TV On The Radio's "Happy Idiot" Has Paul Reubens In A Race Car [VIDEO]

We’re always happy to see Paul Reubens getting away from his Pee Wee Herman persona and showing off some unexpected sleazy cool–like in Blow and The Tripper–so we have mixed feelings about Funny Or Die debuting his turn in the new video for TV on the Radio’s “Happy Idiot.” It’s a really cool clip for one of the summer’s best singles, too. We guess it’s kind of comedic to see a guy dolled up like Speed Racer racing past bizarre imagery, but only because that’s a music video cliché that deserves to be parodied.
“Happy Idiot” doesn’t seem too laughable, though. It seems more like a daringly retro take that’s really sincere about embracing lots of music video cliches–including how a black rock act is often turned into bystanders in their own marketing. That’s just a hard truth about how tolerant the music industry really is after all these years.
In any case, this video tosses in Karen Gillan for some added geek chic, and we’ll also note that it was conceived by Jake Fogelnest–who’s usually one of the most irritating jokers on the NYC hipster circuit, but credit where it’s due. Check it out and don’t feel embarrassed for being reminded that quirky imagery and a driving tune make for a great mix…
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