Week 4 Video Reviews
Big Mouth
Artist's Name:
Whodini Whodini was a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. The trio was one of the first hip hop groups to obtain a national following.
Song Title:
"Big Mouth"
CD/Album Title
Escape
Year
1984
Record Company
Jive/Arista
Director
Adam Friedman
Narrative of Video:
The video begins with the silhouette of a man in a lit doorway dancing. In front of the lit doorway is a lighted spot on the floor and the man’s shadow is seen in it. At the same time, there are a variety of ever changing images that are being projected on an adjacent wall. The wall opens up and the entire scene changes to a man walking through an office cubicle. He passes a woman seated at one desk and he stops where a man is seated near another desk. The video changes scenes again to the rapper and other people in a convertible car riding along the street. What looks like a jewelry chain is whirling around in circles then stops in the corner of the video forming the words “Oldschool Collection Brazil”. The scene shifts back to the cubicle to a woman talking on the telephone and then back to the car. It then
moves to outside on the street in front of a building at night and two men are standing there. One is rapping. The scene moves back to the car and then to the cubicle. The camera moves to an overhead shot and shows that there are several cubicles linked together in the middle of a parking lot. The scene shifts back to the original scene with the lit doorway. This time, a woman is dancing in the lit doorway. Her shadow is cast across the floor and a variety of images appear and change on the wall. The scene moves back to the cubicle where two women are talking to each other. One woman then turns and says something to the woman in the next cubicle, and that woman turns and tells the woman in the next cubicle. The scene changes to one man pushing the other in a wheelbarrow along the beack and then back to the cubicles where the women are continuing to pass the message to the person in the next cubicle. The camera moves to another overhead shot of the cubicles then focuses in on the rapper talking to one woman in particular. The scene then alternates between the people in the car and the woman and man in the cubicle. The video scene goes back to the lit doorway once again. A woman is dancing in it and a large cartoon can be seen on the wall. The images on the wall continue to change. The scene moves back to the car again. The car is moving along in traffic. The scene changes to a man who is rapping and dancing.
The scene goes back to the lit doorway. A man is standing in it and the image on the wall is a d.j. who is scratching an album. The scene goes back to the car then it changes to night time shot and the man is standing alone rapping. It changes to daylight and he is walking along the street. A building is in the background.
Another man in an orange suit trails a few feet behind him. The man catches up to him and starts to dance. The scene moves back to the car, and then back to the nighttime scene. The scene moves back to the cubicles and the camera goes to a closeup of one person in a cubicle to a closeup of another person in another cubicle, and another, back to the car, and back to the overhead shot of all of the cubicles. People are leaving the cubicles and walking away. They walk over to a parked car and get in. The car drives away. It becomes the image on the wall where the lit doorway is. A woman is dancing in the doorway. The car continues to
move out of sight as she dances in the doorway. The video comes to an end.
moves to outside on the street in front of a building at night and two men are standing there. One is rapping. The scene moves back to the car and then to the cubicle. The camera moves to an overhead shot and shows that there are several cubicles linked together in the middle of a parking lot. The scene shifts back to the original scene with the lit doorway. This time, a woman is dancing in the lit doorway. Her shadow is cast across the floor and a variety of images appear and change on the wall. The scene moves back to the cubicle where two women are talking to each other. One woman then turns and says something to the woman in the next cubicle, and that woman turns and tells the woman in the next cubicle. The scene changes to one man pushing the other in a wheelbarrow along the beack and then back to the cubicles where the women are continuing to pass the message to the person in the next cubicle. The camera moves to another overhead shot of the cubicles then focuses in on the rapper talking to one woman in particular. The scene then alternates between the people in the car and the woman and man in the cubicle. The video scene goes back to the lit doorway once again. A woman is dancing in it and a large cartoon can be seen on the wall. The images on the wall continue to change. The scene moves back to the car again. The car is moving along in traffic. The scene changes to a man who is rapping and dancing.
The scene goes back to the lit doorway. A man is standing in it and the image on the wall is a d.j. who is scratching an album. The scene goes back to the car then it changes to night time shot and the man is standing alone rapping. It changes to daylight and he is walking along the street. A building is in the background.
Another man in an orange suit trails a few feet behind him. The man catches up to him and starts to dance. The scene moves back to the car, and then back to the nighttime scene. The scene moves back to the cubicles and the camera goes to a closeup of one person in a cubicle to a closeup of another person in another cubicle, and another, back to the car, and back to the overhead shot of all of the cubicles. People are leaving the cubicles and walking away. They walk over to a parked car and get in. The car drives away. It becomes the image on the wall where the lit doorway is. A woman is dancing in the doorway. The car continues to
move out of sight as she dances in the doorway. The video comes to an end.
How the Music and Video Relate:
I think the video does a very good job of providing a visual image for this song.
Review:
I’m not familiar with rap videos. I thought this one did a good job of conveying the message of the song; however, I don’t really like it that a woman was being called a “big mouth” and being snubbed by her friends and her man. This just continues the idea that it's okay to abuse women.