Father John Misty has never been one to take a backseat when it comes to sharing his views about the media, humanity, and other existential concerns in the age of unceasing information and constant entertainment. Those are points he addressed in “Total Entertainment Forever,” from his new album Pure Comedy, and now the song has an accompanying video that sure does have a lot going on (via Stereogum).
Explaining this clip might work best as a list, so here are a few stray things we noticed about the video:
- George Washington takes a Viagra before putting on virtual reality goggles
- Macaulay Culkin portrays Kurt Cobain as a Jesus-like figure, complete with a crucifixion inside a knockoff McDonald’s
- A papier-mâché Ronald McDonald bursts out of Misty’s chest/crotch and shoots a laser gun at somebody who looks like the Wendy’s mascot
- Garfield’s Jon Arbuckle and a saxophone-playing Bill Clinton are there too
So what actually happens in this video, though? We’re not sure if it’s nothing, or if it’s everything. That’s the kind of broad-yet-nuanced observations Misty strives to make with his art, and his asking of the big questions leaves it to us to keep on asking.
He’s an enigmatic guy, which is why his work is generally so thought-provoking. What do you think the message is behind this video? Or it it just vacuous imagery? And maybe that’s a message in itself? Give us a shout on Twitter, and let us know what’s on your mind.
Featured image: Father John Misty, Sub Pop
