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The Residents - Act Of Being Polite

Music Video
ArtistThe Residents
SongAct Of Being Polite
DirectorGraeme Whifler
IntroNo
OutroNo
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown

Wiki

Synopsis

A masked Resident lies in bed, trying to sleep, while a giggling woman in another eyeball mask sits nearby and handles a mysterious box. Their uneasy domestic tableau unfolds beside stark animated images, including a cartoon heart being crushed beneath a hydraulic press. As the one-minute song reaches its conclusion, the pair collapse together on the bed, apparently drained by the effort of being polite. An animated mouth delivers the closing words before the film ends with a blunt "THANK YOU."

Factoids & Trivia

  • The video was one of four short films made for The Residents' 1980 album *The Commercial Album*. The others were "Moisture," "Perfect Love" and "The Simple Song."
  • Each song on *The Commercial Album* was designed to last exactly one minute, making the accompanying films unusually compressed music-video narratives.
  • The Residents' eyeball masks appear alongside the song's theme of emotional exhaustion, while the crushed-heart animation adds a deliberately blunt visual metaphor.
  • The original film was later included on the video compilations *Ralph Video Volume One* and *Video Voodoo*, as well as on the 1992 LaserDisc *Twenty Twisted Questions*.
  • The clip also appeared on Penn & Teller's home-video release *Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends*, helping expose the piece to audiences outside The Residents' usual avant-garde music circuit.
  • A separate video interpretation by Bill Domonkos was made for the 2004 *Commercial DVD*. It presents a much darker, surreal domestic setting and should not be confused with the original *One Minute Movies* version.
  • The Residents later recorded a new arrangement of the song for the 2001 retrospective project *Icky Flix*, with that version also used during the related live performances.
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