Best use of a 15 second ad space.

-Ninoy Brown

Last week, Mos Def dropped the music video for “Supermagic.”  This is the type of video that comes from inspiration by way of ingesting psilocybe.  Being a biased consumer of Hip-Hop, the immediate video that I referenced as a comparison was the intentional digital glitch effects found in Kanye’s video for “Welcome to Heartbreak” [1].

Because, lately, little of my time can be allotted to watching music videos [2], my scope for music videos has been limiting, not just in terms of musical genres.  Randomly, I happened upon a music video from a group that might best be remembered for their quirky video incorporating choreography with treadmills. After just coming across OK Go’s video for “WTF?”, released two months ago, I began to wonder about the technique and which artist might have been the first to use similar effects.

OK Go and Mos’ videos are different on several levels: color, lighting, mood, etc.  The similarity is in the image trail/afterimage technique both use.  But it’s always fun to pick stuff like this apart.  I’m sure comparisons have already been made.

Mos Def - Super Magic:

OK Go - WTF?:

Also, check out the making of video for “WTF?” at Evil Monito.

What other videos are out there like these?

[1] Yeezy, even had his own dilemma with this video when Chairlift’s video for “Evident Utensil” was released, using the same pixelation effects.  He ended up releasing his video ahead of schedule.

[2] Copious amounts of my time is already spent, irresponsibly, downloading music. Irresponsible because academics should trump hearing the latest Jeezy and Lil Wayne collaboration.

-Ninoy Brown

First single and title track for an album nine years in the making.

I don’t really need to say anything aside from: Sade.

It’s already been making it’s rounds and back throughout the internets, but just in case:

-Ninoy Brown

Around 10pm last night, I got a text from a friend asking me if I caught the new episode of 30 Rock.  Another possible Filipino reference.

In search of Christmas presents for his family, Tracy Jordan goes to Yakov’s Nubian Bling Explosion.  Noticing a “one of a kind” gold chain, Tracy discovers the “EGOT” chain.  Worn by Philip Michael Thomas, of Miami Vice fame, it was produced in hopes of becoming the quadruple entertainer threat by winning the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.  Tracy being Tracy, buys the chain and wears it throughout the show in hopes of his dream of getting an “EGOT”.

Some might be wondering why the hell a connection to Filipinos is being made…  In Filipino slang, the term “egot” is derogatory term short for “Igorot”.  The term “Igorot” has negative connotations because of it’s use as a racialized and colonized name ascribed to indigenous groups in the Cordillera region of the Philippines.  Because of the dark skin that is associated with “Igorot” groups [the more PC term would be to identify the specific tribal names (ie: Ifugao)] Filipinos used “Igorot” as a demeaning term for any individual with darker skin.  Being that many Filipinos possess a colonized mentality that devalues darker skin color, “Igorot” or more specifically, “egot”, might be considered to be a Filipino equivalent to the “n-bomb”.

Another thing to consider is that  in the show “EGOT” was an acronym, used on the show to appropriate a negative word for something else.  This gets one to think about the acronym of “Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished” which flipped another derogatory term.  A stretch?  Perhaps.  But it’s worth noting.

Coincidence?  Considering the controversy that ensued when Jack Donaghy made a joke about Filipino mail order brides and the numerous other Filipino references, there has to be some sort of Filipino connection to the television show.

A Filipino writer?

I’ve been scouring the internet almost all night trying to find some information that would prove this to be the case.  My research turned up unfounded.

Or maybe the writer’s just have some Filipino friends.  Maybe that would explain the giant fork and spoon that hangs in Liz Lemon’s office:

*Update:  A Facebook response in regards to the term “igorot” from Sharon:

“Igorots do not have dark skin. They are actually fair and Filipinos in the low land areas envy their pinkish/reddish cheeks. The negative stereotyping of Igorots has more to do with “savage” practices that others associate with them until now (such as head-hunting especially with the Bugkalot tribe). Never was it on skin color. The indigenous group in the Philippines that were “racialized” because of dark skin is the Aeta, Ita, Dumagat.“

Also, I came across this piece from PinoyLife, Tracy Morgan Wears an EGOT Necklace on National TV.  Apparently Tubbs actually had dreams of obtaining an EGOT back in the ’80s.  Though, even with this, I think it’s still too coincidental that there’s so many other references.  I mean, giant fork and spoon?

-Ninoy Brown

(click image to enlarge)

Bay Area, come through this Saturday evening.