Synopsis
Cyndi Lauper turns a cheeky song about female masturbation into a colorful, surreal comic spectacle. Moving between live-action sets and cartoon sequences, she encounters pinup imagery, a macho biker, a quirky restaurant, and a series of playful visual puns. The video uses gas pumps, self-service signs, mayonnaise, and a blind character winning "Masterbingo" to hint at the song's subject without stating it directly. Lauper's energetic performance keeps the tone mischievous, theatrical, and deliberately absurd.
Factoids & Trivia
- The song's subject matter was controversial in 1984 and later appeared on the Parents' Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" list.
- The video's animated characters were designed by Mark Marek. The animated sections were produced and directed by Jerry Lieberman Productions.
- Professional wrestler Wendi Richter, wrestling manager Lou Albano, and actor Gary Howard Klar appear in the video. Richter lip-synchs the opening line.
- Several images turn period jokes and myths about masturbation into visual gags. The blind character and the "Masterbingo" sequence reference the old false claim that masturbation causes blindness.
- The gas station sign reading "GIT OFF HERE" and pumps labeled "good x," "better xx," and "nirvana xxx" extend the video's layered innuendo.
- "She Bop" was nominated for Best Female Video at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, where Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It" won.
- The video version of the song runs longer than the standard single recording, at approximately 4 minutes and 36 seconds.