Erykah Badu’s new video for “Window Seat,” inspired by this Matt and Kim vid. I’m seeing quite a variety of reactions to this one, what’s your take?
Erykah has been talking to fans about it on Twitter, here are some of her notes:
i was petrified while shooting this video … but liberation began to set in. i conquered many fears in that few moments. i am greatful #windowseat was shot guerilla style, no crew , 1 take , no closed set , no warning , 2 min . , don town dallas , then ran like hell… I was afraid But I was ready The blue writting at end of video sais Groupthink http://www.crmlearning.com/groupthink-2nd-edition exploring group think
So basically it’s about our compulsion to (character) assassinate anyone who dares to fully reveal their true selves? And the courage required to rebel against that fear and groupthink?
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that’s about the size of what her video was meant to say.
Either that or James Cameron’s Avatar had an effect on her.
Very cool. I hadn’t heard about the Matt and Kim video yet, but I think I did like their more. Both had nice twists and seemed to be about more, but M&K’s didn’t seem to take itself too seriously? Not that that’s always a bad thing. Nice find.
I enjoy the Idea that the Concept of GroupThink literally “bled” out of Her, and she was Reborn. She Removed all of her “Barriers” and had a Symbolic Death. I enjoyed the Video. Simple and Potent, like most Impactful Art should be.
A lot to think about and a lot that’s just great to look at (not in a perv-y way!). My first time viewing I was reading her expression trying to figure out if it was staged or not. The mystery of it is so neat and successful. It’s interesting reading her tweets in light of that.
I like the song, the video and their messages. But I find it hard to believe that it was shot “guerilla style.” The people around her don’t seem to be reacting the way that I would react if I saw a woman get butt booty naked in the middle of downtown. Just me?
I love the fact that is has historical relevance. The song starts with the broadcast before Kennedy was assassinated. When she gets shot and they pan around the street, you can see the X that marks the spot of Kennedy’s assassination. If you think about the circumstances surrounding Kennedy’s death too, it adds a lot of depth to the last 30seconds or so when she is talking.
Then it’s cooler still because Badu is from Dallas and has received a great deal of criticism from her own home town.
All in all I love what she is trying to do. I did not really like the rebirth part of it at the end. I cant explain further than a general dislike of the costume she’s wearing but I know there’s a deeper reason why it doesnt sit well with me.
And I just read the lyrics and I like it even more now because the song expresses such desperation. She’s begging for attention from the masses and yet the video she’s condemning the masses for criticizing her. Can’t have your cake and eat it too.
You want the fame, take the blame honey.
I liked it not only because of the metaphor (which I do appreciate and think is powerful), but because it made me uncomfortable. It made me question my discomfort and the beliefs I hold that made me think it was not ok for her to strip naked in a public place.
@LaFoots
That is a pretty common conundrum, facing a lot of artists whom I don’t think should be chastised for. I think it’s an issue that’s way to convoluted to simply state ‘You want the fame, take the blame honey’
I’m sure it’s hard to understand if you haven’t experienced this sort of push and pull within yourself but to toss it off like it’s some sort of ‘you asked for it so you deserve it’ circumstance I think is pretty silly for something that is a bit more complex then that.
I think she’s responding to the hardships within this the best way she knows how, by once again show-boating herself to the world, but this time is seems purposefully condescending. I think it’s bold and strikes up controversy and conversation which makes people think… and think twice about the circumstance and how they relate to it or perceive it. I think the video accomplishes what she wants it to accomplish.
Great video, on a base level its always a good thing to watch a naked woman walk down the street. The deeper message adds more to it as does the song. Its a perfect combination of sexuality, Intellect and good music..it’s hard to get the hat trick, Kudos Erykah… damn you Jay Electronica!!
With all the videos of beautiful women getting naked these days, it’s nice to see one with a message other than “get lo”.
There’s an awful lot to digest here, but what’s resonating with me (being where I am) is that being assassinated for revealing yourself is only happening in her script. When the video actually happened, it appears like a lot of people leaving her free to find her way, even though I suppose it might be challenging to them. (I don’t know from downtown Dallas, but I’ve passed by topless women in Berkeley and Rochester and assume that it’s probably the same sort of progressive vibe.) This seems to be what struck Erykah too based on what she’s tweeting.
So, if we’re afraid of groupthink, is it more important we fight groupthink or fight our fear?
