Interpret a music video

Started by Beorning, August 30, 2012, 02:34:30 PM

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Beorning

August 30, 2012, 02:34:30 PM
I was wondering, people: what would your interpretation of this music video would be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usaeUUAAnLM

Pro-Communist? Anti-Communist? Neither?

Beorning

#1
August 31, 2012, 08:49:07 AM Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 08:52:25 AM by Beorning
Sooo... nobody wants to take a stab at it? Come on, people, try  :-)

I'm asking, as I once discussed this video with my sister. She claims that this video is ironic and tongue-in-cheek. I think it's meant to be treated straighted. I wonder who's right...

Oniya

#2
August 31, 2012, 09:42:32 AM
Got a link to the lyrics?  Just going by the visuals, I think the 'communism' angle might be a red herring.  (Pun not intended, but I'm leaving it anyways.)

To me it seems to be anti-sweatshop, particularly the ones currently found in China and other Asian countries.  The hammer and sickle, while commonly associated with Russian communism, are the 'weapons of the worker', much like the weapons used in Japan when swords were only the property of the samurai.  Any thresher can get a sickle.  Any construction worker can get a hammer.  Anybody can get a fist (saw the raised fist emblem on a shirt or banner partway through.)  When that's what you have, that's what you use.

If anything, it seems to be speaking against the kind of greed-culture that makes sweatshops sound like a good idea (the green guy is obviously not buying into the 'to each according to his need' bit, nor do I suspect he's too keen on the idea of contributing 'according to his ability'.)  I could make a better analysis if I could parse out what he's saying.  The distort muffles a lot of what he's saying.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! (Oct 31) - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up! Requests closed

Valerian

#3
August 31, 2012, 10:22:18 AM
Out of curiosity, I looked for lyrics online, and apparently the distort makes it hard for everyone to understand, as none of the sites agree with each other at all.   ::)

The band's official website doesn't seem to have any lyrics available, unfortunately.
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE
For the curious

Sheoldred

#4
August 31, 2012, 01:43:05 PM
This is definitely not pro-communism. If anything it's anti-communism. Communist propaganda always promoted equality and glorified the working class as far as I know. In this video you see people toiling away mindlessly in dirt, doing all the hard and labourous work while the green man with a stereotypical evil moustache and a tophat swims in all the profits his workers earn for him. But after that part the rest remains ambiguous to me. Too much artsy crap and the faact that lyrics can barely be understood doesn't help either. Just my opinion.

Beorning

#5
August 31, 2012, 02:06:41 PM
Quote from: Sheoldred on August 31, 2012, 01:43:05 PM
This is definitely not pro-communism. If anything it's anti-communism. Communist propaganda always promoted equality and glorified the working class as far as I know. In this video you see people toiling away mindlessly in dirt, doing all the hard and labourous work while the green man with a stereotypical evil moustache and a tophat swims in all the profits his workers earn for him. But after that part the rest remains ambiguous to me. Too much artsy crap and the faact that lyrics can barely be understood doesn't help either. Just my opinion.

Well, the first two "acts" of the video are actually completely in line with what the Communists believed in. What we see are workers and farmers oppressed by the ruling elite - which, in turn, leads to the revolution shown in the third act.

Anyway, one version of the lyrics are here.

Oniya

#6
August 31, 2012, 02:22:47 PM
I'm going to stick with my original interpretation after reading those.  There's enough of a 'rise up' vibe to it.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! (Oct 31) - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up! Requests closed

Beorning

#7
August 31, 2012, 03:38:07 PM
Hmmm. A side thought: am I crazy, or is there Wizard of Oz being referenced in that video?

Oniya

#8
August 31, 2012, 07:46:05 PM
There was indeed a rip-off of the skipping scene.

(Weeeeeeee're... off to see the Wizard!)
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! (Oct 31) - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up! Requests closed

Sheoldred

#9
August 31, 2012, 08:31:40 PM
Quote from: Beorning on August 31, 2012, 02:06:41 PM
Well, the first two "acts" of the video are actually completely in line with what the Communists believed in. What we see are workers and farmers oppressed by the ruling elite - which, in turn, leads to the revolution shown in the third act.

Anyway, one version of the lyrics are here.

Oh? Well, I'll be damned if I was wrong since I am actually russian(though living abroad). Or maybe I just misinterpreted my history lessons. I always thought that communism promoted complete equality between everybody, even the chosen communist party that controlled everything as they were not meant to take any more than the average worker which those bastards still did, of course. But I am too lazy  to look up stuff and my memory is too fuzzy to argue.

Oniya

#10
August 31, 2012, 08:51:45 PM
Actually, what Beorning was referencing was the oppressed state shown in acts one and two ultimately leading to the revolution in the third act.  This mirrors what Marx said would happen (pretty sure he mentioned the breaking of chains, which was also shown in the video), with the end result being (ideally) the communist state.

Reading the lyrics (and trying to give them coherency, sorry), it's not exactly touting any particular outcome to the revolution, just that the revolution needs to come.  That's why I can't quite class it as 'pro-communist', but rather went with the 'anti-greed' interpretation.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! (Oct 31) - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up! Requests closed

Beorning

#11
September 01, 2012, 07:16:17 AM
Quote from: Oniya on August 31, 2012, 08:51:45 PM
Actually, what Beorning was referencing was the oppressed state shown in acts one and two ultimately leading to the revolution in the third act.  This mirrors what Marx said would happen (pretty sure he mentioned the breaking of chains, which was also shown in the video), with the end result being (ideally) the communist state.

Yup. The first two acts are represent feudalism and capitalism. The third act is communist revolution. The fourth act is the communist state.

Quote
Reading the lyrics (and trying to give them coherency, sorry), it's not exactly touting any particular outcome to the revolution, just that the revolution needs to come.  That's why I can't quite class it as 'pro-communist', but rather went with the 'anti-greed' interpretation.

The lyrics are somewhat... weird, I agree.

BTW. What do you think of the communist state's portrayal in act four? My sister sees it as semi-ironic and critical of the communist state - because of the marching soldiers and all. Personally, I don't think that this subtext was intended - but I'm weird, because I've always liked the sight of marching soldiers  ;)

nailcrosser

#12
September 19, 2012, 03:25:21 AM
It looks to be anti-communism and anti-capitalism. It's about how the rich folk oppress the working class, and giving power to the working class due to their numbers and the fact that they've been trained to function together.
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