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Lauren Halsey

Dean Leonard

English 1201.513

16 February 2020

Annie, are you okay?

“Annie, are you okay?” was the famous chorus sung by Michael Jackson in his song

“Smooth Criminal” in 1988. This phrase originated from CPR classes, in which participants ask

the doll (Annie) if it is okay. For many listeners, the chorus of “Annie, are you okay?” flew right

over their heads. It wasn’t until Alien Ant Farm’s cover of “Smooth Criminal,” in 2001, that

people began to question the chorus. The claim that abusive relationships often go ignored

becomes evident within the chorus. Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth

Criminal” brings needed awareness about abusive relationships to a new generation by appealing

to a younger audience.

Michael Jackson’s video begins with him stepping into a 1930s fashioned bar. At first,

everyone in the bar turned to Jackson, staying silent. However, as Michael Jackson started to

dance, the rest of the club joined in. As the women began to dance provocatively, men started to

harass them. Michael Jackson broke up all of these incidents, being the only person to care about

the women. The women acted surprised when being helped because they weren’t used to it. A

young girl that had been outside of the club the whole time watching the show became very

interested in Michael Jackson. At the end of the video, the little girl was taken and Jackson was

forcefully pushed out of the bar. This music video makes it clear that men should protect women

and women should be more careful when it comes to abusive relationships and men in general.
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Alien Ant Farm’s video features the band singing in a wrestling ring surrounded by a

mosh pit. The video uses very little props, the ones that were used seem to have little to no

significance. Both A.A.F. 's and Michael Jackson’s music stops during their videos allowing

them to return to the song strongly. This creates suspense for viewers, the type that a victim

might experience when around their abusive partner. In addition, A.A.F. paid respect to Jackson

by doing his dance moves in the video. One noticeable difference between the two versions was

the different styles. A.A.F. ‘s cover was hard rock while Michael Jackson's song was pop. The

change in the genre got Alien Ant Farms' point across. Rock seems darker and carries more

depth within songs than the genre of pop which is why Alien Ant Farm didn’t have to produce

such an artistic video as Jackson. The watchers were still able to receive the message of

abusiveness within this video.

Based on the description of the music videos, they are very different. Although the

message of the two videos is the same, the audience is not. Michael Jackson’s video appeals to

an older audience than Alien Ant Farms video. Jackson’s music video is more appealing to

people who have experienced an abusive relationship. The video takes place in a bar filled with

adults who look to be middle-aged. In the video, this was the age group targeted by abusive

relationships. Because of this, the audience seems to be adults who are experienced with

relationships, the good and the bad. Also, the tragedy of the little girl at the end of the video is

relatable to parents who are mainly adults. Unlike Michael Jackson’s video, American Ant

Farm's video appeals to a young audience that may not be aware of the abuse. During the 2000s,

punk rock was very popular with kids and teenagers so this version of the song was more

appealing to them. Not to mention, the crowd surrounding the band was teenagers. Because of
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this, the audience becomes young adults and pre-teens who are inexperienced when it comes to

love.

The overarching claim in both videos to end abusive relationships is created through the

use of pathos. For example, Michael Jackson’s video shows girls being mistreated which may

anger many people. Also, the fact that a little girl was being taken at the end of the video makes

people feel terrible. It is horrible to see older women getting harassed but, it’s worse seeing this

happen to young girls. In Alien Ant Farm’s video, the band has many followers supporting what

they are singing about. The fact that numerous people are frustrated about the same thing but

nothing changes is sad. Why aren’t we trying to change the things no one likes? Why can’t we?

This shows the devastating part of the world today, tugging on people’s emotions. Not to

mention, many people can relate to the topic of abuse whether it’s personal or not.

In conclusion, the cover of “Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm portrays the issue of

abuse differently. It brings needed awareness about abusive relationships to new generations by

appealing to younger audiences. If A.A.F. did not cover this song, it may have been forgotten

about. Therefore, the message to protect women from abuse would’ve too. This message is

portrayed differently in each video, to a different audience. Because of this, more people want to

stop abuse, not just one age group. The lyrics “Annie, are you okay?” will continue to be sung

throughout generations, carrying the deep meaning behind it.

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Works Cited

Jackson, Michael. Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (Official Video). Youtube, 19 Nov. 2010,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4. Accessed 9 Feb. 2020.

Alien Ant Farm. Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal. Youtube, 7 Oct. 2009,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE. Accessed 9 Feb. 2020.