Go Outside, by Cults on Vimeo.
This video shocked me. I felt the dissonance of this video with the combination of the innocent, balmy feeling, sweet sing along nature of the music and having researched and known of the story of the Jonestown Massacre before watching . Being a Libra I experienced both the disturbingly appropriate and disturbingly un-appropriate jolt to this video. As Alan Watts says "A push from the left is a pull from the right." In the end as a form of art I believe it hit its mark. I think the band and the director have done a fine job of creating something arousing and ballsy. If you agree with it or not is something entirely different. I understand that such a move by the band and the director of this video is controversial. People have already shared their opinions and views on it. Calling it "exploitive" and "done in bad taste" as well as those who agree that it is okay because it "re-tells and humanizes the story of The Peoples Temple". Its no question that this video is haunting, shocking and again controversial, given the result of many of the people in the footage. Its worthy to note that before this video was released the survivors of "The Peoples Temple" were contacted and showed the video. They were appreciative of it. I thought that this was a smart move by the director and the band. If the survivors of "The Peoples Temple" had in anyway felt this video was dissatisfying to them and didn't want it released and was subsequently released I would have been offended. For them to approve of it means everything.
I think the music and perhaps part of the goal of the "Cults" aesthetic matches well with this video at least for this song. I had always felt that hearing this type of music which is very saccharine and kid like in this day and age or rather after all the injustices and disturbing atmosphere that permeates our society from top to bottom is curious and ironic. To me this hits better than any metal or hard rock bands imagery and sound hits an intended degenerative or nihilist subject. Why? Well I think now we have become accustomed to the sound of say a Marylin Manson on the backdrop of any of his videos. It's too predictable. The "Cults" (not to be confused with "The Cult" obviously) oddly seem to be more metal than metal sometimes, if I can be so inclined to say that... well at least to me. I do understand that the band probably isn't intending that to happen... they probably have a very positive intention to their music and this video but that's not to say their sound and video art here is closed to interpretation. Anais Nin says "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Such is the case for my reading of this video perhaps. I can only use myself as a filter from which to base opinions. Others might find other interpretations and I hope so.
I couldn't help but to dig through my files for an art presentation I once made to find a quote by Micheal Tsarion that I thought about after viewing this video. This quote by Micheal Tsarion isn't found anywhere else on the net but here. Its about time to put it up...
“We are in a necrotic cycle and there is nothing wrong with that. Nature has its cycles and all the way up to fractals. We have the same concept... anaerobic and catabolic cycles. The constructive and deconstructive. All that needs to happen is an attitudinal change today in which people get with this deconstructive model and allow your children to explore and understand it because they are picking up on it like antenna more then the average person who is in lockdown in this mediocrity of their life. Change is going to happen whether you like it or not. One has to realize that if you go with this deconstructive cycle then out of that comes the finest things. When you see the beauty of it, you realize that there is nothing to be fearful of at at all. All that it is doing is ending your lie, ending your illusion. It is taking away from you that which you don’t need. So let it go. “ –Micheal Tsarion
