I Miss My MTV: Spooky Edition
It’s the Halloween edition, so I’m sharing the videos that are the scariest and have stayed with me like a living nightmare. You have been warned! Yes, these are even spookier than “Everybody.”
Genesis, “Land of Confusion” (1986)
Genesis has been misremembered as some sort of adult contemporary goof band, but their deep cuts are dark. “Land” of Confusion warns of an oncoming fascist existence. The puppets from the satire Spitting Image. Just wait till you get to the severed heads in the swamp.
Aphex Twin, “Come to Daddy” (1997)
I don’t even know if I’ve ever heard an Aphex Twin song! But this is burned into the mind of every teen of the 90s that stayed up too late to watch MTV after midnight. Can that alien please stop shouting in the old woman’s face?
The Chemical Brothers, “Believe” (2005)
There’s some metaphor, perhaps heavy-handed bout industrialization and automation. But a car assembly line machine stalks him throughout the city. That is of course scary enough, but oh my god, it can climb stairs. And how it walks it just sort of drags itself. Ugh.
Talking Heads, “Blind” (1988)
Another heavy-handed satire. Imagine an inanimate object was running for office? Sure. Maybe it’s a wrench? Ok. It has teeth? Okay no thank you. Wait, it DROOLS? Thank you for haunting my nightmares.
Interpol, “Evil” (2005)
The same people who say they are afraid of puppets are the same who say they are afraid of clowns. It’s fake but seems like the thing to say. But imagine a puppet that gets into a car accident and is mangled. Yikes! The puppet is designed by artist Charlie White, similar to his work “Understanding Joshua,” which is also disturbing.
Tool, “Sober” (1993)
Hey look at that, another puppet-ish animated video. However, it’s not the puppet that gets me, it’s the giant worm that lives in the pipes. And why does the character pet is so lovingly?
Garbage, “Push It” (1988)
Remember in the 90s, when nonsensical images were king? Blame Peter Gabriel. But for Garbage’s lead single on their second album, which oddly samples the Beach Boys, the video was made by pulling different words out of a hat. Naked twins connected by the head in a supermarket. Shirley Manson married to a man with a lightbulb as a head. Demonic children wander a neighborhood. A child sits among armed soldiers. This is not particularly scary, but the effort is admirable.
Robbie Williams, “Rock DJ” (2000)
Robbie Williams is a sex symbol. But does he love it? No, it is a problem. In fact, being a sex symbol means being devoured by fans. LITERALLY! The concept is dumb but the execution is gruesome. If he was eaten alive by fans, it would be...alright? But he literally rips his own bodyparts off. The CGI is bad, the body horror is real.
Klaxon, “Twin Flames” (2010)
Listen, I write this newsletter for some enjoyment, it’s all fun and games. When I say that these videos are scary, maybe it will be interesting to watch. However, you have been warned. This Klaxon video is unsettling in the worst way. There are practical reasons: body horror beyond even imagining. Allegedly it was inspired by the film Society, so if you’ve seen it, it’s about ten times worse than that. The sexual nature of it makes it even more unbearable. I almost threw up having to find this video and watch it to add to your list. Warning: there’s nudity, but that is the least of your problems.
But the Klaxons are a great band. Stellar music.
Well…Happy Halloween?
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