DON'T
TALK TO STRANGERS
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According to US
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If I recall, I think this was the 3rd video I saw by Rick during my "MTV days." Of course, I loved it and would hang near the TV for endless hours hoping to see it. It's awesome now to actually have the video to watch anytime I want. Thank God for the days of VCR's, DVD's, and computers! We didn't have that luxury back then. The beginning is a bit `creepy.' LOL Rick and `his girl' are in a stairwell, and he has his hand over the her mouth. She is doing sign language for the name "Rick Springfield" and also the words "don't talk to strangers." Is it just me, or does Rick seem almost `stalker-ish' in this video?! His girl is seen walking along a dark street and he is a few paces behind her. He sees her getting in a man's car and he's running after them, but doesn't catch up to them. Now how she couldn't spot a guy like Rick out there, I'll never know! Rick is one guy I wouldn't mind running up on in a dark alley! Rick says this song was about his `sexual paranoia' at that time, and I believe what he says. This video is cute in a weird kind of way. I find a lot of humor in it too, although I'm sure Rick wasn't feeling too humorous when he wrote this one. Rick is following her around, appearing to be someone in the background that she never really sees…until the end. My favorite scene would have to be the one where Rick has followed her to a restaurant where she's on a date with `some slick Continental dude.' Rick is seen under the table running his hand up her leg (how hot is that?! He looks like a man who "owns" that leg! LOL) and she reacts by turning the table over, thinking her date is getting a bit too fresh with her under the table. LOL I especially love the quick instant right before the table goes over when Rick has an almost satisfied look on his face, as if his mission to wreck their date has indeed worked! It is so quick you almost can't see it. I think it's the way his mouth is set…he seems to be very happy with himself. I liked Rick's outfit in this video. He's wearing a black `jumpsuit' type thing that zips up the front and has yellow zippers all over it. He is wearing his white Converse sneakers here too. That man really knew how to make some `fashion statements' back then! How many artists could have pulled off that outfit and made it look so cool!? He's shown throughout the video standing or sitting on top of a police car jamming out on the guitar. At one point Rick is straddling between two cars, one foot on each car. He looks so angry and seriously distraught in most of the scenes here, which for some reason had a major appeal to me when I first discovered this video. It totally fits the meaning of the song. I just love that little `snarly' look Rick gets on his face when he says, "did you fall at first site or did you need a shove." Some of the visuals in this one are cool too. I like how they show the girl on the phone with the `other man,' and then you see Rick striking a match. Next we see the phone (yeah, one of those `old timey' phones with the dial numbers!!!) going up in flames. Rick certainly got his point across in this video. I'm not even sure how much input Rick had in creating this video, but it certainly seems like he played a big part in the ideas for it. I also like the quick scene of Rick's eyes up close with the cityscape in the background when he says, "so tell me…how's life in the big city?" NICE!!! Again, he's got that `burning' almost-angry look in his eyes. Stalker mode again---Rick and the whole band seem to be staked out in front of a motel, police cars parked everywhere, red and blue lights flashing, and Rick singing into the police car's radio (as if he's reporting what's happening here. Like the police are going to do something about this?) We see Rick's girl and the `Don Juan' going into a motel room. The man is pouring wine or champagne for her, all the while putting on the charm. Rick is lurking in the shadows, peering through the window at the whole `ugly' scene. She is stretched out on the bed and we see her heels being kicked off as she makes herself comfortable with this `stranger.' The French lyrics come in and the stranger has joined Rick's girl on the bed. I can't help but crack up at how Rick is looking through the window in such disbelief at what is about to happen. Finally, he cannot contain himself any longer. So he does what any normal jealous guy would do…he jumps through the window, glass flying everywhere and breaks up their little party! If that's not obsessive, then I don't know what is! Then we see the band around the police cars and Rick's girl is walking through where the band playing, with her suitcase in hand. I half expected her to stop and confront him about his jealous tendencies, but instead she keeps walking and simply looks over at him with a straight look on her face. I can't really read her expression. It's kind of neutral. Mission accomplished! The very end shows Rick removing his guitar and walking away from the band. - Kelley Pearson |
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| Rick could have stood at the mic and played the guitar and sang (or lip synced) this for the video and that would have been fine with me. But since he didn't, and we have something to go on, I guess the video really portrays **JUST** how jealous and insecure he was in losing his love. He's all over the place looking after his woman..... None of the men in the video had crap on Rick, so he really should not have been worried.. Ha ha! The clothes, the hair, and the 'look' he has here, are all awesome! - Amy L. | ||