Weezer, the quirky American rock band assembled somewhere on the streets of Los Angeles in early 1992, has for decades produced popular albums with the help of a truly commendable work ethic—a can-do attitude that has motivated the group to produce yet another album with the fervor of a band that thinks it’s still relevant. Unfortunately for Weezer, however, the new “California Kids” video exposes a stark truth that the beloved but outdated 24-year-old outfit isn’t nearly as “hip” as it thinks it is.
In the new video, frontman Rivers Cuomo finds himself in a series of incredibly odd situations. Presented with a towering pile of cream-filled cannolis, Cuomo forgoes his table manners and unapologetically attacks the dessert plate. Without an iota of explanation, he spends entirely too long smearing the pastry all over his face and in his hair before tipping the entire tray over on his head.
If Cuomo’s cannoli episode isn’t confusing enough, the lead vocalist trudges to the beach, where he experiences vivid flashbacks to stealing an innocent beachgoer’s bag of chips and frolicking along the coast with a female bodybuilder.
In a desperate attempt to lure millennials into its quickly diminishing fanbase, Weezer invites the teenage creators of the viral “Damn, Daniel!” meme to make a quick (and incredibly cringe-worthy) cameo.
Perhaps the video, with its highly filtered footage that resembles a shoddy series of Instagram posts as well as its awkward allusions to today’s pop culture, is secretly some kind of ingeniously coded criticism of contemporary adolescence. More likely, however, is that the puzzling video was created in an attempt to prolong Weezer’s tenure in the industry and promote its eccentric identity. This failure to preserve the band’s signature cool, meta identity of its heyday is especially disheartening for a rock group whose lead vocalist boasts an incomparably cool name.
Featured Image By Atlantic Records