Earlier this week, as I was working/editing/writing/procrastinating after a long weekend on the road, I came across the new video for "Play Hard" by David Guetta. Now, I'm not much of a Guetta fan, but I don't dislike him either.
He makes radio-friendly pop songs disguised as house music (or is it house music disguised as pop songs?), and his formula -- dance beat + guest vocalists/rappers = profit!! -- is both adored and despised by music fans and critics across the globe. I'd lump him into the same category as The Black Eyed Peas and Pitbull: talented musicians who have "sold out," making crap music in order to make non-crappy millions of dollars.
In any case, after watching "Play Hard" for the first time, I was baffled and confused. Was this "one of the best videos of all time!" (sorry Beyonce & Taylor), or, as a Mexican-American, should I be offended by what I just saw? There are so many "What the Fuck" moments in this video, I had to play it five times in order to count them all.
The track itself is pretty good, taking a sample from Alice Deejay's 1998 hit "Better Off Alone." Akon delivers his auto-tuned rapping while Ne-Yo and his signature mini-fedora sing yet another hook on a mega-budget club anthem. This may not be the pinnacle of music, but there's always room for guilty pleasures on my Spotify playlists.
Many commenters on YouTube, mostly from Mexico, implored other users to click the dislike button because of the over-the-top, stereotypical, and overtly racist (in their eyes) portrayal of Mexico and Mexicans in the video.
I definitely understand the basis for their anger, and I agree that some of the visuals and characters may be politically incorrect, but we live in a world that celebrates caricatures, especially when it's "all in good fun."
Plus, shit like this really fucking happens in Mexico! Dudes in skinny jeans and pointy boots really do hold dance contests, dress in Tron-like outfits, and drink micheladas! Why make shit up when reality is so much more interesting?!
Here are my top WTF moments in the video:
