Before Amanda Palmer was known for being the frontwoman of the Dresden Dolls, she was recognized on the streets of Boston as a performance artist. Her theatrics are part of what make her so fun to see live, and what make her videos much more interesting than most.
Her video for the single “Oasis” has gotten her into some trouble in the UK, however, with the television stations saying it is “making light of rape, religion and abortion.”
Palmer wrote about the issue on her blog, as she’s known to do, responding:
i sat down one day in or around 2002 and wrote a tongue-in-cheek, ironic up-tempo pop song.
a song about a girl who got drunk, was date raped, and had an abortion. she sings about these things lightly and joyfully and says that she doesn’t care that these things have happened to her because oasis, (her favorite band) has sent her an autographed photo in the mail. and to make things even better (!!), her bitchy friend melissa, who told the whole school about the abortion, is really jealous.
if you cannot sense the irony in this song, you’re about two intelligence points above a kumquat.
Anyone familiar with Palmer’s work should know there’s a method to her madness. You can watch the video for “Oasis” on her blog, where she also writes, “When you cannot joke about the darkness of life, that’s when the darkness takes over.”
Watch the video and give me your thoughts. Is it offensive? Is it funny?
