"Land of Confusion"

I have to thank one of my co-workers in part for this post because a conversation we had really inspired it.

It was our last shipment day of the week today, and there were a number of us in the backroom getting items ready to head out onto the floor. We had the radio on the local top40 station and during the lunch hours they play 80s music.

Genesis' "Land of Confusion" came on and my co-worker Andrea began discussing the song. It came out in 1986, so that made me 8 years old when the video was released. I guess that means I caught the video on MTV at some later time because I just can't see myself watching and retaining the experience for that long.

But I remember watching the video and it scared the crap out of me. Not in a boo/horror flick kind of way, but more of a "what-the-hell/nightmare-after-too-much-to-eat" way. The imagery just stuck in my head for years.

I remember the scariest part for me was the Ronald Reagan puppet thing. The ratty hair, wrinkled creases and that image of him coming up out of the water scared me to no end.

Andrea said the creepiest part for her was this little rat thing that showed up during the video. Viewing it again after all these years I found the rat she was talking about was during the "stone-age" scene. But the conversation turned into this big, drawn out thing with us trying to remember what exactly it was that made us feel that way.

Watching it another time really showed me I had reason to feel creeped out. Even today, the video sends chills up my spine. Maybe some of the new thrill/horror directors should take some notes.

Here it is , and be warned. *shivers in malcontent*