"Know Your Enemy" Music Video

[arrie44]

As a long time fan, I must say this was a huge let down. Even the most simplistic video of them playing in their bathroom (Longview) offered something atheistically appealing while cutting to a minor story arc. "Know your Enemy" was convoluted and didn’t really provide any interest visually. I understand the whole allegory to the novel 1984 and how Big Brother is watching you, but really, it’s nothing spectacular. The fact it was filmed in the dark coupled with an array of pointless cuts felt like a film student with ADD was putting this together. As for the song itself? While the melody is catchy, the lyrics are pedestrian. It’s probably the most amateur song the band has ever written cause no creativity is employed here. It’s a repetitious chant with hardly any verses. If this is supposed to be another punk opera, shouldn’t the videos maintain that theatrical structure? Bayer's videos offered more to the imagination and created that operatic feel. The symbolism in "Know your Enemy" is spoon-fed which I find insulting for a band that wanted their fans to think. The only saving grace was the anti-climatic burst of flames. I'm really concerned that this is going to air world wide tonight cause alot of people are going to be disappointed if they’re familiar with Green Day's track record.

Amen brother, very well said and I agree 100%. I really thought Green Day held themselves to a higher standard.

I'm sure it will be a great album though, they are just too talented to miss on an entire record. My only concern is that it won't rock very hard, a lot of reviews say KYE is the hardest rocking song on the album...and that's not good news.

[blitzkriegdeb]

A nice, simple performance. I liked it.

Sure, it wasn't their best video, but hell, after waiting 4/5 years for a new video, anything would've done.

[saintcarlos]

There are 3 kinds of Green Day Fans :

1) The fan who absolutely loves everything about Green Day.

2) The Fan who loves the "old" Green Day but hates the "new" Green Day and brings up the most ridiculous things to put the band down.

3) The Fan who is never pleased but somehow listens to Green Day.\

i feel like I'm missing a #4... hmmmm

[M1KEY]

I'm not allowed to have an opinion that they look stupid wearing eyeliner? Jesus dude get over yourself. And did you call me bigoted??? Good lord let me just tell you, you have no idea what you're talking about or who you're talking to. That is not right.

You said they shouldn't wear makeup because they're "MEN". How is that not bigoted?

Oh, and this was good:

"Jesus dude get over yourself."

followed by:

"you have no idea who you're talking to."

HAHAHA!! Now you're a bigot AND a hypocrite.

How can so much people not like it? Its a great video. Better than any of the American idiot videos.

HA! Holiday was their best video ever. Those dancers were shmeksy.

[Rezurgam]

There are 3 kinds of Green Day Fans :

1) The fan who absolutely loves everything about Green Day.

2) The Fan who loves the "old" Green Day but hates the "new" Green Day and brings up the most ridiculous things to put the band down.

3) The Fan who is never pleased but somehow listens to Green Day.\

i feel like I'm missing a #4... hmmmm

The fan the is a compromise of any of the 2 listed kinds listed above.

[valeria carci]

*starting to worry*

:/

[rinu]

i quite like it but yes its not the best

[arrie44]

You said they shouldn't wear makeup because they're "MEN". How is that not bigoted?

Oh, and this was good:

"Jesus dude get over yourself."

followed by:

"you have no idea who you're talking to."

HAHAHA!! Now you're a bigot AND a hypocrite.

HA! Holiday was their best video ever. Those dancers were shmeksy.

Explain how that is bigoted, because I don't think you can.

And I meant how can you call me bigoted when you have no idea who you are talking to?? That is just being completely ignorant. I'll have you know I am about the most liberal leftist you could ever meet, to call me bigoted is laughable!!

[LouLou]

I watched the video right when it came out last night, waited and watched again and then a few times today and I still can't decide whether I like it. When I think I don't like it I wonder if its because of the hype that was built up around it. Honestly, I think anything they made people would have complained about, saying its not good enough. Which is something else. I should have waited to watch the video a few more times before reading the comments on here as I feel they may have influenced my opinion at times, however much I hate to say that. Anyways, I'm not sure what they could have done different. They definitely couldn't go back to making video like they did before AI. Imagine the shit they would get for that. Then the times I think that the video is good, I wonder if I like it just because it a new Green Day video. For right now, I'm going to have to say I like it. I think that the shadows turning into fire was a bit overkill and corny, but overall, at the moment, I think I truly like it and am satisfied.

