But we feel that there are, like, a million more super obscure, pop cultural treasures buried deep within the Brooklyn noise-pop duo’s clip that are equally worth giving a shoutout to. OK, so maybe the number’s closer to four… and perhaaaaaps it’s all just in our heads. But c’mon, do you want an excuse to look at pictures of “Jem And The Holograms” characters or not??
1.) THE MISFITS: No, not Danzig‘s horror-punk Misfits, but the glammed-out bad girl antagonists from the ’80s seminal animated classic “Jem And The Holograms.”
Watch Sleigh Bells’ “Bitter Rivals” video after the jump.
2.) SHAKESPEARE’S “TWELFTH NIGHT”: The hard-edged “Be not afraid” mantra repeated in the song’s bridge definitely makes us recall Malvolio’s monologue that begins the same way. It also doesn’t hurt that the greatness that is Alexis Krauss’ delivery is pretty much “thrust upon us.”
3.) “MO MONEY MO PROBLEMS”:The Notorious B.I.G.‘s posthumous clip for “Mo Money Mo Problems” (featuring Diddy and Mase) also features Queens’ Unisphere. Though we feel like Sleigh Bells’ frontwoman isn’t really in the “I don’t know what they want from me” kinda mood.
4.) MICHEL FOUCAULT: Check the lyric: “You are my bitter rival/ But I need you for survival.” Hellooooo, that could basically be found in the French philosopher’s “The History Of Sexuality, Vol. 1.” Is anyone else having flashbacks to sophomore-year queer theory seminars, OR IS IT JUST US?!
Think we missed anything may-jah? Tweet @MTVBuzzworthy all of your “Bitter Rivals” findings!
