Doing some research for the previous entry (since I name-checked Salome and Nebraska, I originally intended to post clips), I stumbled across this.
It might be a stretch to say Dancing In The Dark is the worst music video of all time--there's a lot of competition--but it's almost certainly the worst thing ever put together by major talent. At the time, Bruce Springsteen famously disdained promo clips, so when he deigned to film one, he didn't bother with any of the hack video directors of the day. No sir, he hired no less a director than Brian DePalma, who...really should have been able to do something better than this. In fairness to DePalma, that naggingly upbeat synth riff (surely this is the peppiest song ever to feature a line like "They'll be carving you up alright") is hardly conducive to a showcase for his signature prince-of-darkness style. Still--this?
I would imagine this clip may have been single-handedly responsible for shaking many Springsteen fanatics out of their euphoria, but if nothing else, it showcases the finest example of Bad White Guy Dancing ever seen outside of a Lutheran wedding. Hell, I can dance better than this, and I can't dance.
Incidentally, after this debacle, Springsteen's next several videos were directed by another filmmaker of imposing stature, John Sayles. They weren't actually much better, but at least they didn't showcase The Boss all decked out like Andrew McCarthy. And--Lord help us--dancing.
