Battle of the Grandpas - Foo Fighters vs The Revivalists

Believe it or not, the very first music video was created by Thomas Edison and William Dickson in 1895. The kinetophone, a name that would NEVER catch on, was a device that showed moving pictures with music from an attached phonograph. In the video, Dickson, plays a popular song on a violin as two dudes dance beside him. Riveting. The video was recorded to film and the music to a wax cylinder. Over one-hundred-years later the technology to create, and the delivery method of music videos, has changed DRAMATICALLY, but our desire for moving pictures set to music has not… well, not much at least. Even though Edison, Dickson, and MTV are no longer around, people still want to watch music videos. Record Labels still want to create them, because they know they’re still effective advertising tools for record sales. Bands still make them, because… well, it’s fun. Take these two videos as an example:Both Foo Fighters and The Revivalists released Cocoon/Bad Grandpa-inspired music videos/short films recently. While the songs are drastically different, the videos have a lot similarities. Are these similarities because of parallel thinking or a soon to be common trend? Let’s look at each individually first. The plot of the Revivalists' music video is a very sweet story of a man going to his 1965 class reunion, where he hopes to run into his high school crush that we assume he never got a chance with because of segregation (which didn’t end until 1968). The two see each other, fall in love, dance, everyone feels like a kid again, and they all live the rest of their short nursing home lives happily ever after. The End. One of the things I liked about the video is obviously the story. This is a real issue that I’m sure some people have had to face over the past few decades. Now we’re a more understanding society… sort of(?)... mostly(?), it’s no longer illegal in this country for two people of different ethnicities can be together. Racism, bad. Love, good. YAAAAA!!One thing I would’ve liked more of in the Revillist’s video is more transitions to the main character’s younger selves. Because who wouldn’t rather see a gorgeous 20yr old blonde in a hoop skirt as opposed to their Nana looking like she’s about to star in a new Pornhub genre. But my biggest pet peeve would have to no one in the video looks the right age. Doing the math, if they all graduated at 18yrs old in 1965, it took 52yrs for everyone in the video to become not a racist, that would make them 70yrs old, if no one got held back. Good luck trying to convince any septuagenarian of changing their ways.Also, is it just me, or does David Shaw look like the Swede from Hell on Wheels if he worked at a kid’s summer camp? Let’s move on to the Foo Fighter’s video.The prologue is Missi Pyle, who looks like a cross between Nurse Ratched and Janine Lindemulder from that Blink 182 album cover, angrily ensuring one of the nursing home residents takes his meds before going to the Foo Fighters concert in the community room. Of course, our rebellious protagonist doesn’t take his pills, then while at the concert does his best Eddie Vedder Even Flow impression, while knocking out a group of orderlies in the process. This sends all the residents into a violent mob of resistance. Not only are they moshing, attacking the staff, and breaking stuff, we get a  very saggy old lady flash. A must at every rock concert. After defeating the evil nursing staff, they break free, spot a car full of millennials and attack! Yanking the scared kids from the safespace of their car like they were the namesakes of a Universal Monsters movie.  So what similarities are there between these two videos besides canes being used for sword fighting? Both have a very specific and important message. In Wish I Knew You, the message is “Racism is bad!” In the Foo Fighter’s music video the message is the over medicating of people in this country is leading to complacency… or hipster are bad. I haven’t really figured out the point. But I do know, seeing that hipster’s man-bun get ripped off was quite satisfying. Basically, these two videos comes down to which ending dance scene is better: slowmo Soul Train line or the Michael Jackson’s Thriller-esques spooky synchronized group dance?For me, I like the Foo’s music video more. The story’s cooler, the old people makeup looks better, and GRANDPA VAPE DRAGON!!!!! However, I prefer The Revivalists' Wish I Knew You over Run, because I’m a sucker for a song with some sexy saxophone in it.What was your favorite part of either of these videos? Leave your comments down below.