Father John Misty’s new video for “Total Entertainment Forever” is an insane trip with a cornucopia of layers. The absurdist music video for the fourth Pure Comedy single, which at one point sees FJM aka Josh Tillman (dressed as a pirate Ronald McDonald of sorts) heading the crucifixion of Kurt Cobain (played by Macaulay Culkin), is packed with bizarre imagery that is as thought-provoking as it is funny.
The video opens with George Washington (played by “Spinning on Air” radio host David Garland) swallowing Viagra before settling in for a little VR gaming session. From a list of players — “Bilbo Clinton,” “Juan Arbuckle” or “Kurt Cobain’ed” — he selects the lattermost and takes himself on a sadistic adventure that sees the Nirvana frontman tied up and whipped by insane pseudo-Ronald McDonald pirates.
After selecting “cross-bearing” from the game menu, we’re introduced to head McD’s pirate Tillman who, with hooks for hands, oversees his henchmen as they nail Cobain to the cross and erect him between the Clinton and Garfield characters. Oh, and let’s not forget the comical Alien-inspired moment involving the creepiest little evil miniature Ronald McDonald anybody’s ever seen.
The video for Father John Misty‘s “Total Entertainment Forever” was directed by the group Four Gods and a Baby, which is made up of Adam Green (Moldy Peaches), Culkin, Thomas Bayne and Toby Goodshank. All four appear in the video, as do Spencer Fox, Jack Dishel, Mical Klip, Dan Shure and Tei Shi.