What was that video?

January 19, 2010 6:01 PM

What was that music video someone linked to in a Lady Gaga thread that featured a bunch of different factions, including one who wore plague doctor masks?

I think it was a hip hop video. I know the singer was a black woman. I think it was meant to be futuristic and dystopian, but everyone in it was well dressed, and in a concert hall IIRC.

IIRC, the person said they saw it in a Lady Gaga thread before that one, and showed it as another example of a good music video, as compared to Bad Romance.

posted by mccarty.tim to MetaFilter-Related at 6:01 PM (28 comments total)

If this isn't the right place to ask for this, I'm sorry. I figured it fit here better than Ask, because it's intra-Meta.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:02 PM on January 19, 2010

If you know it was posted here, then it's fair game. I don't have an answer for you.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:29 PM on January 19, 2010

Was it Run This Town by Jay Z? Makes use of a lot of esoteric imagery.
posted by hermitosis at 6:46 PM on January 19, 2010

Oh wait, what you are talking about is Many Moons by Janelle Monae.
posted by hermitosis at 6:49 PM on January 19, 2010 [14 favorites]

You will also like "Sincerely Jane". But you know, in Many Moons she moonwalks forward, so it's hard to top that.
posted by hermitosis at 6:54 PM on January 19, 2010

"I've Seen That Face Before" by Grace Jones? Found via this comment.
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:57 PM on January 19, 2010

It was Many Moons. Thanks, Hermitosis.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:18 PM on January 19, 2010

It's actually from Sesame Street and it was the Pointer Sisters.
posted by hermitosis at 8:20 PM on January 19, 2010

Sesame Street FTW. Is there anything it doesn't have?
posted by IndigoRain at 10:53 PM on January 19, 2010

Is it Ghostbusters 2, with Bill Murray?
posted by ODiV at 11:03 PM on January 19, 2010 [3 favorites]

hermitosis wins metatalk. I think we can all go home.
posted by koeselitz at 12:23 AM on January 20, 2010

That was the Pointer Sisters? Really? I never knew!

It's been stuck in my head all these years, too.
posted by zarq at 5:00 AM on January 20, 2010

Neat tune; neat video. But yeah, "11-12" was all over it. Pointer Sisters?! Cool.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 6:37 AM on January 20, 2010

Was it Assassin's Creed 2, with Bill Murray?
posted by ludwig_van at 7:00 AM on January 20, 2010

Was it Moving Violations, with Bill Murray's brother John?
posted by quin at 7:21 AM on January 20, 2010

Hey me like this stuff thanks.
posted by Mister_A at 7:45 AM on January 20, 2010

Was it One Crazy Summer, with Bill Murray's brother Joel?
posted by dirtdirt at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2010

I'm pretty sure it was Funky Man, by Dee Dee "King" Ramone.
posted by shmegegge at 9:20 AM on January 20, 2010 [2 favorites]

Any time I think "hey! plague masks! video!" (umm...wait, I don't think I have ever actually thought that, but if I did...), I think: Walking In My Shoes.

I also make the [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] Giles "No, I don't think we have a copy of Aleister Crowley Sings" joke on that video...the one priest-y guy is creepy.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 9:26 AM on January 20, 2010

I don't know how I managed to miss out on Janelle Monae until now. That's some excellent music. Her albums even have Gary Numanesque barely comprehensible science fiction concept-stories. Her music strikes a lot of my buttons.
posted by Kattullus at 9:32 AM on January 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well, while this thread is still open, I might as well ask: WTF was the rationale behind the plague doctor masks? Did they think that since birds didn't have the plague, dressing up like a crow would somehow save them?
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:39 AM on January 20, 2010

They were filled with herbs to keep the miasma that medieval physicians thought caused the Plague from the nose and mouth of the doctor. They also wore full body suits, which did actually help them since flees couldn't bite through. So they did work.
posted by Kattullus at 9:48 AM on January 20, 2010

*flees*
posted by Skot at 9:50 AM on January 20, 2010 [3 favorites]

Ah, thanks.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:52 AM on January 20, 2010

Thanks, shmegegge. Thanks for reminding me of this.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:14 PM on January 20, 2010 [1 favorite]

Wow, this song and video are pretty awesome. Glad you asked this.
posted by haveanicesummer at 4:44 AM on January 21, 2010

IIRC, the person said they saw it in a Lady Gaga thread before that one, and showed it as another example of a good music video, as compared to Bad Romance.

I'm pretty sure you're referring to my comment here... but for the record, I think the Bad Romance video is awesome.
posted by painquale at 11:41 AM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, that was yours, Painquale. Looks like this thread has answered all my questions, leaving my brain empty.
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:47 AM on January 22, 2010