Sweet Pickles

Music Videos That Changed The World #38

This one goes out to M-Shan! The video will put you in as good a mood as the song itself.  I don't even know where to begin with what's right with this video, but let's start with the concept.  It's compiled from various videos sent in from around the world (I spotted New York, London, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, and the Banpaku in Osaka!) by fans performing the song.  Just regular people having fun.  Which makes me think that M-Shan and I should make our own video to submit (and we should get K-Wad to be in it with us). 

Here are a few other items of delight to look for:

A couple of small-scale guerrilla dance attacks
Roller skating
Snaking
That light blue jacket with green and white stripe (a perfect gift idea for the Pickle who has it all)
The facial expressions of the guy with the pre-teen mustache in the brown shirt

[Note:  No, Sweet Pickles was not the director for this video.]

Music Videos That Changed The World #37

The song reminds me fondly of Summer 2003 (a much more real summer than this year's Summer 200-ehh).  The video makes me want to get on the next plane out of Memphis.  And both Snoop and Pharrell are two fools I'd like to hang with (preferably in Rio).

Music Videos That Changed The World #36

As I've probably stated previously, performance videos usually don't do it for me (Sweet Pickles need a storyline, yo).  However, the venue in which this one was shot is exactly how I'd like my living room to look.  Also, I'd like to hang out with the drummer... she looks like big fun.

Music Videos That Changed The World #35

Really like the song, and the video is clever.  But mostly, I think she's so pretty and just like to watch her sing.

Music Videos That Changed The World #34

If I were a director, every music video would look like this one.  That's because the set design appears to be straight out of the mind of Sweet Pickles.  And it would seem that the frontman has been dipping into Sweet Pickles' wardrobe.

Music Videos That Changed The World #33

Music Videos That Changed The World #32

I had almost completely forgotten this one until Saturday night when they played it on the big screen at the 80s Video Dance Party.  I don't remember getting as in to it in 1989 as I was on Saturday night, but it was big fun.  Note to JustJess:  Keep an eye on the background quintet in the black dresses... potential choreography for future Guerrilla Dance Attack?

Music Videos That Changed The World #31

Sexy times!

Music Videos That Changed The World #30

The stage/set of this video is what Sweet Pickles imagines heaven looks like. And something about the sound of the song makes Sweet Pickles wish he could float on an air mattress in a swimming pool and shake his booty at the same time.

Music Videos That Changed The World #29

After a year of putting up with Youtube.com's "embedding disabled by request" BS, Sweet Pickles thinks he may have found an alternative.  So many of my favorite videos have never been featured because of this 'disabling' assininity.  Now, all those disabling bitches can SUCK IT.  With that in mind, this one goes out to Brad Bagby.

For me (and Brad), this video's greatness rests almost entirely with the drummer as the sexy stewardess.  However, the lead singer as the starstruck awkward tween has a striking resemblance that makes me think he might be the male Alanis Morissette.  And, I had forgotten that Jack Black had a little cameo in this one.

Music Videos That Changed The World #28

Loved loved loved this song when it first came out (and still do). For someone as high-strung as Sweet Pickles, this one helps to calm the anger-management problems. As for the video, I'm confident you'll recognize why it appeals to Sweet Pickles. If only real life could be more like a Bain de Soleil commercial (orange gelée SPF 4, please!). And why don't more women wear heels poolside? Looking ahead to Perdido '09, the girls need to pack their heels, and I'll bring the Bain de Soleil (in addition to that lifetime supply of toilet tissue and People magazine).

Music Videos That Changed The World #27

Why can't I buy this song on iTunes? And why don't I have more friends with their own skateboarding ramps built inside their houses? And why don't I get invited to more daytime parties involving red Solo cups and chillaxin' with Lenny Kravitz?

Music Videos That Changed The World #26

This one goes out to JustJess and M-Chev.

I need to get me some of them purple glasses!

Music Videos That Changed The World: Yuletide Edition

Merry Christmas, Gentile friends!

David in December: Hot tramp, I love you so!

This one goes out to JustJess. Every time I hear this one, I will forever think of you and remember the jukebox at the Long Shot. I miss those days!

David in December: one day, I'm gonna get the faculty together!

Does her nose-rubbing symptomize what I'm thinking? It always does for Sweet Pickles, at least. But hey, it was 1984, after all.

David in December: Gets me to the church on time!

The video is of a genre I usually find boring (performance footage). Sweet Pickles needs a narrative, yo. However, this one doesn't put me to sleep, AND if I had to choose just one Bowie song, this one might be my personal fave.

