Toe in the Water

The 48-Hour Challenge: Media Prompt

The 48-Hour Challenge: Media Prompt

In the past, I have attempted this challenge on precisely two occasions (if memory serves me well). Usually, the song choice is way outside of my taste and I have to pass on the offer to comment. I’m sure the challenge owners don’t want me to be rude about their choice, after all.

But they’ve come up with a good one this time. I’ve never heard of the group, OK Go, and I must admit to being pleasantly surprised at their song, Obsession, and its accompanying video. Both are pure entertainment from start to finish and highly original into the bargain.

The video alone was enough to win me over. The novel idea of using computer printers to spit out paper in time to the music, creating a myriad of fascinating visual effects, is brilliance indeed. Add the fact that the printer noises combine with the music to become an orchestral constituent makes the song a valid contribution to electronic music and musique concrète. It’s a cascade of shape, colour and sound that is a delight to the eye and ear.

And so to the song itself. This is a pounding, repetitive tune that is entirely in keeping with the title. Obsession is certainly a matter of repeating impulses to a fascinating object. I googled the lyrics (to echo the words of my father from long ago - I can’t hear what the singer’s saying) and they are deep enough to be worthy of some thought. This makes a happy change from the usual throwing together of a few meaningless phrases.

Altogether this was a refreshing experience. The song is catchy and the video a delight. If only they hadn’t decided to include the somewhat creepy assurances that the paper used would all be recycled. God, I hate the self righteousness of the modern world, even if it is caused by the fear of being cancelled for some imagined offence.


Word count: 320