Music Video Analysis – Gay Bar – Electric Six

This music video contains 54 shots, making it a relatively low cut-rate video considering many music videos surpass 100 shots.

The video begins with an establishing shot with a title saying ‘Washington D.C. 1863’. The scene then changes to a wide angle shot of a picture frame featuring the white house. We can then see through jump cuts, which zoom into the image that there is a well-known silhouette, Abraham Lincoln. As the lyrics begin the scene cuts to the figure in the window, which is also the lead singer, stereotypically dressed as Lincoln. As the tempo changes we then see that the character is only accurately portraying Lincoln with the upper half of his body, he is wearing leather shorts. On the beats additional ‘copies’ of this character are edited into the frame, they are singing the same lyrics but have different movements.

After a jump cut we then see a medium close up shot of the same character in a different setting, he is riding a stationary bike surrounded by his doubles. After a zoom cut we can see that the characters are all dressed in different colours: purple, red and blue. Similarly to the previous shot additional characters have been added using the surrounding gym equipment. We then see a medium close up of the main singer doing weights on a weight lifting bench with the aid of an additional character. In the censored version of the song there is a prominent whipping sound that replaces the words ‘nuclear’ and ‘war’, this could hint towards what is to come in a scene in the video.

The shot after this is of the lead singer in his costume, consisting of shorts, a top hat and a fake beard, the latter of the three being used to resemble Lincoln, is doing weights along with a double, which would have been edited in during the production of the video. They are surrounding a Greek statue of a naked man, which goes along with

the theme of the song and also with the title, “Gay Bar”. The camera then cuts to a scene of the main character holding onto a ladder as an additional character grinds up and down on him. This too goes along with the whole theme of the video/song. The scene after this is of the main Lincoln character looking into a mirror flexing while an additional Lincoln holds up the mirror. It then cuts back to the

previous scene of the gym where the Lincolns are riding the exercise bikes and doing weight lifting on benches surrounding. They then clap along to the beat of the song in unison. The following shot is then of the two Lincolns doing weights by the Greek statue, but this time 2 additional Lincolns are clapping to the beat of the song.A Flying V electric guitar is then introduced into a previous scene, we is lying on the weight lifting bench playing the instrument while looking at the camera.

Through the use of a jump cut the scene then changes to a medium close up, similar to what has been seen previously, of the character in a bath being groomed by multiple other Lincolns. We then zoom cut

out to where we can see multiple hands in the bath water fondling Lincoln; this is censored through the use of bubbles. The scene then cuts to 3 Lincolns, singing along to the lyrics as they are grinding up and down a stripper pole, similar to what could be witnessed in a gay bar. The costume in this scene differs from the others as they are now wearing bondage gear, involving leather chest restraints and chains. The camera then cut zooms out to a wide angle shot showing

additional Lincoln’s grinding on stripper pole’s wearing bondage gear.

The next scene cuts to a hamster travelling in a plastic tube, this section appears much more tame compared to other scenes, this fits well with the slower pace of this section of the song.

In the following scene a set of curtains open to show what appears to be a male exclusive gang bang of sorts. This is teamed with a guitar solo at which point the camera zooms is. The video then cuts to a variety of phallic shaped images e.g. squash, pepper grinder and eggs. This then leads to the artist singing “I’ve got something to put in you” which is shown alongside the phallic objects so suggest adult orientated activities.

At regular intervals when the artist begins to sing the camera cuts to the main character in a bed with 2 other men. We can see that there are several bubbles on screen, this shows how surreal it is but also gives the impression of a good time as bubbles are often associated with childhood memories, only in this case those memories are tainted black by the innuendo style of Electric Six. The scene which follows is of the lead singer sitting on a chair as another man in braces rubs and strokes the lead singers chest, whilst sitting on the chairs arm as the singer strokes his leg. There is then a montage of previous scenes in which all characters are clapping along to the clap track placed in the song; this provides a good summary of the surreal environments provided in the music video. The camera then cuts to the lead singer of the band standing naked in a bath, with only an electric guitar covering his manhood. The camera then quickly cuts to the bed scene in which the lead singer is shown licking a lollipop, an innuendo in its own right of a homosexual act. A montage follows again, this time with a variety of innuendos

including the ringing of a bell, the rubbing of a hammer and the final one being a model train going into a darkened tunnel. On the final guitar strum, the video cuts to black.