David in December: Another Limited-Time Offer

To honor the winding down of another semester, Sweet Pickles will dedicate all of this month's Music Videos That Changed the World to David Bowie. Let's get this party started right with the '90 remake of an old fave!

Music Videos That Changed The World #25

Back in college, Brad Bagby told me my "celebrity equation" (i.e., if two famous people had a child together that would look like me, which two famous people it would take to produce me). He said that Sweet Pickles would be the love-child of Laura Linney and the lead singer of ABC (Martin Fry). Damn Brad Bagby, that jealous bastard. While I still don't accept Martin Fry as my genetic 'parent' (although, granted, my hair did look like Martin's throughout most of high school), I sure do love me some of this video!



P.S. - I see myself as more of a Beyoncé + Justin Timberlake combo. What's your celebrity equation?

Music Videos That Changed The World #24

1.) Is it just me, or does Rio look weirdly similar to the young Queen Elizabeth II when she was still a princess?

2.) Where might I find one of those leg-strap dagger-holsters that Rio sports on the beach? And does anyone dare Sweet Pickles to wear one in Perdido next August??

3.) How ‘bout them special effects?

4.) Can I get a little air-sax? Awww yeeeeah!

Music Videos That Changed The World #23

Have you seen this one yet?  While it's still relatively new, Sweet Pickles can tell it's destined to become a classic.  The song is "DVNO" by Justice, and here's the deal with the video... according to wikipedia.org, "it features the song's lyrics turned into animated 80s-style logos of familiar companies, such as HBO, 20th Century Fox, Cannon, NBC, PBS, Sega, and CBS Fox Video."  All of the graphic design should bring back a lot of memories for some of Sweet Pickles' less young readers.  And apparently it was one of Entertainment Weekly's "Web Obsessions of the Week" earlier this year.  So get on this bandwagon, MFs!

Music Videos That Changed The World #22

This one's a bit boy-bandish, but I'm down with it for two reasons:

1.) Just try not shaking your ass when this one comes on at the club. Can't do it. Not possible.

2.) The lyrics. If there's anything I like better than gettin' some play, or hittin' it, it would be gettin' it on.

Music Videos That Changed The World #21

1.) My first year of college, I was so excited to live in a city where I could see people like this in concert. My first year of grad school, I was depressed when all of my old friends could go see her second concert in Austin, and I had moved to a town where she'd never come (because we didn't have the electricity to support her show).
2.) I think this was the video that inspired my BFF to buy that same bolero jacket. Which she sported at our joint birthday party a year later. And worked it like a summer job.
3.) Even after all these years, this artist is still making people want to put it in.

Music Videos That Changed the World #20

1.) You know how Sweet Pickles feels about the glamor of air travel.
2.) The badass lead singer is a MOT (Member of the Tribe).
3.) There's almost a lightwall thing going on.
4.) Awesome song.

Music Videos That Changed the World #19

Where the hell has this songwritin' MF been the past couple of years?? We could totally hang.

Music Videos That Changed the World #18

1.) I'm down with anybody who samples David Bowie.
2.) P. Diddy speaks Arabic? Who knew?
3.) This video just looks slick.

Music Videos That Changed the World #17

Bear with me here... these are the Japanese versions of badasses, and I love them. These boys are straight outta Compton Kyoto.

Music Videos That Changed the World #16

And for those of you still struggling for ideas of what to get Sweet Pickles for his birthday, I want the exact same black-and-white striped shirt the drummer's wearing when he's air-drumming. P.S. - Somebody better be working on that JAL bag from the previous Foul Play clip. Hanukkah's sooner than you think!

Music Videos That Changed the World #15

Music Videos That Changed the World #14

Because "everybody needs a bosom for a pillow!"

Madonna in May: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Here on the final day of May, let's take it back to the beginning of her career to end Madonna in May with a bang. Check out them production values!

Madonna in May: Good going, stranger.

I still want to dry my underarms with the air-dryer, but I always forget whenever I'm inside a public restroom.

Madonna in May: They Can't All Be Winners

Hated the song, and the video gnawed too.  Watching it again all these years later, I realized that I was too young to understand that it was specifically set in Staten Island (although Debi Mazar's outfit probably should've been a clue).  Question:  Why the hell is there a chamber music ensemble on the Staten Island ferry?

Madonna in May: Slow Jam

Although featured on the soundtrack of the fourth-dumbest-movie-ever (a vehicle for Matthew Modine?  really??), and despite the fact that Madonna appears to be wearing the exact same outfit from her Lucky Star video, this slow jam is one of the best for junior high slow dancing.  So put your hands on Sweet Pickles shoulders, and just shuffle your feet from side to side.  Oooh, that gives me a good idea for a theme party!

