jul 26
2007
New Kanya Video
Someone needs to explain to me what Kanye is saying with this video with Zach Galifianakis and Will Oldham.
14 comments
He's satirizing.
It has all the conventions of a typical hip-hop/rap video, but it's set in the white farming world. Beyond that, listen to the lyrics.
You can't tell me nothing. It's almost as if he's going after critics of his music and his videos.
posted by Ironic at 12:46 PM on July 26, 2007 
So, he's satirizing... what? Farmers?
posted by Rex at 12:53 PM on July 26, 2007
More importantly, someone needs to explain to me what Will Oldham is saying.
posted by cornejo at 1:19 PM on July 26, 2007
Zach Galifianakis is on fire with the lip sync'n. Fiona Apple - not about love. If he can land something like a Red Hot Chili Peppers video, he'll have a trifecta.
posted by rico at 2:33 PM on July 26, 2007
I think Ironic's got it right. He's showing how white midwesterners would make a hip-hop video if they were using their own cultural norms but in the style of the black rap community. If that makes any sense at all.
Beyond interpreting it, I think it's amazing and hilarious.
posted by amanda at 3:45 PM on July 26, 2007
I don't know why exactly, but I think there's something more going on here. What you've just described is a Weird Al video. This seems... different.
posted by Rex at 3:48 PM on July 26, 2007
What's the analogy in a black community rap video for dumping your buddy into a pond with a front end loader and then jumping in after him and drowning?
posted by rico at 3:57 PM on July 26, 2007
I thought the three flashes the created "I" "?" "SUCCESS" at the end were somewhat telling.
I was also hoping for the tractor to explode at the end.
posted by Aaron at 4:19 PM on July 26, 2007
Now I'm starting to wonder if Kayne should do a piece with Grandaddy.
posted by Aaron at 4:20 PM on July 26, 2007
I think it's obvious. This is a satire of the biblical story of Sodom. Galafianakis represents the wicked materialism/hedonism of the Sodomites, while Oldham represents Lot's wife--his regret dooms him to a salty demise.
Meanwhile in the song itself Kanye, as usual, is reinforcing the very same stereotypes he's mocking--his first album managed to both celebrate and denigrate materialism and violence in hip hop, and it did so well that he's just going to keep doing it. But now with more Daft Punk samples.
posted by Jake at 4:23 PM on July 26, 2007
Rico,
I can't remember what video it is, but there's one where two rappers are playing around a hot tub full of Kristal (It's in the lyrics). One guy then throws the other one in as if they're tough mofos, but also buddies.
Sorry, Rex, but this isn't Weird Al like at all. WA's stuff is not shot to be serious. This has a quality to it as if we the viewer are supposed to take it seriously.
posted by Ironic at 8:45 PM on July 26, 2007
I followed a couple of links and found this interview with Zach Galifianakis. He said Kanye West was a fan of a video he did for Anita Baker (?!) and asked him to do a video any way he wanted.
posted by erikg at 6:25 PM on July 27, 2007
Here's the Anita Baker video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZnzYZmIinM
So Kanye saw that, liked it, and asked Galifianakis to do something similar. I'm not sure if he's saying anything at all. It sounds like all the creative control was in the hands of ZG and his director.
posted by mokin at 7:36 PM on July 27, 2007
Thanks Ironic.
I can't stop laughing about that now.
posted by rico at 12:31 AM on July 28, 2007
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