The Physical Video by Olivia Newton John, Offensive?

I know it was the 80s, but even by those standards, was the music video for Physical (by Olivia Newton-John) offensive?

Was the music video for Physical offensive?

There is an excessive number of 'fat jokes', and the speedos on the fit guys...were they supposed to degrade the men in a humorous way? 

The video starts off with 'ripped' guys working out...in very, very, very small outfits. A nice reversal of the typical 80s music video that started off with thin women in skimpy bikinis.

Reversal of stereotypes, 80s music videos usually showed bikini clad women!

Then it just started getting weird. Like the butt shaking machine? Why add that? That's just taking it too far in my opinion. 

Butt Shaker machine. Was this too far?

Olivia really plays the part of the aggressive person, eyeing up the men, giving them her 'bedroom eyes'.

Olivia Newton John and her bedroom eyes, at the gym!

Then she is seen touching the equipment the men are working out with. But, the touch is very, very, suggestive. Vulgar suggestive. Maybe a bit too far?

Newton John touching 'equipment' - vulgar!

She totally invades their personal bubble. On many occasions she saunters by them, inches away, caressing their muscles. Then she is lying on the floor inches from the guy doing the squats. I get it, but again it goes a bit far.

Personal Space Violated!

Then the fat jokes! A room full of obese men who are looking sad, and are wearing the worst clothing. Not like the in-shape guys who have well fitting workout gear. Nope, these slobs have flip flops and big shorts pulled up to their man-boobs! From today's perspective it is just offensive.

Fat Jokes were common in the 80s, but now offensive.

Then Olivia Newton John goes around teasing these guys. She doesn't eye them up, or caress them nicely like she does with the muscle men. Nope, she quasi-humiliates them.

Olivia Newton John teasing the obese guys.

She is rough with them.

Olivia Newton John being rough with out of shape man.

She treats them like bags of dirt.

Newton John getting Physical

Then the next scene when the body builders reappear she is gentle to them.

Olivia Newton-John nice to the fit fellows.

It's offensive, even if it won a Grammy award for best video.

Let me know what you think.

Here is one man's opinion. He's offended by Physical on so many levels. 

Apparently the song was written with Rod Stewart in mind. After his Do Ya Think I'm Sexy song I can see why.

MORE 80s MUSIC JOKES

Be more Physical this Halloween with an 80s workout outfit - https://amzn.to/3iQpzjn

Be Olivia Newton John in Physical for Halloween

MORE UNIQUE DIFFERENT COVERS OF 80s SONGS

80s COVERS DONE IN A UNIQUE WAY

I've found more video of talented folk out there doing covers of 80s songs in strange ways, using different instruments, or what not.

Rod Steward's Young Turks mandolin version:

Hows about a whisling version of Young Turks from this old guy:

Here's a sweet video of a band rehearsing in their living room - the camera guy is really getting into it
Romantics - Talking in your sleep by The Romantics:

Not a bad cover of the same song (Talking in your sleep) - what makes this one really memorable, the singers are twins! Identical twins!

Here is a cringy version of Talking in your sleep - just a man, his guitar, his keyboard, his Mickey&Minnie mouse stuffies, and strawberry shortcake playing on the big screen behind him ... not counting the actual singing and playing. Challenge you to watch at least 30 seconds.

OMG, there are so many covers of this song that make me want to gag with a spoon (sic) - how about a classic cover band at a wedding with a little dance routine to the song...

This cover is good - it's the combo of video and singers accent that make me laugh..

I get a weird feeling when I watch this cover/karaoke of the song:

MORE FUNNY 80s MUSIC MEMES

INTERESTING UNIQUE COVERS OF 80s SONGS

COVERS OF 80s SONGS PLAYED ON STRANGE INSTRUMENTS

There are a lot of things that make noise in this world. And, some creative people use unusual things to make music. There are plenty of rare/strange instruments out there too. I've run across a few musicians who use strange noises or strange instruments to play some really, really, good covers of 80s songs. Here are some:

Don't know what this instrument is called - a harp-thingy? Whatever it is, this guy plays a killer version of Everybody wants to rule the world - TEARS FOR FEARS

Using technology is one way to make an older song sound fresh and hip. How about this take, Joe Jackson's Steppin Out put through an 8 chip Nintendo Gameboy! Now that's using technology!

