Indie Rock Video Stars Traumatised Toddler

MGMT has just released a video of their hit single “Kids,” which promises to be a viral hit in no time. Personally, I would be able to enjoy the video much more if it included the disclaimer, “No babies were harming in the making of this film.”

Perhaps I’m being too literal here, but watching a baby shrieking as people in monster suits reach into his ot is just not my idea of a good time. It’s certainly easy to find footage of a crying baby without actually making him cry, and I’ll assume that this was how the video was filmed. Still, I found the video—which is weirdly artsy enough to seem totally hip—hard to watch.

The video, which begins with dark quotes written against a backdrop of hellfire, certainly aims to be disturbing. Using Joanna Newsome as the “bad mum,” the video purportedly excoriates the parenting of young, self-involved mothers (à la Britney Spears)—but it also indirectly makes this brand of parenting seem cool by having it portrayed by stylish Indie rockers and hipsters in silver face paint.

Am I overreacting here? I’d really like to hear how parents respond to this video.