Contactmusic.com - Mika on Unrealistic Music Videos

[lollipop_monkey]

Posted on Contactmusic.com (original link: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/mika%20slams%20unrealistic%20music%20videos_1035684 )

 

MIKA SLAMS 'UNREALISTIC' MUSIC VIDEOS

 

British pop star MIKA has slammed performers who make "unrealistic" music videos. The flamboyant Grace Kelly singer admits he hates indulgent visual accompaniments to tracks, and believes the use of lavish sports cars and expensive jewellery is escapism at its worst. He says, "I don't like the idea of escapism. "Escapism is all those materialistic hip-hop videos, where you see good-looking girls jumping out of Maserati sports cars wearing knee-high boots and $100,000 (GBP50,000)-worth of diamonds - and it leaves you with a hangover because it doesn't mean anything."

 

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I think this one of the rare times where I don't agree with something Mika's said. I think that for many of those artists who make the indulgent bling-laden hip-hop videos, that IS their life. I'm sure some of them DO ride around in Maseratis with gorgeous women.

 

I think Mika's approach - taking an everyday theme, such as larger women, and then shining a spotlight on it - is almost MORE of an escapism than empty videos filled with bling and fast rides. His approach to taking the unglamorous and adding sequins, tassels, and children's-choir-chants until it becomes fabulous is way more accessible to your average person than the over-the-top excess depicted in the aforementioned hip-hop videos.

 

Mika, drop by sometime! I'd love to discuss this whole concept with you poolside over a couple of margaritas.

[tamika]

well Hip Hop videos are quite fun to watch but like he said in another interview, seeing girls in furs and stilettos walking in the snow makes you kinda go:rolleyes:

[Christine]

I totally agree with your LM. Sounds like Mika was talking a bit of sh*te there

[ohwowitsnicka]

Lol, girls walking in stilettos in the snow.. I think he might have been referring to the Sean Paul video Temperature...Just thought I should share... Personally i'm not a fan of Hip Hop videos, but mehhh.

[paula.pop]

Lol, girls walking in stilettos in the snow.. I think he might have been referring to the Sean Paul video Temperature...Just thought I should share... Personally i'm not a fan of Hip Hop videos, but mehhh.

 

I thought the same lol! I quite like Sean Paul though:naughty:

[ohwowitsnicka]

I thought the same lol! I quite like Sean Paul though:naughty:

 

Me too, he's really entertaining! lol

[DaMango]

I personally HATE most hip hop videos. I find "booty videos" boring, uncreative, and degrading.

 

That being said, I don't agree with how Mika has worded his statement. He doesn't like escapism? Then what is he doing exactly? He's created his own little world through music, much like those rappers have. I just happen to find Mika's world to be more positive and uplifting.

[ohwowitsnicka]

I personally HATE most hip hop videos. I find "booty videos" boring, uncreative, and degrading.

 

That being said, I don't agree with how Mika has worded his statement. He doesn't like escapism? Then what is he doing exactly? He's created his own little world through music, much like those rappers have. I just happen to find Mika's world to be more positive and uplifting.

 

Well said!

 

edit:: Stupid misquotation.

[JackViolet]

Hahahah, he didn't say that.

 

That is, he DID say that, but he didn't mean it quite like that. Come on, this is just another instance of words being taken out of context. You've ALL heard him say the same thing thousands of times before in interviews--he always says something like this when he is asked whether he considers his music escapism.

 

To jog your memory, what should come before the "I don't like escapism, hip-hop videos are escapism" is: "I am inspired by reality. I don't see my songs as escapism exactly..." this is where the hip-hop quote comes in now--and then it should be followed by something like, "with my songs, I take everyday things, and I put them against a supersonic background, blow them up and put them in front of strobe lights and celebrate them for three minutes." Then he'll talk about how it's like making life a cartoon, and how it's meant to make reality more bearable without being divorced from it, even though it is also about creating his own little Alice in Wonderland world.

 

The difference between his world and the rap videos, as he would have it, is that even though his world is all technicolor and hyperpop, it still deals with the things that most of us deal with, while as most of us will never deal with the stuff in hip-hop videos. Mika's "escapism" is about establishing a better relation to your own reality, while as the escapism he criticizes is about trying to drown yourself in someone else's, or even a "reality" that will never exist.

 

--Jack

 

P.S. See, Mika? I understand you at least! Pah.

[DaMango]

Now that I've taken some time to think about it, this is probably just another episode of Misquote City. It seems to happen pretty frequently. I really should be used to it by now.

 

Oh well. Hip hop videos still suck.

[ohwowitsnicka]

To jog your memory, what should come before the "I don't like escapism, hip-hop videos are escapism" is: "I am inspired by reality. I don't see my songs as escapism exactly..." this is where the hip-hop quote comes in now--and then it should be followed by something like, "with my songs, I take everyday things, and I put them against a supersonic background, blow them up and put them in front of strobe lights and celebrate them for three minutes."

 

OMG! That's so true.. How could I forget that! That's so mean... So they make people think that Mika said something when he really didn't mean it that way. I feel victimized.

[DaMango]

OMG! That's so true.. How could I forget that! That's so mean... So they make people think that Mika said something when he really didn't mean it that way. I feel victimized.

 

Yep. It's the press trying to make drama out of nothing. They were probably thinking, "Oooh, here's our chance to get the hip hop community pitted against Mika! Bwahahahaha!"

 

It's sad.

[JackViolet]

To be honest, I don't think we should bother posting Contactmusic.com articles on here anymore. All they EVER do is take quotes out of context or start up rumors. They are also the ones responsible for previous gems like:

 

"MIKA SADDENED BY LOSS OF PRIVATE LIFE," "MIKA--I WANT A GAY FOLLOWING," "MIKA TO WRITE FOR WESTLIFE," "MIKA--I NEED A DATE" and so on.

