Stereogum Home

 

May 24, 2007

New White Stripes Video - "Icky Thump"

When Jack snarls "Well you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too," he's going for political metaphor (take that, Kele) -- so his and the Malloys' directorial vision spins it out symbolically, putting him in a seedy, red-streaked brothel with a Moulin-meets-Manson Meg cast as call girl. After heading south of the border to get off, our lovable gringo crosses back in a senseless daze, past a "Great Wall" of an erection. Also, Jack and Meg are the hottest non-couple couple in rock. Forever.

Posted at 9:19 AM in
Tags:  |




27 Comments

The Great Wall of Mexico, that’s priceless! Way to raise awareness about immigration reform - kudos to Jack!

Posted by: Ju Bean at 05/24/07 10:20 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Crossing international borders with a wave and a nod as only Jack White could!

Posted by: wondergirl at 05/24/07 10:22 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Shame there were no "la la" subtitles, great video though.

Posted by: Sarah at 05/24/07 10:48 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

yesssss. loved it. can't wait for this album.

Posted by: kylie at 05/24/07 11:16 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Say what you will about her drumming, but Meg White has got to be one of the sexiest women I've ever seen.

Posted by: Brian at 05/24/07 11:46 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Jack White is SO hot !! Love this song & the video makes me luv it even more

Posted by: Melissa at 05/24/07 12:00 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Meg knows what not to drum.

Posted by: dannygutters at 05/24/07 12:08 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

they ALWAYS have some of the best imagery and color schemes of any band out there

Posted by: pics at 05/24/07 12:43 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

this video reverses everything i've ever thought about the white stripes. i've never liked them but the song, video, looks...all of it in this one kind of blowing me away right now.

...though not quite as much as LOST last night.

Posted by: raklosen at 05/24/07 12:44 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Whatever you might think about Meg's talent as a drummer, she looks extremely hot while doing it. She's so casual and confident when she drums. Practically oozes sensuality. Not too fond of her hooker get-up, though.

There's a few things in this post that don't make sense, though. "Symbolically"? I would say that this video largely spells things out quite literally, given that almost all that the lyrics describe is acted out on-screen. And "Great Wall of an erection"? What the hell? Are you saying that's a sexual metaphor? Because that's one heck of a stretch. It's clearly political commentary. I quite like this video, though. Good stuff.

Posted by: Matthew at 05/24/07 1:54 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Whatever you might think about Meg's talent as a drummer, she looks extremely hot while doing it.

Don't think that's not the intention. What with Meg's deliberate bouncing and Jack's tight pants and obvious lack of underwear...its all part of their image and marketing.

Posted by: Rina at 05/24/07 2:11 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

awesome and omg, i never realized until just this moment just how much i love led zep!

Posted by: arson at 05/24/07 2:38 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I'm glad Jack finally shaved his douche bag-y mustache.

Posted by: Sam at 05/24/07 2:59 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Pimps doubling as Prostitutes, one eyed hookers, and Jack White as a border hop. This is my kind of video.

http://whudahexup.com/

Posted by: Luiis at 05/24/07 3:25 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

do you think they still do it with each other on the road?

Posted by: JAS at 05/24/07 3:31 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Sex with a freaky-eyed prostitute? Icky thump indeed.

Posted by: Tam at 05/24/07 3:48 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Fuck that, the video got taken down!

Posted by: Matt Jones at 05/24/07 3:59 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

vid's working for me -- and i mean that every way possible.

Posted by: jacoby&meyers at 05/24/07 4:39 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

great video/song. did anyone else notice the similarities between this video and THE BLACK LIPS live album? both are in mexico with zebras. humm... don't know if it was intentional, but rather interesting. BLACK lips - WHITE stripes....

Posted by: ko at 05/24/07 5:46 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

One-eyed Russian Mikhail made a big boom on last night's Lost finale and today Meg is playing a one-eyed prostitute in the "Icky Thump" video. Too early to declare that cyclops are having the best week ever?

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1324/oneeyesmy2.jpg

Posted by: Lucas at 05/24/07 6:11 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

ace

Posted by: mode7 at 05/24/07 7:08 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

man, they haven't done this literal an interpretation of a song in a video since 'dead leaves in the dirty ground,' i think. or maybe 'hotel yorba.' i absolutely love it, and think the stripes are just as phenomenal doing totally bizarre /abstract videos as they are doing ones like these.

Posted by: cait at 05/24/07 7:10 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Am I the only one who thinks Meg White has gotten hotter? Is this possible?

Posted by: Amy D. at 05/25/07 1:44 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Meg looks smokin' playing those drums. Damn girl.

I guess what's his face from Bloc Party can put that video/song in his pipe and smoke it. Jack White may not always be political, but he obviously is willing to stand up for something he believes in.

Posted by: Stephen at 05/29/07 6:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Muy buen video para una canción increíble... los subtítulos quedan al chingazo... nunca fallan Las Rayas Blancas...

Posted by: Galaxy fm ® at 05/29/07 9:02 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

that white penguin is white hot

Posted by: Gabe at 05/31/07 3:35 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Beck - Little Hands (Feat. Feist, Wilco And Jamie Lidell) (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo