Video: Major Lazer, “Pon De Floor”
- story Matthew Schnipper
Like the song, the video for Switch and Diplo’s acid wash dancehall experiment, Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor,” does not make very much sense—but in a good way, like extreme jet lag or Sam Jackson in Unbreakable. The Eric Wareheim (of Adult Swim’s Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job) directed video is a dayglo explosion sequel to his “Parisian Goldfish” for Flying Lotus, with the two dancers/humpers expanded (and now including Skerrit Bwoy!) and given a suburban home to run around in aimlessly, like malfunctioned, horny and frightened Sims.
Related:
- Video: Major Lazer, “Keep It Goin’ Louder” (Eric Wareheim Version)
- Video: Major Lazer f. Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze, “Keep it Goin’ Louder”
- Enter the (Major) Lazer
- FADER TV: Matt & Kim and Major Lazer Sign Off in Austin
- Exclusive Freeload: Major Lazer f. Lexx and Santigold, “Hold the Line (Album Edit)”
- posted on Aug 3, 2009 in MUSIC, MUSIC VIDEO
- tags Carribean, electronic/dance, Major Lazer
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August 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
wild!!!
August 4th, 2009 at 1:22 am
terrifying!
August 4th, 2009 at 11:30 am
It’s an interesting take on the daggerin craze from someone, taking a wild guess here, who is an outsider to it. Really catches the absurdity of it, while also disturbing at the same time.
August 4th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
How come neither Vybz Kartel nor Skerrit Bwoy is credited in the video, and Vybz is not mentioned above?
August 10th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
This video is exploitative,vulgar and demeaning. I’ll be lying to you if I told you that Im not upset..but I am. This video is nothing but trash to the Jamaican community. He’s trying to make Black people,Africans and people of color look foolish. Diplo has been doing this for years…he knows this video isnt right…this is why he is hated by black community. We have fought so hard to get rid of this stigma..but somehow Major Lazer…aka Diplo/Switch thinks its cool. Well it isn’t. If you dont trust me..maybe you should watch Spike Lees’ movie “Bamboozled”. If this video is so hot..why doesn’t he have himself dancing around…or even featured…this should be food for thought.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
“This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube’s user community.” WOW! Now Youtube thinks its offensive but FADER must be just as racist as DIPLO+SWITCH=MAJOR LAZER. Im so disappointed by the FADER staff..I really thought you guys were taste makers. Its looking more like you guys support exploitation. FADER YOU JUST LOST A SHIT LOAD OF YOUR BLACK FANS DUE TO YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS TRASH.
August 11th, 2009 at 11:54 am
If YouTube flagged (doesn’t seem they have) I would imagine it would be for minors because there is some adult-type dancing going on, Hakim, not for offensiveness to humankind in general, as you imply. Also, to both Hakim and Akbar, what you find offensive about this video was not created in the minds of Diplo and Switch but in Jamaican dancehall culture. Search YouTube for “daggering” or “passa passa” or “dutty fridaze.” You’re entitled to your opinion on the tastefulness of this type of dancing but please keep it to that and not misguided accusations of racism.
August 11th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
This video looks like an extension of all the buffoonery that has been taking place in the mainstream PERIOD. It’s just merely a decoration on top of a cake made of shit. Watching bug-eyed over-sexed Jamaicans humping on the floor looks alot like some stereotypical bullshit that has been on repeat for the last century. I’m very familiar with dancehall culture and my history -and this shit right here was created by people who aren’t even of that culture or background. And because of that it is totally lost in translation and can be interpreted as offensive and racist whether it’s institutionalized/unintentional or not. Don’t blame an entire culture for a trash video.
August 13th, 2009 at 1:36 am
I agree with Akbar.
This video is demeaning & disgusting. If they wanted it to be a porno soundtrack, they should’ve just done that.
Shit, dude, no wonder why M.I.A. broke up with you
August 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
“I’m very familiar with dancehall culture and my history..Don’t blame an entire culture for a trash video.” check mate. can’t wait to see the very best video , let’s stop kidding ourselves, if you can’t see whats going on here, well ignorance is bliss i guess ?no meimporta
August 13th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Except no one blamed an entire culture for anything, just stating facts and pointing to antecedents. Then again you’re all only coming here to make your point so feel free.
August 14th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Pretty much all of the negative points raised about this video are invalid when considered in context.
There are no credits on the video because most music videos posted on Vimeo have no credits.
The dance moves in this video were not invented specifically for the video, they exist within not only dancehall culture, but also reggaeton culture. There’s obviously some parody involved, but if you look up some videos, it should quickly become clear that parody is what this kind of dancing is all about – bigger, crazier, funnier, more over the top moves.
The video might be trash to the Jamaican community, but Vybz Kartel’s biggest hit is the center of a HUGE controversy in Jamaica for its (extremely) explicit content, so that’s really not surprising…
…and frankly, it’s quite easy to be “trash” to the Jamaican community, both within and outside of dancehall – you just need to be gay.
So saying that this is offensive to the mainstream culture in that country really doesn’t equate (at all) to saying that it is offensive in terms of American race relations/American moral standards.
If this video offends your sense of decency, or you feel as though it is exploitative of women, that’s one thing; it’s another thing to try to graft your own objection to a counterculture onto some vaguely defined argument about race.
I mean, Jesus, the video/song has the full participation of one of the best known Jamaican dancehall performers, and half the production team is British! In what way does that combination equal “relevant to the discussion of America’s race problems”? Seems more relevant to a discussion about how Americans assume that they are the target consumers/most informed critics of everything that enters their cultural consciousness.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
” Americans assume that they are the target consumers/most informed critics of everything that enters their cultural consciousness.”
Ain’t that the truth…..
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:26 am
what does Diplo have to say to all of this : )
u out there Diplo??
August 24th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
This video is really degrading to women AND people of color ( mainly Jamaican) and whoever made this video knew EXACTLY what they were doing and were probably sure that they would get this type of response out of people..
August 25th, 2009 at 1:04 am
How can you hate on this video when everyone dancing is grinning their asses off? Haven’t men and women been pretend-fucking to music since the dawn of man?
August 26th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
This video is aesthetically amazing, and it’s fun. Why does it have to be a cultural commentary? It’s an exaggerated view of sexual behavior = normal. Stop trollin.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:02 am
Haw, Haw!
That berry funny!
Watch dem fat monkeys hump!
Munky Shine, monkey screw,
See da way dem munkeys do!
Haw, haw!! I gonna bust a gut.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
doesnt look like white people in black face, so i dont know what you real dancehall turkeys are complaining about. diplo is making dope music. AND HE DIDNT DIRECT THE VIDEO! so go hate on the directors.
fucking haters!
September 9th, 2009 at 12:27 am
OMG I went to college for a year and took sociology 101 and this is so offensive to Afro-jamaican Americans!!!1!! I should know because I’ve been to college.
If you find that offensive then watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpFfn-IRr9E
The people in the video just dance that way. It’s a new style. Yeah it’s silly but why bring race into it. If white people danced like them nobody would be talking about how it’s offensive to white people. What is Jackass then? A “exploitative,vulgar and demeaning” show to the white culture? Don’t get made at director for the video either. Watch “Tim and Eric” and you will see that they have made videos way more ridiculous then this one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKE0aY6W16Y
OMG This is offensive to the white tree hugging community. This makes white tree huggers look like they never wipe their butts.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:47 am
This video reminded me of the best times in my life. God bless.
September 12th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
i dont think diplo made the vid! wasnt it them who made it? they were just havin fun!
September 15th, 2009 at 12:34 am
i never thought fader peeps wouldn’t be some damn uppity. Dope video. Hilarious shit. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.
September 18th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
I lost a few brain cells by watching this. Most tacky video I’ve ever seen.
PS. – That… non-black girl looks like a tranny
September 20th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
being born and raised in kingston, jamaica…this video is nothing more than pretty colours behind the same shit that goes down in the streets…google ‘daggerin’ and see what u find…this video is tame.
Big up all dancers.
I liked it for what it was…
September 24th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
crazy video!
i remixed ‘pon de floor’ by major lazer while i was on the sunset blvd public bus in los angeles. you can listen to the remix here: http://bit.ly/dfDl8 please support my bus remixes by clicking the yellow box that says “i like this” (no sign up needed!), then share it with your friends on facebook, twitter or myspace.
thanks to fader for posting this video.
September 26th, 2009 at 5:43 am
check out the remake!
PANDAGGERING!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssNPnZwCVJk
September 30th, 2009 at 12:24 am
WHERE IS VYBZ KARTEL IN THE VIDEO ?
SKERRIT BWOY = VYBZ KARTEL = ALL BLACK PEOPLE THE SAME?
