Three out of four PopGurls experienced dizziness and shortness of breath following repeated viewings of the video for *NSYNC’s new single, “Gone.” (NOTE: Michelle had not, at press time, seen the video.) Therefore, we thought our readers might be interested in some non-biased opinions, from the people who love us despite our obsessions. While Amy wrangles her little bro into watching, and Melynee twists the arm of her roommate, Amanda’s husband Brad steps up to the plate.
All I have to say about *NSYNC’s new video for “Gone” is that it makes little sense to me. Sure, sure, it’s a nice song and it’s a nice, simple, black and white video directed by Herb Ritts. For the most part it’s much more soothing than their usual Wayne Isham-directed productions. But the video starts to become illogical and confusing the more you watch and analyze it. (“Why watch it so much? Why over-analyze it?” My answer is “Because my wife made me,” but if you are asking these questions, just stop now and go read something else.)
Here’s the deal: This video is just way too dramatic.
Little Justin Timberlake sings his song about his girl leaving him and he just can’t take the pain. So the parts where he’s with his supermodel girly-girl are all bright and happy. This includes a scene of him painting her toenails (foolishly over an expensive looking sleigh bed footboard, I might add), having a party in the kitchen with the rest of the boys (Look! They all have fun together!), and rolling around in the grass (with gratuitous ass shots of the girl for guys like me who have to watch these things). Cut into these happy parts are sad scenes after the girl leaves. They are filmed in the same bedroom, kitchen and lawn but it’s all dark, moody and filled with too many pretty boys dressed in black looking like they are going to cry.
I’m sorry, did someone die? NO! She left him, and it’s probably for the best. And anyway, no guy’s friends are going to sit around looking sad for him after his girl drops him. “Fuck her!” they would say. “Let’s get drunk and watch some football. What, you don’t have any beer in this sorry refrigerator? Turn on a fucking light for God’s sake, I can’t see a damn thing!” This is because they are secretly happy that she is out of his life and there is one less obstacle to getting drunk and/or acting like the morons they were in the good old days.
In fact, many a theory has been floated around my house that his friends/fellow pop stars are exactly the reason she left in the first place (fantasy and reality *NSYNC go hand in hand where I live). But still, it’s hard for me to take JC’s angry over-emoting for Justin seriously when I read interviews where he says things like “*NSYNC has to come first and that’s hard for a girl to hear.” But how long can four heterosexual guys keep real relationships with women away? Not very long if bitter, bitter Chris has his way, but things are bound to happen. In the meantime the real JC would quietly celebrate Jup’s pain because *NSYNC, like many bands, fear they are just one Yoko away from self destruction.