[Music.Video] MTV Killed the Video Star

Back in the day we all knew that a music video could either make or break a song.  A clever, stylish or just flat out dope video could propel even the most ridiculous songs into popularity and a terrible video could make you like an otherwise fun record that much less.  I think that’s still true today.  Even though video budgets are steadily decreasing, MTV only shows videos at 4am and you can hear a tune 400 times on the radio without having a clue what the artist looks like- a well-made video can have an impact on how you feel about a song.

For instance think about Queen Bey’s latest offering, Girls (Who Run the World).  Before the pelvis gyrating, salivating hyena video dropped people flat out hated the Diplo produced track, but after a few trademark weave flips and some booty shots, Girls is on most everyone’s summer playlist, where it belongs.

Here are a few of my favourite videos of all time:

[Lady Thoughts] “I Can’t Lie But You THICK”

Anybody who has listened to a hip hop song sometime in the last decade knows that the ideal woman is some variation of a, “long-haired, thick, red-bone”.  Now, I realise that this doesn’t apply to the entire Y chromosome carrying population out there but I cannot count the amount of times I’ve seen a dude (more often than not a black one) almost break his neck at the sight of a girl with a fatty.  Ignoring the long-haired, red-bone parts of the equation can we please focus on what in the name of all things Idris Elba a “thick” woman is?  When we say a chick is “thick” are we talking about someone with proportions like Nicki Minaj or are we thinking a biscuit with the lady lumps of Ices Brown?