So Who is OK Go?

Ok Go is a band formed back in 1998 that became famous through YouTube due to their incredibly creative music videos. In an era where music videos require lot of pizzazz and special effects, this four man band composed of Damian Kulash, Andy Ross, Time Nordwind and Dan Konopka took the online world by storm with their hilarious, low budget videos.

Why is OK Go’s video highlighted on Clean Cut Media?

Simply, because they are creative! We at Clean Cut Media, love.. wait for it.. Clean Cut Media. Rather than just critiquing all that is wrong in media, we also want to give credit to those who are able to produce clean yet creative spots. Any good examples of good advertising or good video should be recognized as a testament that not everything needs to be conform to inappropriate techniques we find in our culture.

OK Go’s New Video – End Love

Here is the latest OK Go Video. When you have time I recommend checking out all their videos. Each is uniquely creative. They’ve built their own hype and the need to be uniquely creative in each successive video – and they’ve done a good job of it! It’s refreshing to see creativity win rather than simply doing more of what everyone else does. Enjoy.

OK Go’s – “A Million Ways”

OK Go rose to fame in 2005 with their single “A Million Ways”. This video was shot in a normal backyard as the band performed a simple yet hilarious dance. It was choreographed by Kulash’s sister, Trish Sie.

OK Go’s – “Here It Goes Again”

In 2006, the band released “Here It Goes Again” which featured a unique dance on treadmills. Again their creative video went instantly viral with over one million views within the first six days. It currently has over 51 million views! Ok Go and Trish Sie won a Grammy award for the “Best Short-Form Music Video” for this hit.

OK Go cut ties with EMI & Capitol

OK Go soon cut ties with their recording label. It has been speculated that OK Go was upset that the label would not allow them to use viral means to spread their music video. They formed their own independent label called Paracadute Recordings.

OK Go – This too Shall Pass

Watch this awesome domino like video. Very, very creative. Reminds me of Honda’s old commercial. It is hard to explain, just watch it, you’ll enjoy it.

Share your thoughts in the Comment Section!

• What are your thoughts about these videos?
• What did you find the most creative?
• Which video did you like the best?

Related posts:

1. Casting Crown – Slow Fade: Mistakes, Regrets

Here in Clean Cut Media, we often discuss the media’s harmful influence on young girls. For example.

• 50% of girls already engage in negative activities such as unhealthy eating habits and disorders due to self-image issues.
• 7 out of 10 girls believe they are not measuring up in some way especially in terms of looks.
• Most have already seen the powerful dove beauty evolution video that shows how photo editing tools can be used to convey a false image of beauty.
• In 2004 a survey by NPD Group showed that on average, girls started to use beauty products at the age of 17. Today that average is 13.
• We also discussed the rise of Pro Anorexia sites all over the Internet & on Facebook.

“More Beautiful You” by Jonny Diaz: Message

This song “More Beautiful You” was written by Jonny Diaz, a young Christian man, who desired to tell women not to buy into the lies of the media and that what makes them beautiful is not external but within their heart. It’s been climbing the music charts and create a lot of buzz because of the truth in the message. It is a beautiful piece of work and the lyrics are well written.

Have a listen. Lyrics are below.

Get the Song Here:

Jonny Diaz’s Message

“The idea that they need to look a certain way in order to be feel beautiful is completely false,” Diaz explains. “Through this song I hope to get the attention of females and tell them the truth found in God’s word, that there could never be a more beautiful you!”

“More Beautiful You” LYRICS by Jonny Diaz

LITTLE GIRL FOURTEEN FLIPPING THROUGH A MAGAZINE
SAYS SHE WANTS TO LOOK THAT WAY
BUT HER HAIR ISN’T STRAIGHT HER BODY ISN’T FAKE
AND SHE’S ALWAYS FELT OVERWEIGHT

WELL LITTLE GIRL FOURTEEN I WISH THAT YOU COULD SEE
THAT BEAUTY IS WITHIN YOUR HEART
AND YOU WERE MADE WITH SUCH CARE YOUR SKIN YOUR BODY AND YOUR HAIR
ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY THEY ARE

