After watching the video for Weird Al's "Perform This Way" ( parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"), our class was given the task of finding a music video that featured appropriation. This assignment might seem easy, given the wide-spread popularity of music video parodies on the internet, but it actually gave me a few moments of pause. There are a lot of bad parodies out there, as well as a lot that fall in the 'okay' category. However, it takes true artistry to measure up to that master of musical appropriation, Weird Al. After several searches, I finally found a video that did a very good job of adapting a song that has been popular of late: Eminem's "Not Afraid".
I've never liked or listened to much rap, but I have managed to hear this on the radio at some point. Here's a link to the original video by Eminem (*WARNING - this is Eminem - there ARE explicit lyrics, in case you find these offensive):
Now, here's a link to the parody video, "I Am Afraid" by the comedic minds at CollegeHumor:
This video gives one a glimpse into a wide range of paranoid fears and downright phobias. It's delightfully funny, and plays off of the original tune and visual sequences in Eminem's video. I would recommend giving the video a watch. As with many parodies, it puts a spotlight on the original video and allows one to view it in a new light, while also giving people new material to think and laugh about. In the end, saying something new while retaining a relationship with the past is what appropriation is all about.
-Kelly F.
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