[petrina_678]

As a long time fan, I must say this was a huge let down. Even the most simplistic video of them playing in their bathroom (Longview) offered something atheistically appealing while cutting to a minor story arc. "Know your Enemy" was convoluted and didn’t really provide any interest visually. I understand the whole allegory to the novel 1984 and how Big Brother is watching you, but really, it’s nothing spectacular. The fact it was filmed in the dark using an array of pointless cuts felt like a film student with ADD was putting this together. Its easily forgettable cause theres no real focus on anything besides a bunch of cameras watching the band. As for the song itself? While the melody is catchy, the lyrics are pedestrian. It’s probably the most amateur song the band has ever written cause no creativity is employed here. It’s a repetitious chant with hardly any verses. If this is supposed to be another punk opera, shouldn’t the videos maintain that theatrical structure? Bayer's videos offered more to the imagination and created that operatic feel. The symbolism in "Know your Enemy" is spoon-fed which I find insulting for a band that wanted their fans to think. The only saving grace was the anti-climatic burst of flames. I'm really concerned that this is going to air world wide tonight cause alot of people are going to be disappointed if they’re familiar with Green Day's track record.

well said!

i did just re-watch longview. and its totally true, even that simple small budget video had more impact than this over edited KYE video. Im sadly disappointed .

[Comrade]

You said they shouldn't wear makeup because they're "MEN". How is that not bigoted?

Oh, and this was good:

"Jesus dude get over yourself."

followed by:

"you have no idea who you're talking to."

HAHAHA!! Now you're a bigot AND a hypocrite.

HA! Holiday was their best video ever. Those dancers were shmeksy.

Don't forget that in most ancient cultures, and in the olded existant cultures it's men of high position that wear/wore make up (especially eyeliner) more than women. (see Persian, Idian, Greek and Chinese cultures)

Otherwise carry on dude, you're doing a great job and ripping him appart.

On topic, I gotta say the video is a slight let down, BUT....it is cool to see them, I quite like the frantic angles the camras take, and the overall simplicity s actually pretty cool. I actually prefered that TV spot with Christian and Gloria with the graffiti following them to this vid. Maybe they could have taken that idea.

[Astrid.]

How can so much people not like it? Its a great video. Better than any of the American idiot videos.

That's not what I think. I like the AI video's way better than this one, with an exception of WMUWSE.

Like JOS or BoBD.. they have a meaning in it. And KYE doesn't have that. It's just a 3 minute video showing the guys playing the song. Not that I don't like it, well, I like it a bit, but it's been better

[.:Whatsername:.]

I just saw the video, finally. I liked it. I thought it was nice and simple really, not overedited. The fact that they kept showing different things, like the security cameras, imo went well with the video and the song. I liked it.

The stupid VJ's on Much Music of course had to go on. The guy loved it but the girl was like "They should put naked people in it, if you have naked people in your video, people like it!" Not word for word but that was her point. She also said Mike has that "Chad Kroeger" (sp?) stance. Really wide.

[farley drexel hatcher]

I don't really understand when people say they think there should have been more. What more could there be? If they had actors and a storyline, people would have complained and wanted "Just the band, just the song, none of this crap". That's all people wanted when the AI videos were made, and now that's what we get and it's still not good enough. People don't know what they want, it just seems like no matter what the band do, to some people it will never be good enough. I'm all for having your opinion and all, and if you don't like it, fair enough, but sometimes it seems as though all Green Day fans do (a large percentage of them) is moan and whine. And I know that's not the case at all, but it appears that way. It's just sad.

[Astrid.]

^Well, that doesn't really include me. I like their stuff, but sometimes it just could (imo) be a little more/less. In this case, the video, it could be less with the camera.