THERE COULD NEVER BE A MORE BEAUTIFUL YOU
DON’T BUY THE LIES DISGUISES AND HOOPS THEY MAKE YOU JUMP THROUGH
YOU WERE MADE TO FILL A PURPOSE THAT ONLY YOU COULD DO
SO THERE COULD NEVER BE A MORE BEAUTIFUL YOU

LITTLE GIRL TWENTY-ONE THE THINGS THAT YOU’VE ALREADY DONE
ANYTHING TO GET AHEAD
AND YOU SAY YOU’VE GOT A MAN BUT HE’S GOT ANOTHER PLAN
ONLY WANTS WHAT YOU WILL DO INSTEAD

WELL LITTLE GIRL TWENTY-ONE YOU NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD COME
YOU STARVE YOURSELF TO PLAY THE PART
BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THERE’S A MAN WHOSE LOVE IS TRUE
AND HE’LL TREAT YOU LIKE THE JEWEL YOU ARE

SO TURN AROUND YOU’RE NOT TOO FAR
TO BACK AWAY BE WHO YOU ARE
TO CHANGE YOUR PATH GO ANOTHER WAY
IT’S NOT TOO LATE YOU CAN BE SAVED
IF YOU FEEL DEPRESSED WITH PAST REGRETS
THE SHAMEFUL NIGHTS HOPE TO FORGETS
CAN DISAPPEAR THEY CAN ALL BE WASHED AWAY
BY THE ONE WHO’S STRONG CAN RIGHT YOUR WRONGS
CAN RID YOUR FEARS DRY ALL YOUR TEARS
AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THIS BIG WORLD
HE WILL TAKE YOUR DARK DISTORTED VIEW
AND WITH HIS LIGHT HE WILL SHOW YOU TRUTH
AND AGAIN YOU’LL SEE THROUGH THE EYES OF A LITTLE GIRL

Short Tutorial on Jonny Diaz’s “More Beautiful You”

For those who enjoy learning the songs as much as hearing them.

Hope you enjoyed it.
Get the Song Here:

Please Comment Below and let us know what you thought of the song!

Did You Know: 3 in 10 girls in the United States gets pregnant before age 20.

Finally Some Good News – Teen Pregnancy

Could it be? Good news about teen pregnancy rates? According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, teen pregnancy rates in the United States declined 38 percent between 1990 and 2004. Teen birth rate also declined 32 percent between 1991 and 2006. This was the case across all ethnic groups. More teenagers are waiting longer before having sex and those who were sexually active were using contraception. Great news right?

Well, it is good news that teenage pregnancies are were falling because it is noted that some teenagers are waiting longer. That is commendable. Shows better self-control. Shows perhaps some teenagers are putting a greater value on themselves, their body, as well as their actions.

However the fact that most of the decrease was due to the wider use of contraceptives doesn’t say anything about the continual growth of promiscuous living. Promiscuous living is live and well, all the more as media continues to feed such lifestyles as normal and something to be emulated. Sex is glamorized, one night stands common, making “love” and giving yourself to someone painted as something special. TV Shows, Movies, Music videos among other forms of media also often portrays that happiness can only be found in that one and only, thus fueling girls to make it their goal to find that perfect guy and giving up themselves along the process. As recent as 2007, 50% of teens have already had sex, 33% already by 9th grade.

That Wasn’t the Only Catch

Unfortunately this good news has recently taken a back step. Between 2005 and 2007, teen birth rates turned positive increasing 5 percent. The decline in sexual activity and the increase in contraceptive use both have come to halt.

% Decline on an Alarming Number is still Alarming

Between 1990 and 2006 we’ve seen visible decline in teen pregnancy rates and and teen births, but it’s still been estimated that 3 in 10 girls in the United States get pregnancy by age 20. 3 in 10. Let that sink for a moment. Think about your daughter and 2 of her friends. It is very possible that 1 out of the 3 will be pregnant by the time they are 20. When segmented into ethnicities, some of these pregnancy statistics become even more alarming. For example both Black and Latino girls show a pregnancy rate before the age 20 over 50%. That is every other girl. It gets no better in the following years as 6 in 10 pregnancies to women aged 20-24 were unplanned.

