1. Analysing Fall Out Boy’s Video – A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More
‘Touch Me’.
The video is pastiche of old vampire and horror films. It starts with titles reminiscent
of films such as ‘War of the Worlds’, red, bold writing outlined in black.
It also includes references to films such as ‘Interview with the Vampire’ (the
vampires who arrive near the end of the video are dressed like Lestat and Louis, it
also references Alex’s Droogs from Cock Work Orange), and ‘Lost Boys’ (Young
teenage vampires).
This video is post modern because it is tongue in cheek, a humorous parody on teen
vampire films, such as ‘The Lost Boys’, ‘Twilight’, and ‘True Blood’. It uses devices
typical of the horror genre, such as shots at night, and teens kissing in a car then being
attacked, but the violence is over the top to the point where it becomes funny rather
than frightening.
The video is aimed at teenagers who are fans of the ‘vampire craze’. Many teenagers
are becoming interested in books and films about vampires because it is a metaphor
for loneliness and solitude, and teenagers can relate to that; the vampire trait of
thirsting for blood can also be a link to sexual desire. Fall Out Boy have chosen to
present their lead singer as a vampire, largely because their audience (teenage girls)
will find this sexy.
I would class this video as both an advert and art. The fact that Fall Out Boy has
chosen to use vampires as the subject of their music video in a time where masses of
teenager girls are becoming obsessed with the vampire craze would be too
coincidental to suggest that it had nothing to do with sales. However, the post modern
and parodying nature of the video also makes it a clever piece of art, using some
references (such as ‘Clock Work Orange’) which would go over the head of the
typical teenage girl, and shows that Fall Out Boy have put more thought and effort
into the content of the video than if they were just trying to sell to their audience.
It is quite ironic, in fact, that this video, which is extremely popular with vampire
obsessed teenage girls, is actually making a comment on come and go fads. For this
reason I think that this video is very clever.