26, 2008 13:58
grrr, the link above was malformed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2q4V7_emVg
Posted by An American Passing Through | November 27, 2008 4:39 PM
Posted on November 27, 2008 16:39