As of 2006, the United States also has one of the highest teen birth rates worldwide. 1.5X the rate of the United Kingdom which is the highest teen birth rate in Europe. 3X the birth rate as Canada. 8X the teen birth rate of Japan.

Most Teenage Pregnancies Don’t make it to Birth

Many media outlets are reporting that The National Campaign reports there are 730,000 teen pregnancies and more than 400,000 teen births annually. That is a very significant figure, however another small tidbit of statistic that is being lost here is.

What happened to the 330,000 pregnancies that did not result in a birth? 330,000 babies are aborted or simply don’t survive and reach birth. That is 45% of all teen births. Children of teenage pregnancies are far less likely to to get regular prenatal care which only compounds the problem that teenager births are often premature with low birth weights. Teen births are also twice as likely to suffer abuse and neglect. Also let’s not forget the psychological pains that will weigh on the teens mind if their child either is aborted or doesn’t make it to birth. The psychological trauma and emotional pains often go unreported but is well documented.

The Teenager Mother?

• Often undocumented psychological trauma and emotion pains of losing a child either through abortion or immature deaths.
• Fewer than half of teen mothers age 17 and younger ever graduate high school
• Fewer than 2% earn a college degree by age 30.
• 25% of teen mothers end up with a second child within 2 years.
• 8 out of 10 fathers don’t marry the teen mother.
• Daughters of teen mothers more likely to become teen mothers

Countering the Teen Pregnancy Statistics

Before we all despair, statistics show parents still have strong influence.

• 50% of the teenagers say their parents influence their decisions about sex more than friends.

Also there are ample teaching moments to give even after they have given themselves always to instill proper values or at least have an open dialogue about the issues of sex.

• 6 in 10 teenagers who had sex wish they had waited

Lastly, parents still can use their authority to control a teen’s media intake. Parents can screen movies, limit TV shows, filter the type of music their teens listen to, and monitor or filter their internet usage.

Also parents themselves can hold themselves to a higher standard by not watching any movies, TV shows or any other questionable material that promote promiscuous living or glamorizes sex. It can be beneficial both for your child, but also allows concerned parents to push against and refuse to support bad programming.

Related posts:

1. Study Links Pregnancy with Watching Sexy TV Shows
2. Sex Trafficking – Where is the News Coverage?
3. Third of US Teenagers sends 3,000+ Texts a Month

Casting Crown – The Altar and the Door

Casting Crowns is one of my favorite bands because their music is just stock full of content and powerful messages. Casting Crown’s new song “Slow Fade” talks about how mistakes, regrets, wrongs, sins don’t occur all at once or in a single day. It is gradual. It is based on small decisions we make day to day. We find ourselves often having done something or at some place we didn’t expect to be, not because we woke up one morning choosing to do something, but rather little by little our daily choices and decisions led us there.

Casting Crown – Slow Fade Music Video

Get the Song Here:

Casting Crown – Slow Fade Lyrics

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Slow Fade into Deeper Regret

One theme you find in this message is not to underestimate one’s capacity to do wrong, or to sin. Casting Crown is a Christian band thus holds the Christian theology that people are inclined to sin, or in other words innately desires to serve oneself above all else. But whether you believe this to be true or not, I think it’s very true to life and it would only serve us better to live our lives carefully with the assumption that we too are capable of doing things we would later regret, that which causes harm to others and ourselves. I am sure for many, it doesn’t take us too long to think of a couple things we have done which we regret and some things we never thought we would do but we did. I believe this is why this video really strikes a chord in all its viewers.

• Do you agree or disagree with the message of the song?
• Do you believe that when it comes down to it, people are innately driven by their own “selfish” desires above all else?
• What do you think about the video? Please Comment below!

