By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 15, 1991
BEAUTIFUL GIRL: Is it an oxymoron to call a music video politically correct? Perhaps, but more rock bands are diversifying from the babes-in-bondage theme and opting for vignettes that might be (mis)interpreted as art. Following in the same vein as Van Halen’s “Right Now,” which superimposed socio-political phrases throughout its video, INXS is serving up “Beautiful Girl,” which the Australian band says is a tribute to women.
Words such as beautiful, anorexia, punish, exercise, cellulite and bulimia are projected over images of women purging into toilets, trapped in cages and handling silicone implants.
Guitarist Tim Farris said the musicians are retaliating against the fashion industry’s idolization of rail-thin models. Ironically, lead singer Michael Hutchence‘s girlfriend is supermodel Helena Christensen, the lithe semi-nude beauty featured in Chris Isaak‘s “Wicked Game” video.
BAD CAUSES: You’ve got to feel for Cause & Effect. Two months after band member Sean Rowley died of cardiac arrest during a Minneapolis soundcheck, the musicians were back on the road. While they were performing at the Lizard Lounge in Dallas, a homeless man stole their belongings from their van.
Not far from the club, a transient was spotted wearing band members’ clothes. He also had a stack of their CDs. But that’s not all. He had traded the band’s luggage for heroin and crack cocaine at two drug houses.
The police got everything except a compact disc player back to Cause & Effect. Sounds like there’s a song in this somewhere.