Madonna in May: Overlooked

I don't know how it is that I have never seen this video, because it would appear that Sweet Pickles was the director.

1.) You know how Sweet Pickles feels about light walls.
2.) You know how Sweet Pickles feels about rollerskates.
3.) You know how Sweet Pickles feels about foreign languages (especially when she says gomen nasai, and slicha).
4.) I will be trading Sexy Edward in for that party van, but I'm going to need one of my non-drinking friends to be the driver. Oh wait, I don't have any of those.

Madonna in May: Not for Sweet Pickles' Underage Readers

The Rococo phase of Madonna's career:

After re-watching this video, Sweet Pickles' suspicions are re-affirmed... the reason he couldn't get Luvs2DoIt24/7 as his screen name on AOL is because Madonna already had it!

Madonna in May

If Material Girl can be said to represent the Preclassic phase of Madonna's career, here's a little taste of the Formative period:

Don't know about that flesh-colored lipstick at the pool hall, but here's one thing Sweet Pickles does know... if something in your eyes is making such a fool of him, you will get cut. I'm just sayin'. In addition, do not be hatin' if I make it onto the cover of Gloss magazine... love me, love my modeling career.

Madonna in May: The Latest

THE SONG: I've finally come around.

THE VIDEO:
a.) Good - The special effects are cool...
b.) Bad - except the anatomical parts.
c.) Good - There's a light wall (sort of), and you know how Sweet Pickles feels about light walls.
d.) Bad - I can't figure out if it's his facial hair or the hair on his head that's not working, but Justin Timberlake looks not good.

Madonna in May: A Classic

"I don't know, I think it's real diamonds. Yeah, he thinks he can impress me by giving me expensive gifts. It's nice though... you want it?"

I miss those heady days of the 2nd Reagan Administration!

New Feature, A Limited-Time Offer

To honor the end of April, and as an ode to Brad Bagby, sweetpickles.typepad.com will dedicate all of this month's Music Videos That Changed the World to Madonna in May. Kicking things off right with a vid that features both Debi Mazar and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Hands down, my all-time favorite song by Madonna.

Music Videos That Changed the World #13

Okay, there are dozens of reasons why this one-hit wonder is a badass, but I'm only gonna give ya three:

1.) She wants more cowbell.
2.) She can kick a cymbal while drumming.
3.) Boys with small talk and small minds really don't impress her in bed.

Music Videos That Changed the World #12

One of my all-time favorite songs to karaoke to when I'm in Japan:

How 'bout that pink jet?

Music Videos That Changed the World #11

1.) A couple of years ago, I loved this song so hard.
2.) I love Los Angeles.
3.) The video clearly has an autobiographic experience that resonates with Sweet Pickles. Euhhhhh!!

Music Videos That Changed the World #10

In honor of sucking beer through straws...

Lookin' good today, lookin' good in every way (Gigolo. Huh? Sucka!)

Music Videos That Changed the World #9

A.) That's my gurl!
B.) Great song.
C.) THE best choreography of the 21st Century.
D.) You know how Sweet Pickles loves him a good track suit.
E.) Because of how much I loved the line "All around the world on the microphone, I leave the booth smelling like Burberry cologne," I went out and bought some Burberry cologne. And it put me in a good mood every time I put some on.

Music Videos That Changed the World #8

Does nobody else remember this one? It got a whole lot of play on Night Tracks back in the day.

I want to go swimming in that gold fountain!

Music Videos That Changed the World #7

I can watch this over and over. I wish I'd thought of this.

Great Moments in the History of Film #8/Music Videos That Changed the World #6

I had forgotten how pretty (really, truly pretty) she was. Plus, you know how Sweet Pickles feels about roller skates!

Music Videos That Changed the World #5

This one goes out to my high school homey, Brad Bagby. I watched this one a few times, telling myself I should feel embarrassed about how awesome we used to think this was. But I just can't, because it is still SO FRICKIN' AWESOME!! An Andy Warhol cameo, man, come on! We may no longer dress like the band members, but the white part of me sure as hell still dances like the lead singer. The song is enough to qualify them as the greatest one-hit wonders of the 80s. The video makes me wonder why on earth we ever stopped pegging the cuffs of our pants.

Music Videos That Changed the World #4

A.) As for the video, you know how Sweet Pickles feels about Vegas.

B.) As for the music, it makes me want to lay out... in preparation for a night of lookin' good and shakin' ass at the club. Pass me the baby oil, fool!