Get the Song Here:

Related Posts
Other Music Videos
Other Casting Crown Videos

As almost everyone would agree, media has a huge influence on our thought patterns and the way we perceive the world. With the presidential candidates starting to gain more press, the bias found in different networks and media groups starts to become more visible. The bias of the media is always influencing us daily, it just happens to be more noticed this time of year especially networks like CNN or ABC (left) versus networks like FOX (right). The way we make decisions about who we vote for to how we live our lives to what is right and wrong is built upon what we see and hear.

Back in September 2007, Gallup surveyed the American voters and found that 45% said the media is too liberal while 18% said the media is too conservative. I fall into the 45% category so there is my personal bias! The sad thing is most of it goes unnoticed because we get so used to it that our standards of what is liberal and conservative shifts over time.

One way of determining the bias of media is to look at the people who make up those companies and publishes the material and their contributions to the political parties. The following are total 2008 PAC contribution figures and where the majority of that contribution went. I’ve noted the more well known companies. [Facts provided by opensecrets.org].

Media Industries
Books, Magazines & Paper – $12 Million [78% to Democrats]
Motion Picture Industry – $8.9 Million [89% to Democrats]
Cable & Satellite TV – $6.3 Million [63% to Democrats]
Music Recording Industry – $3 Million [79% to Democrats]
Television Production / Distribution – $2.3 Million [86% to Democrats]

Books [including Educational], Magazines, & Paper [79% to Democrats]
Houghton Mifflin – [97% to Democrats]
National Geographic Society [95% to Democrats]
McGraw-Hill Companies [79% Democrats]
Reed Elsevier Inc. – [69% to Democrats]
Time Inc – [66% to Democrats]
News Corp [publishers – 55% Republicans]

Motion Picture Industry – $8.9 Million [89% to Democrats]
Time Warner – [99% to Democrats]
New Line Cinema – [97% to Democrats]
Paramount Pictures – [84% to Democrats]
News Corp – [78% to Democrats]
Sony Corp – [66% to Democrats]

Cable & Satellite TV – $6.3 Million [63% to Democrats]
Cablevision [82% to Democrats]
ESPN [81% to Democrats]
Comcast Corp [63% to Democrats]
EchoStar Communications [61% to Democrats]
News Corp [Cable / Satellite – 61% to Democrats]
Time Warner [60% to Democrats]

Music Recording Industry – $3 Million [79% to Democrats]
Vivendi – [72% to Democrats]
Warner Music Group – [86% to Democrats]
Sony BMG Music – [69% to Democrats]

Television Production / Distribution – $2.3 Million [86% to Democrats]
ABC News – [99% to Democrats]
CBS News – [99% to Democrats]
News Corp – [Production & Distribution – 95% to Democrats]
General Electric – [88% to Democrats]
SNL – [85% to Democrats]
Walt Disney – [TV - 86% to Democrats]
BBC – [62% to Democrats]

Internet companies
MSN – [91% to Democrats]
Yahoo! – [86 to Democrats]
Google – [81% to Democrats]

I would have thought Google would have the highest % to democrats due to their younger makeup and California location and MSN would be the lowest but I was wrong.

OTHER SPECIFIC TOPICS (since 1990)

Notice the disparity in Costs. It helps explain why our cultural worldview has shifted in the last 10-15 years. I don’t know whether to blame the heavy spender for “buying” their values into culture or whether to blame the low spenders for not spending enough.

Abortion –
Pro-Abortion – $16.5 Million [81% to Democrats]
Pro-Life – $6 Million [94% to Republicans]

Gun Lobby –
Right to Bear Arms – $19.7 Million [85% to Republicans]
Gun Control – $1.7 Million [94% to Democrats]

Entertainment Industry (TV, Movies, Music) –
Fight to Prevent Control and Produce whatever they want – $232 Million [69% of Democrats]

Whether you are more left or right, I hope you find it disconcerting that the those who make the decisions of what we hear and what we see as well as the very people who produce the shows, makes the movies, deliver the news are controlled heavily by one side. It is no surprise that our country has become more and more liberal. Just simply looking at how what is taboo and what is acceptable in Movies and TV Shows just in the past 10 years has changed tremendously. The rating system standards are completely different. Well $232 Million of lobbying will do that.

