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    The Battle of The Smooth Criminal-2

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    The document compares and contrasts the music videos for "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm's cover version. [1] Michael Jackson's video focuses on his desperate search for "Annie" in a tense gangster club, while Alien Ant Farm pays tribute to Jackson with references to him at a wild backyard party. [2] Both videos appeal to different audiences - Jackson's is more serious and dramatic, while Alien Ant Farm's is upbeat and fun. [3] However, both aim to engage audiences emotionally through the song's lyrics about Annie's safety.

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    The Battle of The Smooth Criminal-2

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    api-549254156
    76 views4 pages
    The document compares and contrasts the music videos for "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm's cover version. [1] Michael Jackson's video focuses on his desperate search for "Annie" in a tense gangster club, while Alien Ant Farm pays tribute to Jackson with references to him at a wild backyard party. [2] Both videos appeal to different audiences - Jackson's is more serious and dramatic, while Alien Ant Farm's is upbeat and fun. [3] However, both aim to engage audiences emotionally through the song's lyrics about Annie's safety.

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    the battle of the smooth criminal-2

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    The document compares and contrasts the music videos for "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm's cover version. [1] Michael Jackson's video focuses on his desperate search for "Annie" in a tense gangster club, while Alien Ant Farm pays tribute to Jackson with references to him at a wild backyard party. [2] Both videos appeal to different audiences - Jackson's is more serious and dramatic, while Alien Ant Farm's is upbeat and fun. [3] However, both aim to engage audiences emotionally through the song's lyrics about Annie's safety.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as ZIP, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as zip, pdf, or txt
    76 views4 pages

    The Battle of The Smooth Criminal-2

    Uploaded by

    api-549254156
    The document compares and contrasts the music videos for "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm's cover version. [1] Michael Jackson's video focuses on his desperate search for "Annie" in a tense gangster club, while Alien Ant Farm pays tribute to Jackson with references to him at a wild backyard party. [2] Both videos appeal to different audiences - Jackson's is more serious and dramatic, while Alien Ant Farm's is upbeat and fun. [3] However, both aim to engage audiences emotionally through the song's lyrics about Annie's safety.

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    Hamilton 1

    Avery Hamilton

    Professor Leonard

    English 1201

    13 February 2020

    The Battle of the Smooth Criminal.

    “Annie are you okay?” In 1988, Michael Jackson produced the song “Smooth Criminal”.

    About 20 years later in 2009, Alien Ant Farm came out with a remix of the song with the same

    name. Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm both sang the same lyrics in their versions of the

    song "Smooth Criminal", but the music videos are focused on completely different messages to

    their unique audiences.

    Michael Jackson starts off his music video by running into a gangster club. As he enters,

    everyone becomes very tense. He starts to frantically search the club. This leads him into fights

    with the gangsters. As he defeats them, he breaks out into dance montages. The mood is still

    serious. On the other hand, Alien Ant Farm’s video is a tribute to Michael Jackson. The music

    video is placed at a wild backyard party. The band is centered in a fighting ring. The mood is

    upbeat and fun.

    Michael Jackson's video has a strong message; he will do anything to make sure Annie is

    okay. He is risking his life by getting into fights with gangsters. He didn’t miss one inch of the

    club unsearched. He is doing nothing but his best to find Annie. This makes the song go from

    just a popular song to a song that shows a strong message.

    Alien Ant Farm’s video also has a strong message. The message is to show respect for

    Michael’s hard work. They did this by incorporating many things. One of the first images is a kid

    doing Michael inspired moves with a mask on. The drummer is wearing the icon glove. They
    Hamilton 2

    also get a chair that the lead singer sits in that is a giant Michael inspired glove. The band

    continued to make many more small hints that the message was to give homage to the king of

    pop.

    Both videos appeal to completely different audiences. Michael’s rhythm and beat is more

    geared for the pop genre, while Alien Ant Farm’s video adds more of an intense guitar, making it

    more for the rock genre. The music videos also appeal to different audiences. Michael’s video is

    based in an intense bar with high stakes. This makes it more for the dramatic and serious side of

    the song. The Alien Ant Farm’s setting is a crazy party with people cheering and being happy.

    This makes for the more upbeat and fun side. Both have their purpose for why they chose that

    feel. Michael’s video was based on the need to find Annie. The Alien Ant Farm’s video is based

    on being able to show the excitement for the remake.

    Pathos was the key to understanding the message. The lyrics makes us have an emotional

    attachment to the safety of Annie. He first hooks us by saying “He came into her apartment. He

    left the bloodstains on the carpet”. We are immediately emotionally involved. The chorus “Are

    you okay Annie?”, makes us feel concerned for Annie’s sake. Michael's music video only adds

    to the pathos. The scenes of him fighting and searching, only make us more invested in the safety

    of Annie. Overall, pathos makes the audience be able to connect to the song and the original

    music video.

    Even though they both have the same lyrics, the music videos appeal to different

    audiences with different messages. Michael’s was about finding Annie with a pop beat. Whereas

    Alien Ant Farm’s was about paying respects to the original song with a rock beat. Also, the

    music videos offer different moods. One is more serious and urgent and the other is more upbeat

    and fun. Overall, both artists made different beats and music videos to attract different people.
    Hamilton 3
    Hamilton 4

    Works Cited

    AlienAntFarmVEVO. “Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal.” YouTube, uploaded by

    AlienAntFarmVEVO, 7 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE.

    “Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Official Video).” YouTube, uploaded by Michael Jackson,

    19 Nov. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4.

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