And I know they can't please everyone for 100%

[warding_off_regrets]

On topic, I gotta say the video is a slight let down, BUT....it is cool to see them, I quite like the frantic angles the camras take, and the overall simplicity s actually pretty cool. I actually prefered that TV spot with Christian and Gloria with the graffiti following them to this vid. Maybe they could have taken that idea.

That's pretty much exactly how I feel too. It's fun watching the guys play, the camera work is interesting (like the fretboard shots), but something is lacking. I absolutely love watching video of them playing live, so it's not the fact that it's just a performance video that's bothering me. And it's not the lack of major special effects either.

Ultimately though, I love the song. And I'd rather love the song and be luke-warm towards the video than the other way around.

[a knothole resident]

There are 3 kinds of Green Day Fans :

1) The fan who absolutely loves everything about Green Day.

2) The Fan who loves the "old" Green Day but hates the "new" Green Day and brings up the most ridiculous things to put the band down.

3) The Fan who is never pleased but somehow listens to Green Day.\

i feel like I'm missing a #4... hmmmm

I don’t fit into any of the categories. I’ve loved everything that Green Day has put out up to this point. The main reason why I appreciate their music is how they didn’t fall victim of fading into obscurity like alot of 90s bands that were popular at the time. Third Eye Blind? Live? Cake? I think Beck, Weezer, and Foo Fighters is just a handful of bands that are still maintaining their mainstream success while producing great music.

After hearing the live versions of the new Green Day songs (twice in concert), it feels that they intentionally replicated the success of "Blvd of Broken Dreams." The majority of the album is comprised of slow tempo piano ballads. As I felt really guilty for almost falling asleep cause these particular songs bled into each other. I’m not implying that it’s a bad thing, but incorporating balance is what makes a good record. It’s why Nimrod and Warning were amazing. It showed progression and how the band wanted to diversify its musicianship while maintaining the sound that attracted their fans. Same with American Idiot. However, 21st Century Breakdown is almost a step backwards. As I mentioned a month ago, I feel the band is over exaggerating this album. I doubt it’s going to exceed American Idiot, but it will hold strong in sales. But hey, hopefully theyll prove me wrong and the album versions of the songs will be another rockin auditory experience. Just remember guys. Being a fan doesnt mean you have to blindly approve everything a band puts out when you know it has its obvious flaws.

[sharon mitchell]

I don't really understand when people say they think there should have been more. What more could there be? If they had actors and a storyline, people would have complained and wanted "Just the band, just the song, none of this crap". That's all people wanted when the AI videos were made, and now that's what we get and it's still not good enough. People don't know what they want, it just seems like no matter what the band do, to some people it will never be good enough. I'm all for having your opinion and all, and if you don't like it, fair enough, but sometimes it seems as though all Green Day fans do (a large percentage of them) is moan and whine. And I know that's not the case at all, but it appears that way. It's just sad.

Well said. Some people are never satisfied.

This video was a very 'last minute' affair and I think that was also deliberate, giving them less time to produce something 'arty'. The song is a rallying call to revolution, and the CCTV surveillance style footage is perfect for that theme. If this had been filmed with characters, it would have been compared with WMUWSE or JOS. As it stands, it is different, and it is more than good enough for me.

[Jessayy]

The Video boosted single sales a bit

[Daughter.of.Rage.and.Love]

So Astrid, has it already been played?

I can easily see MTV playing it at 11:55 now...dammit, they wasted hours of my life

[gdpunk2]

I definately agree with what it says on GDA, the video does not have to be fancy and technical, the song says it all. The video is great, i like the CCTV cameras and helicopters watching them

[Jessayy]

yeeahh, i love at the very end the camera goes below billies joes face for like half a second...

[NoVaCaInE!]

it(the close up cctv style images) really reminds me of some of the parts in Halloween Resurrection, or dare i say The Blair Witch Project. All Billie needs is a big green booger flopping out of his nose and hey presto

[Haydée]

mh, I just watched the video.

It was ok.

I had to watch it from YouTube and a little bit shitty, but oh well.

[Boston]

I love it. Big Brother is the enemy.

and the fire? HOLYFUCKINGSHITICREAMEDMYPANTSLAWLSPESHULFX!