IF ITS A REAL VYBZ SONG HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE VIDEO AND IT WOULDNT HAVE BEEN PAINFUL TO LISTEN TO. WHERE THE MAN DEH ?
NEXT TIME UNNU COME FE SOME VIBES INNA JAMAICA ASK FE OX! JCF !
HIM SORT OUT THE TING FE UNNU !
October 10th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
This video is fucking epic.
October 11th, 2009 at 4:08 am
I’m not following the comments of how this is racist. Nobody thinks this is racist. The only reason white people arent in this video is because white people suck and could never pull this shit off. Yes, I am white.
I only vaguely know of dancehall, but I wouldnt say that this is stereotypical of dancehall. I think this is stereotypical of Tim & Eric: Sex, psychedelic drugs, and a whole lot of comedy.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
this is good shit. everyone who says this is inappropriate needs to chill the fuck out
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
This is Jamaican cultureeeeeee go taaa dutty fiirrrdaaaiiizzzz or passa passaaass- this is doneee in hartforddd, ct- nyc- bostonnnn- flll
November 10th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I can’t stop listening and watching this train wreck of stuff.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
I think some of the people on this thread should really grow a sense of humor.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m with “yo reply no.31″ and ” DLNGR no. 34″ people need to chill out and get a sense of humour. Has nobody heard of satire?!!! This music video is a spoof of an actual daggering club video, step ladders and all!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjW2Np3Z6so
watch and learn guys, watch and learn!
December 8th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
hey not a racist fag here, quite the contrary but i find absurd that some people came here to this website fighting this black-cliché with spike lee’s clichés of black people. That’s fucking absurd. And while you are trying to say that this video is embarassing to all you blacks THE PEOPLE ACTING IN THE VIDEO ARE ACTUAL BLACKS THEMSELVES. And I see almost everyday some brasilian compilation of this kind of “dance” made by black people. This is embarassing to you just like that uncle that you only see on family lunches. Grow up people, if these were white people trying to do this you would say “aw look at that cracker trying to be a bro!”
December 8th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
It’s just like saying “OMGWTF THAT RESIDENT EVIL 5 GAME IS SOOOO RACIST!” because the zombies are black people. God damn this racial hyper-sensitivity.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Ohlawdy your a pussy. You fuckin prick. I hate all white ppl with a passion. Especially Ryan seacrest and Martha Stewart. All y’all crackas are nasty y’all mothafuckas don’t even wash y’all hands. And y’all put y’all children on leashes you fuckn panzees. White ppl are the most dumb ignorant self centered pieces of shit known to mankind. Nobody likes the white ppl race. I hate George bush I hate Bill o reily. You white cunts need to die and vanish from the earth. On top of that you pricks go to the beach and tanning salons to look like us NIGGAS. That’s right I can say niggas cuz I’m black bitch but on the other hand if you were to say the N word you would fucked for life. White ppl are soooooooooo gay and ugly and y’all smell like wet dogs. And for you white hoes stop fuckn our black men getting us in jail. To be honest you white bitches give the best head. But white hoes are smelly. And white hoes cry to much. In total y’all just need to die!!!!!!!!!
R.I.P All white PPL
December 15th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
shut da fuck up.you dum broads.we were slaves for 400 years.wat da fuck you talking about ” ohlawdy” u pussy. shut da fuck up “dry ride” you sick bitch.dry ride………………………wat da fuck.
December 16th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
well that was…wierd…
December 17th, 2009 at 1:58 am
WTF? I dont know whether to laugh or cry. This video is a bit freaky, not sure why folks are taking it so seriously and as a person of Caribbean origin I think I can safely say, its fun to watch, a bit outrageous, but mind you it’s not anything I haven’t see before. No biggie.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:32 am
bfcot
January 20th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
is it really that serious i see vids with ppl grinding all the time…its different and i looked fun…come on ppl they have vids on youtube with lil girls twerking and shaking there booties ive seen worse…honestly if ur thinking hard into this u need to get a life….
January 21st, 2010 at 11:50 pm
It sucks.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:15 am
hot boy robert
January 26th, 2010 at 10:30 am
who is this and you who this is and write back and you did and we are mad becuse
pussyassfuck says; it sucks.
January 26th, 2010 at 10:31 am
who is this
January 26th, 2010 at 10:32 am
who dat saints
February 4th, 2010 at 10:31 am
That vid is crazy!!!! Are there any other versions???
Check out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELlzK1fHmO4