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Black or White (1991) (V)

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Man, do I remember the controversy, 20 October 2004

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

I remember, I was like 7 years old when this came out. I've been a Michael Jackson fan since I could crawl. So naturally my mom and I watched this together when it was first aired on ABC. When the ending of Michael's solo dance came, I looked at my mom and she had this look of shock on her face. I didn't get why. I now watch the video and get it.

Although "Black or White" isn't one of my favorite MJ songs, it was a very creative video. I will admit that. And it was one heck of a risk for Michael. I give him a lot of props for what he has done. So, for the famous "Black or White"...

9/10

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Cool Music Video, 10 July 2001

Author: peeweehoglie from Surrey, B.C.

I like this music video because it is one of my favorite songs and the choreography is great. Michael Jackson is one of my favorite singers and he is the best. Hope Michael has cool music videos coming up because he is the coolest singer on earth and he is THE KING OF POP!

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
One word- Legendary, 4 December 2002

Author: averman from Sydney, Australia

Black or White has to be one of the most exciting videos i've ever seen. The dancing, the singing, the morphing, it's all incredible. It starts of with the famous scene where Macaulay Culkin plugs his electric guitar into an over-sized amplifier, blasting his dad out of the room and into another place. Then we see Michael Jackson dancing in several scenes, finely enough. But then comes the controversial ending wich sparked outrage when this video first aired in November 1991. We see a panther morph into Michael Jackson and then vandalising property, including breaking a car window with a cro-bar. Even so, it is still a fun and exciting video.

P.S. I don't know what video George Litman was watching, but there is no scene where Michael Jackson "masturbates" on top of a car!!! If touching your crotch means masturbating, then all men masturbate whenever they visit the gents.

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3 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Good song, average video, 22 April 2003
Author: Bad to the Bone from USA (That's all you need to know)

I don't get people calling this video a masterpiece. The SONG itself is very good. The video is decidedly average. The beginning, with George Wendt yelling at his kid, Macaulay Culkin, was just annoying. The only part that was even arguably creative was at the end where all the faces changed as they sang along. All in all, it wasn't one of the best I've seen.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
The pioneer of the 'music video' at his best, 20 November 2004

Author: callumhealey44 from Australia

When I first saw 'Black or White' I was amazed at all of the effects, costumes, sets, dancing and the overall feel of the video sends a good message. My favourite part was when Michael started doing the ethnic dances which shows how versatile he can be as a dancer and performer. However the panther section was under a lot of controversy over whether it was appropriate or not. I've seen that part and all I can say as, this is Michael Jackson dancing, moving and expressing himself just like he always has. I don't know how something like that can cause so much controversy when all the music videos nowadays are 'sexed up' and are 10 times less appropriate than anything before 1995.

Many people judge Michael as 'Thriller' being his peak but I disagree because albums like 'Bad', 'HIStory' and 'Dangerous' (which Black or White is off) provide a wider source of brilliant songs to his catalogue. But here you have the greatest entertainer/performer of the modern era with an amazing video that captivates audiences of all ages that can't take your eyes away from the spectacule.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
best music video ever, 12 September 2002

Author: josmith1 from Brawley, CA

This is by far MJ's best music video. Regardless of how great Thriller is, Black or White is better. It contains many different forms of dance, comedy, and serious messages. I would specificly like to comment on his smashing of the car in the second half of the video. No one seems to understand why he does it and I am here to tell you why. In the real version the car windows (and the store windows) are covered in racial slurs and other offensive graffiti. He smashes a Nazi swastika, "KKK rules", "N----- go home" and other such hateful messages. No one seems to know this and they all think it is just violence for the sake of violence. He is trying to tear down hate, racism, and prejudice in all forms.

I recommend everyone see the real version of the video. If nothing else it has some of MJ's best dancing to date.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding masterpiece, 7 January 2001
Author: (denisrs@mail.ru) from Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation

Aggressive ignorance of mass-media and of so-called "critics" will never let them appreciate a deeper-than-plain books, music, cinemas and videos.

In the Black Or White minifilm, short-sighted tabloid-like critics were able to see only "masturbation" (which actually was only in their ill minds) and "violence".

But this video has the deepest symbolism I have seen in a film ever.

It called Black Or White. The whole film is about. It is about good Or bad, light Or darkness, happiness of communication between people Or despair of loneliness, peace Or aggression, nations unity Or rage and so on.

Every frame of the last, Panther, sequence is a symbol. The water, the wind, the dance, the mimic poses symbolize many things.

Absolute quality and art of costumes, light, photography, special effects.

The idea, scenario, choreography, text and music by Michael Jackson.

Denis Raphael Solyahoff, analytic contents provider for MJFCs' SCREAM International Project >

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1 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Gray area...., 15 December 2000
Author: George Litman from Marietta, OH USA

I can still remember when Michael Jackson videos were hyped more than the Olympics; seemed every half hour or so MTV would give you a minute-by-minute countdown as to when the next one would premiere.

But then came "Black or White" which, while still partially good, showed a darker side of the singer that even "Thriller" didn't touch.

It starts out innocently enough, with a "Dennis the Menace"-type scene where Culkin's dad (Wendt) shouts at him to turn down his stereo, to which the kid replies by dragging some humongous speakers downstairs, hooking up his guitar and blasting dad through the roof of the house. His mom (Peggy Lipton) is cool but stern ("Your father's going to be very upset when he comes down").

Then the real video begins, with Jackson singing and dancing with different races in different countries (Africa, Russia, India, etc.) about racial equality and prejudice. Then the music ends as different people are shown lip-synching to Jackson's music, each head morphing into the other to show equality between people. It's effective and the message makes it through.

BUT, then comes the end of the video, where a black panther is seen slinking out of the studio and into the dark city streets outside. The panther morphs into Jackson, sporting an arm cast(?), who proceeds to jump onto an abandoned vehicle, smash it up with a crowbar and masturbate(!) atop it. After this is done, he jumps down from the car roof, morphs back into the panther, slinks away and is gone.

Just what was THAT supposed to signify? I couldn't ponder a guess but it all but destroys the goodwill beforehand and muddies up the equality sung about earlier.

Later showings of the video excised the last part of "Black or White" after many angry calls and letters, nowadays, that's likely the only version of Michael's video you're likely to see.

It's just as well, with all the "press" Michael's gotten lately, he doesn't need anything else hanging over his head.

Five stars, for a mostly good video, courtesy of Michael's talents and John Landis' direction.

Face it, Michael - the "Thriller" is gone....

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