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Friday, August 15, 2014

Things that bug me about Alanis Morisette (and things that don't)

In keeping with complaining about things that have long since passed.  I've nothing personally against Ms. Morrissette. She is a public person and I'm allowed to criticize her.

Naturally, that Ironic song. This has been noted before. The only thing ironic about that song is that nothing in that song is ironic. Maybe it's supposed to be that way, and that is the irony. I'm not sure she was being that clever.

Secondly and most importantly is the video for "Thank U" (which apparenlty is also trying to be clever with the "U" instead of you.) U what? U-niversity of California? U-Bahn? U-nreinforced masonry?

I get the I went to India, and I came back metaphorically  naked. Shedding off the old me. No more artificial sweeteners. Cool. I walk around LA completely naked but unnoticed in the crowd. Cool too, I'm set apart from, but still part of, the crowd. Once again, there must be some profound message in that. There is also that hugging  touching presence thing, which seems to be lifted from Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" except the opposite. The overall idea is fantastic.

OK, but then she goes and censors the video. (As far as I know it's the same video world wide.) She went and digitally blurred part of herself. Now, it's not that I  particularly want to see all of Alanis, I don't particularly care one way or another.   If the total nudity thing wasn't cool with her,  which may have been distracting overall, or she had to bow to some record company pressure, she could have easily angled the shots, positioned herself next to objects (without being the 1960s camp thing, ---Austin Powers...) only filmed herself above the waist,  whatever, to make the same point. The blurring is distracting. The long hair thing worked fine and was pretty smart above the waist. The fact that she censored part of her body in the video (or allowed it to be censored) completely undermined the message of the video. I'm free, well not exactly. I'm free of anti-biotics but I'm not free to make the statement I'm trying to make and I'm willing to compromise my art for the sake of what?

That said, she recently posted a photo of herself nursing her son. OK, now that is awesome. Do you wear a blanket when you eat? Then why should a baby? Anything that pissed me off about her before, forget about it. You rock Alanis.