@LaFoots
I think that it’s a Valid Feeling. It’s not that she Wants Attention and Condemns people for Criticizing her; rather that she wants to Truly be “Seen.” I think it’s the Divide between True Analysis and Following with Criticism VERSUS GroupThink and Character Assassination. She wants to be Able to be Seen as a Real Person who wants to Express her Freedom without being Boxed. She’s saying if you Want to Criticize me, do it with Love and Understanding; don’t do it to be Narrowminded and to Maintain the Status Quo. I don’t think anyone can say that’s too Much to Ask.
I have mixed feelings about this video. Conceptually, I get it, but artistically, it was somewhat prosaic. I understand the idea that “we” often reject that which is unfamiliar and have a tendency to group people, ideas, and lifestyles in categories that are easy to digest, hence, group think. In the video, Badu attempts to complicate those categories by walking nude in a public space only to be assassinated and then reborn. But is a nude, black, female body on display in a public space new to the representations of black femininity or black female expression? The naked-black-female body has a historical record of public display. It is in this regard that I question how effective Badu’s nudity is in delivering her message. Does she really have to bare all to get us to reject societal norms, especially when the most consistent message from society is “get naked”? So, is Badu rejecting groupthink or reinforcing it? I do not have a solid answer but I am leaning toward the latter.
Erykah has always had profound messages in her music. Here, she boldly exposes herself in every sense of the word, in order to make a point about how the world really is when you choose to go against the grain and speak the truth. She is such an underrated artist. Can’t wait for the album to come out.
I get what Erykah Badu was trying to do here, and I’m not someone who tries to limit another’s art, but I have major issues with her nudity. If the video happened as she described– guerilla style shooting– the nudity was completely inappropriate. She’s mentioned since the video’s release that it was not about sexuality, but i disagree. Inherent in public nudity is performance, and performance of nudity pretty much always means sex or consideration of the performer’s sexuality.
Without question the vid was thought provoking, but it’s pretty shortsighted of Ms. Badu to not account for the social irresponsibility of doing this in front of children, and i think it sucks that she’s retroactively rationalizing by arguing that children are more aware than we give them credit for. She tweeted something to the effect of “adults in society train children to fear.” This is silly. She was not a nudist before her video, and the point of her video isn’t that we should expose children nudity. If anything, this rationalizing cheapens her work.
In general, nudity is not necessarily “offensive,” but it’s certainly not fair to be confronted with some artists performance of nudity, on a sunny day out. Forcing the ppl of dallas to confront Erykah’s nudity, making them consume it, thrusting her sex and sexuality upon them when perhaps they didnt want it, is wrong.
No it’s not really.
You can see far more offensive things by watching reality tv.
[disclaimer: I'm going off of abt 4hrs of sleep, so I hope this is at least PARTIALLY intelligible.]
@LWoods: “The naked-black-female body has a historical record of public display. It is in this regard that I question how effective Badu’s nudity is in delivering her message. Does she really have to bare all to get us to reject societal norms, especially when the most consistent message from society is “get naked”? So, is Badu rejecting groupthink or reinforcing it? I do not have a solid answer but I am leaning toward the latter.”
Interesting, cuz this is exactly why I LOVE the video! I saw it as a Black woman RECLAIMING her agency in a place where we were historically displayed without consent– as property. But Badu is using her body on her own terms without the hyper-sexualization OR de-sexualization the mainstream uses us for. When we (Black women) do take possession of our own bodies (or lives, really) we’re dehumanized as “Jezebel” “Welfare Queen” “Angry Black Woman” and on and on. But this video reminds me that I’m a real person with the right to my own sexuality, ideas, strengths, fears, weaknesses– all the things that make me human. And when we assert our humanity and power we suffer the character assassination and ASSASSINATION assassination that I think Badu is trying to show. I know, at least for me, there’s this strong urge to counteract mainstream stereotypes by avoiding parts of myself that “make us look bad.” But I think when I do that, I’m really just doing our oppressors’ work FOR them by assassinating *myself* and my own humanity.
Is the implication supposed to be that Kennedy was assassinated because he was some kind of rebel, free-thinking leader? Pretty sure that’s not historically accurate.
A kid say it best…
http://loveisntenough.com/2010/04/05/a-five-year-old-reviews-erykah-badus-window-seat-video/