Adding a violin makes this sound 'classical' - love my classical WHAM

Switching a song's genre is another interesting way to cover a song. How about WHAM again, but, this time turned "thrash metal".

There is a lot of talent out there - tons of great videos like this: Someone at their home piano/keyboard pounding out great 80s music...sometimes wearing interesting clothing.

Anything on the cello is cool - especially Survivor's Eye of the Tiger. These cello players are intense, so buckle up.

DURAN DURAN MEMES - They are funny!

RICK ASTLEY STILL ROCKS

Rick Astley has the best fans - young and old and creative.

His music is still going strong. It seems to be a hit with younger people - check out this fan playing Never Gonna Give You Up on a tiny toy keyboard

My Fav BuffCorrell does his take on Never Gonna Give you Up. One of his most popular videos I'll add. Just showing the staying power of Rick Astley's songs.

Modern TV still uses Rick's songs b/c they make people happy.

Watch the reactions of these folks when they get Rickrolled - in real life, by Rick Astley himself. I think it's so cool that Rick is totally going with this whole Rickrolling thing.

Even weather reporters are not safe from Rick and his Rickrolling...

MORE RICK ASTLEY BLOG POSTS

THE MOST 80s OF 80s MUSIC VIDEOS

It's like the Wedding Singer but better - all the cliche 80s references are here

Big blonde hair, the leather clad dude with a bobble hat and their synchronized 80s dance moves. It's the ultimate 1985 music video. Another Brick by FAKE.

LIFE is LIFE by Opus. Just the title of the song sounds 80s to me. The guy is dressed in his Dick Tracey oversized suit in a nice light shade of blue. He is clapping and side stepping nicely to the beat of this awesome 80s dance tune. He's sporting the latest 80s moustache, and his band is pretty sweet too with close cut mullets...and of course there is a great keytar player!

With the outdated disco square floor this band makes up for it by doing everything else 80s. The heavy space sounding synthesizer starts the song, with an easy beat the singer can clap his hands to. The drummer is stoic with a serious look on his face, and the guitar guy is smiling and doing a bad job at faking his guitar. It's Secret Service (what a name) with their 'hit' Flash in the night.

You want to see an 80s man in a skinny tie with heavily hair sprayed hair? Accompanied by a boppin' dude on keyboard? With scantily clad bikini babes (also with with big hair that is rock solid due to many cans of hairspray) in the background? No probs, here you go: Silent Circle 1985!

TOMMY TUTONE & 867-5309 MEMES

ELO Hold on Tight vs BILLY JOEL You may be Right

WHICH 80s SONG IS BETTER?

I sometimes hear a song on the radio and think, what a great ELO song (but, it ain't ELO). It happens when I hear BILLY JOEL's - You may be right. Then when I hear ELO's Hold on Tight I think, what a great BILLY JOEL song! You'd think after all these years, and thousands of times hearing the song, I'd get it straight.

 

Take a second and listen to both songs - tell me they are very close and I'm not an idiot to mix them up.







Billy Joel kinda looks like the ELO guy...

And, the ELO guy kinda looks like Billy Joel ...

DURAN DURAN MEMES 

FUNNY VIDEOS WITH 80s MUSIC

There are lots of awesome videos out there using 80s music as inspiration.

How about jogging in time to A HA's TAKE ON ME

How about TOTOs song Africa played on a cheap kids keyboard!

A rubber chicken doing it's best at George Michael's CARELESS WHISPER

Get your own rubber chicken and try to make own music :)

An original 1985 creation - finally digitized for all of us to enjoy. A homemade music video for I Love Rocky Road - Weird Al Yankovic . Oh, boy I can see myself in this kid, luckily we didn't have a video recorder back in the 80s.

A hilarious, and slightly un-PC, take on the video for Hello by Lionel Ritchie

In 2012 Honda used Ozzy's CRAZY TRAIN in an ad - a family pulls together a random acapella style version of the song. It's pretty funny.

And, I'll leave you with one of my favourite 80s songs, Joe Jackson's Steppin' Out. I like to groove and move to this song too, but, I don't quite have the moves that this dude does. But, I love how inspired he is by this great song to make a video! 

MORE FUNNY 80s MUSIC REFERENCES / MEMES