October 2009

At this point, the Kanye West/Spike Jonze mini-movie We Were Once A Fairytale is more notable as an example of a perfectly engineered leak: It was everywhere, then it was nowhere, and now everybody can't stop talking about it. As my friend said: It's a long walk to the store for an ending that's not all dissimilar to the "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" video that Chris Milk directed for Gnarls Barkley.

• artist: 50 Cent
• song: "Baby By Me"
• label: Shady/Aftermath/G Unit//Interscope 
• director(s): Chris Robinson
• production co: Robot Films
• rep: Robin Frank Management
• commissioner: Andrew Ibea

How can something so wrong have a video so right? This parody clip from funny white person DJ Lubel, director Bob McKeon and producer Jake Avnet tells a tale of a love gone wrong. And when I say wrong, I mean wrong hole. Juvenile? Sure. Not safe for work? Maybe. But, the video is about as perfect as can be, way bigger and better than the usual viral video. The casting is great —Web gal Taryn Southern as the love interest is a score, yet nothing can hold a candle to Scott Baio as a sort of Guardian Angel of nookie — but the direction is what makes this really work.