Sometimes I worry I’m being too cynical and negative; but, it’s not my fault that most things are terrible! I want to return to the 90s, a decade of much nostalgic music for me, and an excellent video at that.
Here’s the Foo Fighters in 1995 with “Big Me” from their debut, self-titled album.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of the video, in the 90s, Mentos candies had these very strange, very European ads that featured a character with a common, annoying dilemma coming up with spunky and daring solutions with the inspiration and courage provided by popping a Mentos brand mint. Any confusion as to what was going on was explained upon presentation of said mints. They were overacted, surreal, and simultaneously uncomfortable and funny. Oh, hey, here’s one now.
Oh, yes. I had forgotten about that theme until now. It’s so delightfully awful. Thanks for everything, YouTube. Even if you’re too young (or old) to remember these commercials, the band’s performances are priceless, regardless. They absolutely nail the cheesy, contrived scenarios that are pungent with new plastic smell. The soccer gang is pure gold.
The breakdown for “Big Me” could be a seemingly endless stream of great reaction shots. But, it turns out pausing a 480p vid doesn’t make for crisp screencaps. But, I can’t resist a handful:
Scheming
Oh, you!
I love everything going on here
Give that woman the Oscar
“…The fuck?”
Perfection
The song itself is a deviation from their usual harder rock sound and is downright poppy and serene. Both the style of music and its short length heightens the comedic effect of the video because it’s upbeat and it doesn’t drag on. Nothing wears out a joke like running it into the ground and continuing to jog in place on its corpse. “Big Me” is arguably a perfect example of an effective, hilarious video that totally complements the song while being entirely unrelated. They rendered any other spoofs of the commercial unnecessary, and it might be one of the best examples of a spoof, period.
Did you love it as much me? Leave a comment below. For more music video reviews, click here.
Follow Marielle @mpaws, pop a mint, and check out @ScreenInvasion with a knowing smile.