I hope you find this information helpful and interesting. I did try to find figures for both sides but all the major companies I was familiar with were all favored to Democrats, which makes sense since it’s the Media network.

Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions.

Related posts:

1. Are Election Media Polls Trustworthy?
2. Role of Media in Promoting Smoking & Tobacco Use
3. Powerful Impact of Media on Children

Simple Plan – Untitled – How Could This Happen to Me

This video is called Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me) by Simple Plan. It is a powerful music video. You can feel the feeling of regret and pain of having done something incredibly wrong. Though this video is mainly focused on the regret and consequences of drunk driving I want to highlight a scene that may be easily brushed off as something just “artistic”. I am referring to the scene near the end of the video of the family members flying across the screen. This is such a poignant scene. At first it may seem odd and wild, but this is what I would consider the permeating effect of sin. It is so tempting to isolate sin as effecting the “sinner”, but the truth is – it effects everyone around him or her.

Our Sins Permeating to Others

This video may be highlighting an extreme example of death, but this is true of any sin or wrong. We live a life in constant contact and asserting various impact (whether we like it or not) on those around us. Every small decision to do right or wrong, to be selfish or loving, to reach out or hold back effects the trajectory of our character. Little by little our character moves toward one direction or the another and throughout that whole process we are effecting the people around us. Our character defines the way we treat other people, what we may say to someone around us and the very way we behave around others. Their perception of life, perception of people, of love, of relationships, of perhaps the religion you stand for or whatever “category” you fall into all is shaped in the mind of others by you. There is an adage for Christians that says  that nonbelievers don’t read the bible, they read Christians. This is true for all things. Whether its parents, friends or complete strangers we live in a web of relationships. We may want to believe that my life is my life and I can do whatever I want with it, but do we really live in the bubble called “my life” as much as we think? Could be true that the very decisions you make now will effect others as well?

Either way, the video itself is great and I am sure most people can relate to the sense of regret over things one has done and can’t take back.

Simple Plan – Untitled Music Video

Download the Simple Plan Untitled Music Video

It’s $0.99 –

Find the Simple Plan Album Here:

Originally released as “Untitled” as a single, then released again under the “Still Not Getting Any” album.
Sorry couldn’t get the link to work right, so just type in Simple Plan then find the Still Not Getting Any album below!

Related posts:

1. Casting Crown – Does Anybody Hear Her

Casting Crown – LifeSong

Casting Crown’s “Does Anybody Hear Her” from the album LifeSong, reveals the responsibility of not only Christians (as portrayed in the video) but people in general to live a life in consideration of those around them. There are a lot of people who struggle through life, go through hardships and many who will sooner or later struggle with the meaning of life. Life has a way of asserting reality and the sooner we come to grips with the broken world we live in, the better we are in dealing with it. Of course along the way there is a desperate need to reach for something or someone outside of ourselves because we weren’t made to go at it alone. It’s not easy to open oneself to the trouble of others, let alone strangers but this video highlights how we are all called to love.

Casting Crown is a contemporary Christian band. This video is obviously not intended to bash on church goers, rather highlighting the brokenness of the world and the desperate need for Christians to take heed of the call of needing to love those around them.

Related posts:

1. Untitled – Simple Plan Music Video – Permeating Effect of “Sin”

Nickelback – Savin’ Me

No explanation needed. This Music Video by Nickelback called “Savin’ Me” paints a poignant picture of how life is finite. It awakes the viewers to the certainty of death and how none of us know when it will come.

Just imagine if you could see what the character can see. How would you view others if you knew the limited time you had with them? How would you live your life if you were constantly reminded of how finite your life really is? If you knew you only had a couple years left? But the more important fact is this – we CAN’T see it. We do not know when our life will end. We convenient live our lives ignoring this fact and choosing to live as if we will live forever. So how should we live then? What kind of questions should we ask and get answered before our time is up. Or do we ignore this fact just because we can’t plainly see it as the character does.

Have you thought about how short life is, and the repercussion it SHOULD have on your life and how you view things like money, career, and what is worth giving your life to?

See it for yourself.

Nickelback is an excellent band with good themes in lot of their songs. Have a listen.