Once again, Idolator intern Kate Richardson scours the video sites, looking for the best fan-made music videos. In this installment, she tries to see if Mariah Carey or Bright Eyes can properly underscore the creepiness of people who seriously use "cute" nicknames for their favorite hospital-drama couples.
A good tribute video should, above all, make you uncomfortable. Something about the subject matter and the song choice--either separately, or in combination--ought to turn your stomach a bit and make you nervous for humanity. It's like how you don't really believe a topical cream is working until it burns--you can't trust a tribute video until it makes you physically cringe. Today we'll go deep into the heart of darkness that is Luby (or Lubby, depending on which fan site you ask) videos. Oh, you're not familiar with Luby? Well, you know ER? You know that hot Croatian doctor named Luka? And the chick from NewsRadio who plays Abby? And how they're a couple on the show? Luka. Abby. Luby. There's nothing creepier than fanfic, except banal prime time doctor drama fanfic set to Bright Eyes... or Mariah Carey.
Song: "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes
Concept: Luka and Abby as two teens who met in the bathroom line at Coachella in 2005 and immediately fell in love.
So this is a pretty dialogue-heavy video, which is either a bold artistic choice or just very distracting. The talking at least drowns out Conor Oberst's unbearable treacle some of the time. There's really not all that much going on here; there are a few nice little artistic flourishes with the still shots, but in general it's just a good old fashioned bizarro concept video. As if the Luby factor--which I'm still trying to wrap my head around--weren't uncomfortable enough, the added quavering tenderness of Bright Eyes makes the whole thing practically unbearable. A fictional romance about two doctors in their mid-30s on a prime-time drama shouldn't be anywhere near a Bright Eyes song. If there's one thing for which YouTube will live in infamy, it'll be these cultural trainwrecks.
Best music-to-image sync-up moment: I have to admit, I like the strange disappearing stained glass window effect at 1:17. It works well with the sound and tone of the song.
Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment: This is more to do with ER than the video itself, but this bit of dialogue is just beyond the pale:
Abby: You watch me when we make love.
Luka: (Dramatic pause, sigh) You're beautiful.
Song: "Emotions" by Mariah Carey
Concept: Luka and Abby as characters in a particularly bad early-'90s chick flick.
The main problem here is aesthetic incongruity. Mariah Carey's bouncy ode to feelings is bursting with sunshine and different shades of pink, whereas ER is a decidedly gray and dull green affair. It is set in an emergency room, after all. And, strangely, in a lot of the clips Luka and Abby seem pretty pissed off. The whole thing is a bit of a mess, from the dissolve transition overkill to the poorly placed sex scenes. But perhaps the most heinous offense is that it's just plain boring. Once the novelty of watching ER fanfic set to Mariah Carey has worn off, you're left only with the mind-numbing reality of Windows Media Maker and its many limitations. This one delivers that initial feeling of uneasy dread essential for all truly worthy tribute videos, but lacks the character and execution to be a true classic.
Best music-to-image sync-up moment: Nothing in particular stands out.
Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment : The placement of the sex scenes really creeps me out. It's a very weird, subtle thing, but I hate that they're synced up with Mariah Carey's mutant screeching. It's like some sort of distressing mind torture: "Here, listen to Mariah Carey's unbearably high-pitched squeal while you watch two characters from a show you don't care about have sweaty, softcore sex." YouTube ought to be held accountable for these sorts of cultural atrocities.
Verdict: Both contenders this week exemplify the creepiness inherent in all good tributes, though both are also unfortunately pretty tepid. Advantage goes to the Bright Eyes video for its creative use of still images. Now get me away from Luby, stat.
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