Early Thursday, Justin Timberlake released a side-eye-worthy, post-apocalyptic music video for his latest single "Supplies." If his aim was to get people talking, mission accomplished. In the video, Justin is shown sitting in front of a plethora of glitchy televisions, watching screens that show coverage of the #MeToo movement, Harvey Weinstein, Trump, and police brutality.
Wait, what?
What does a song ostensibly about sex, with some shallow lyrics about the end of the world, have to do with extremely necessary movements sweeping across the nation? The most sense I can make of this, is this is Justin's attempt to reconnect with his old friend, relevancy.
Justin is in the spotlight right now because he's dropping a new album, going on tour, and—oh yeah—performing at the Super Bowl Half Time show next month, arguably one of the biggest stages an artist might ever grace. Also in the spotlight right now are the grief and strife of women and people of color, as they expel the most hurtful experiences of their lives, in the hopes of shining a light on the darkness they've been trapped in. This video, complete with a woman lifting a car while wearing a Pussy Grabs Back shirt, is Justin co-opting those stories to say, "Hey, look at me! I'm down!"
Like the video concludes, it's all about him—his survival. And as a white male in a society ruled by white males, it makes zero sense that he should be the survivor, albeit alongside a bunch of racially ambiguous kids and a Latina actress, Eiza Gonzalez. Kudos, I guess.
Anywho, I'm not the only who feels like this video was a complete mess. Read on.
Justin Timberlake's new music video is literally him rebranding himself as a male ally pic.twitter.com/AY1UZ4cHQa
So Justin Timberlake is apparently trying to give us male ally/woke pop in his new song/video, Supplies.
Justin's recent actions:
- Working with Woody Allen
- Fully embracing his white male privilege agreeing to perform at the Superbowl while Janet Jackson is STILL banned. pic.twitter.com/IuD7E4PP8m
Did...did Justin Timberlake just make a #NotAllMen music video in the year of our Lord Cthulhu 2018? Oh honey, no.
justin timberlake dusted his hands after making this music video and was like “well, that should about cover it.”
Just made a coworker watch that new Justin Timberlake "Supplies" video, to make her experience the awful with me. Her feedback: "It's like the Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad of music videos." I agree.
I can't get over the fact that Justin Timberlake basically made an "eat the rich" video like he doesn't know he's ending up in the pot with the rest of them.
Justin has long confused his ill-thought-out commentary with allyship. In June 2016, after Jesse Williams' powerful speech about the desperate need for social justice, the following exchange happened:
So does this mean you're going to stop appropriating our music and culture? And apologize to Janet too. #BETAwards https://t.co/0FwBOQR24D
In a now-deleted tweet, Timberlake responded, "Oh, you sweet soul. The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation. Bye."
A pop star of his magnitude hitting somebody with a "bye" for attempting to call attention to real issues was and is some bullshit. Something tells me his response to criticism of the "Supplies" video won't be much better, if he addresses it at all. The Fake Woke typically stay sleep.
