Artist:
MEDIUM JOHN
Label:
MONDO MELODIES
Video:
“I LOVE PORNO”
Director:
Jeff Hanley & Michael Hanley
Add Date:
November 16, 2009

Hello programming friends, it’s Andy Gesner and the staff from HIP Video Promo, and no matter how grey it might be outside, we’ve got a clip that’s practically guaranteed to make you laugh. Sometimes a song and a video make a social statement so strong that it can’t be ignored. Medium John makes such an important statement with this clip. Yes, Medium John prides himself on keeping the jokes — and the electro-funk — coming non-stop. But he’s not too giddy to give us a quick, instructive history lesson on his latest single. Over a solemn-sounding choir, Medium John preaches that “with the invention of the Internet comes endless porn”. Truer words have rarely been spoken. And who among us could deny taking (at least) occasional advantage of this immense international resource?

Certainly not this randy singer and songwriter. On “I Love Porno”, Medium John boldly recounts his lifelong love affair with trashy pictures. He’s pilfered porn from his folks, smuggled it to school and sold copies to classmates, hidden it from the prying eyes of the teacher, and stolen glimpses of it on the sly. He even lets us know why he loves it so much: because “it’s awesome”. By the end of the song, he’s sending shout-outs to smut-loving nations around the world, and reminding us all that porn addiction is an international affliction. The whole thing is gleeful, joyous, and frequently hilarious; as disreputable as Medium John’s habits are, we dare you to escape from an encounter with “I Love Porno” without a hint of recognition.

And that’s what makes listening to Medium John’s music so much fun — he’s shameless and proudly sophomoric, so you don’t have to be. Moreover, like The Lonely Island and Flight Of The Conchords, his parodies of contemporary music are grounded in firm knowledge of pop history: Medium John really loves the R&B, funk, ’80s new wave, and techno traditions he’s sending up. When he sings about the “pressure building ” in bed with his lover in the Justin Timberlake-like “The Smell Of Love”, it’s genuinely surprising — and therefore genuinely funny — that he’s talking about stomach gas. “It’s Definitely Gonorrhea” cleverly folds “Tears Of A Clown” into a tale of venereal disease run wild. It’s all something Medium John calls “crotch-pop” — sharply-produced, radio-ready songs about heretofore taboo subjects.

It’s a genre tailor-made for the Internet Age, and Medium John is a viral sensation waiting to happen. He looks the part of the YouTube star, too — an everyman with elastic facial features, over-the-top expressions, and an unshakable willingness to make himself look ridiculous in the name of entertainment. In the “I Love Porno” clip, the modestly-built Medium John dresses himself like a male porn star, and dances with the energy and enthusiasm (if not the execution) of Usher. He’s got the attention of some beautiful women, too, and, lucky guy!, they caress him as he sings. We’re treated to flashbacks of Medium John as a young porn hound, confidently peddling his illicit wares in the halls of his elementary school. When his notebook falls open at his teacher’s feet and his dirty magazine pops out, he thinks fast: should he tell her it’s National Geographic? A modern problem? No way, folks, that’s a dilemma for the ages, and one that’s confronted bad boys as long as they’ve been looking to corrupt unsuspecting good girls.

We are very excited to be working closely with Barry Bergman and the good folks at Mondo Melodies to bring you this hilarious new clip. For more info, call Andy Gesner at 732-613-1779 or e- mail us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com.