Fatale Abstraction

SCOPITONES PRESENTS:

So I found this video on YouTube, and it's such a visual feast of what was most tatty and tacky about the 1960s that it thrilled the very cockroaches of my heart. At first I thought it was a parody video by Sarah Silverman, but come to find out it was a video of a song recorded by songstress Gale Garnett in the 60s. I remember hearing her hit "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" on road trips in the 70s, but otherwise I was unfamiliar with Ms. Garnett. The colors, the wannabe Frenchy/Rococo decor and a staggering array of phallic objects render this one of the most dazzling music videos, ever, in my humble opinion. In fact, there's so much penis-like festoonery in this video that sitting here alone in the dark, I think I must have blushed three or four times.

I'm very much into lists, lately, so let's make one, shall we?

Bed with posts(4), all quite knobbly
Bedside lamps(2), also knobbish
Model 707on pedestal(1) (so modern! so new!)
Model ship(1)
Knights with lance-like pole thingies(2)

I giggle when she coyly raises her shoulder as she sings "five years ago I did London" (what does that mean, anyway?) the two knights turn with interest and check her out. I could hear their inner dialogue of Scooby-Doo-ness as they realized here was a girl whom they long had sought: a girl they couldn't introduce to mum, a girl who grabbed life by the orbs, a girl with standards--low ones.

On to the "mystical fling in Bombay" scene, she's atop a prosthetic elephant with
Trunk(1)
Tusks(2)
More knobby silhouettes in the background(more)

Hmmm. Our little walking petri dish is "known as a sport in all of the ports." Nice to be so cultured. As Christina would say, I hope she's stocked upon her penisillin!

My personal favorite scene is the one with the red devil mannequin-- what a stiff! He holds his golden trident aloft as he stands fiercely cool, his prognosticles receiving a full-steam facial from the gently bubbling cauldron strategically placed just below said wedding tackle. Hard man, indeed!

Here too we have a pair of dancing lovelies making nice to a couple of birdcages, also bedecked with knobs. This entire avenue of eroticism escapes me utterly. Really, darlings! Frolicking with a birdcage??? Have you smelled one of those things? Yeuch! Hygiene, s'il vous plait!

I'm totally digging Gale's knowing, wistful little glance back at Beelzebub as she intones "I'm sure I know the geography of hell." Mind you don't turn into a pillar of salt there, Missy!

Anyhoo, it's all rather delicious, isn't it?

Finally, we return to the point of origin, the boudoir des peepees, and a duly chastened Gale regrets the hollow sluttiness of her libertine ways, now appearing in a modest travel frock of black with sweet polka-dots at the collar and cuffs. She's learned her lesson. It's going to be okay. No more acting out and waking up nude in strange seraglios. No more ghastly falafel. No more cat-fighting with non-Engrish-speaking hatchet-faced harem-fraus over swarthy, beastly men she's not attracted to anyway, ultimately having to sneak out in the laundry bags. It's the start of a new day, a new world!

Wait, she steps outside the door and suddenly her coat is a more slatternly, wanton red. Hmmm... I'm not so sure our Gale has learned her lesson, as she has packed the equipment for play and is apparently carrying it with her in the suitcase. She sets off in the direction marked "True Love," but I've seen the Princess Bride, and I don't think she's doing it the right way. Hopefully she did some more cautionary tale videos. I'll look for them and report back here. Watch this space.