 

They are all about sensationalism, and not very much about getting the real story.

 

--Jack

 

P.S. Aren't you glad that I and my perfect memory of Mika's regular interview answers are there to save the day?

[DaMango]

Hmmm...I'm seeing a trend there.

[itsnakes&latters_btch]

Wait..I'm confused. I believe Mika said he 'hates' escapism? Mika's music, (if anything at all from a psychological standpoint) is most def escapism. I love you Mika, but...I'm sensing a bit of denial. (JKJKJKJKJK:shocked: )

 

The 'I love you' bit in that last paragraph was most important - p.s.

 

anyway, his music does have a message..most of it is 'pointlessly delicious' , but at the same time it communicates a message...sort of. I mean, not necessarily a universal one but --aah rambling--point is, there is no doubt in my mind that Mika's music is especially appealing for the dreamer and the outcast because Mika has succeeded in creating a community where those types of people are glorified....thats just not reality. Its AMAZING, but in real life, Billy Browns and Big Girls are not appreciated like they should be..so I guess I'm just really confused at Mika hating escapism because you know he could be legitamately lableled an escapist because of the idealism of some of the characters that he makes up and the world he creates for them ..(idealism lol I dont know if thats a word) idk...I geuss this is something to take up with mika b/c I don't understand... (hooray a legitimate excuse to fly to europe and seek out mika! hahaha p.s. not really. i wish.)

 

Alright, better stop now because this is a pretty pointless rant. Sorry about that, everyone. Especially Mika, because your music rocks my socks.

[violet_sky]

I've read the article and did not know exactly what to do with it.

At first glance I would have said rightaway that both 'styles' , Hip Hop as well as Mika avail themselves of escapism. It just depends on the wording of the consulted definition.

 

Consulting google and just taking the first hits on a definiton of the term I had to revise that first thought concluding now that I kinda agree with Mika's statement. Here's why:

 

Definition #1:

Escapism is the excessive mental diversion by trivial entertainment as an escape from a dull reality or routine.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escapism

 

In my book this definiton works for the whole Hip Hop world. It might sound flat and maybe my perception on that issue is due to the fact that I personally can't do anything with that style. I even confound the artists all the time.

Definition #2

The desire to retreat into imaginative entertainment rather than deal with the stress, tedium, and daily problems of the mundane world.

web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_E.html

 

Now this would be the definiton of escapism as it is provided by Mika's Empire. But not without a little change:

 

The desire to retreat into imaginative entertainment in order to deal with the stress, tedium, and daily problems of the mundane world.

 

And as this little but effective change messes up the whole meaning I tend to say Mika is not exactly escapism but the opposite.

[DaMango]

Thank you lollipop-monkey for the article. I've noticed that Contact music usually takes random Mika quotes out of context and gives them a new headline

 

This is the Aftenposten interview they seem to have taken the quote from, if only just a little out of context, as JackViolet said ....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1gHPpa4M0I pt 2

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrw4Jd070z8 pt 1

 

He touches on the same idea in this interview. He basically says that he writes about what he sees in real life.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkvy3uIWNqM

[violet_sky]

Thank you lollipop-monkey for the article. I've noticed that Contact music usually takes random Mika quotes out of context and gives them a new headline

 

 

They want random quotes in a new context? Not a problem at all LOL

[crina]

oh, common, guys. how manny times one of you says something but thinkoing at anything? everyone make mistakes. we don't care right? we care about his music, not his statements. he is a bright man, very intelligent and he'll never say something like that. attacking other ipes of music is not his style , plus this is an attitude of a stupid man, which is not our case. so, i declare, from my point of view, case dissmised.

[itsnakes&latters_btch]

oh sh*t..I wrote something mad contreversial so here's some damage control;

 

I definitely think Mika's music is brilliant because he does write about more realistic things than the average pop artist---no doubt. I would rather listen to 'big girl you are beautiful' than 'rich girl' or 'glamorous' or whatever because big girls are a part of my life..its reality in that way. What I meant to say was its the way that mika puts his characters like big girl on a pedastal and thats what makes him so great because he writes about reality the way it should be..society should be accepting of gay marriage and whatnot (aka reference to billy brown) but anyway, yeah. I get it now...its Mikas reality.

 

...so so sorry everyone.

[itsnakes&latters_btch]

oh yeah, in respone to that, case most def dismissed.

[JackViolet]

And as this little but effective change messes up the whole meaning I tend to say Mika is not exactly escapism but the opposite.

 

That's exactly what I said. :-D Beat you waaaaay to it, miss Violet!

 

--Jack

[lollipop_monkey]

I geuss this is something to take up with mika b/c I don't understand... (hooray a legitimate excuse to fly to europe and seek out mika! hahaha p.s. not really. i wish.)

 

I agree!

 

I think, in summary, it's basically just examining the differences between certain aspects of the hip-hop scene that focus on things that aren't real to most people (e.g, $100,000 jewelry), versus taking things that ARE real and commonplace and putting them on display. Hip-hop can be considered escapism because of how unreal it is. Mika's music can be considered escapism because of how it glorifies the real.

 

It's basically a study into modern popular culture, really. I'd seriously love to have a round table discussion on this topic. Only by "round table" I mean "poolside". Jack_Violet, snakes&latters, Violet_Sky - do you drink margaritas? We'll invite Mika and we'll all share our thoughts on this topic.

 

Cheers!

[JackViolet]

I dunno, I think it's all pretty clear... But all right... I do love margaritas after all!

 

--Jack

[violet_sky]

That's exactly what I said. :-D Beat you waaaaay to it, miss Violet!

 

--Jack

 

I'm handicapped, you know. First because it's not my mothertongue, second - well, the wine

Next discussion is in German!