Historically, teenage angst and broken families have been the bread and butter of alternative music videos. From mothers water-spraying their sons away to fathers holding a gun to their children’s faces, abusive parents have been the perfect antagonists for every video. We decided that it would be in your best interest to check these five videos starring trauma-serving, life-scarring, and emotionally paralyzing parents, or, we have to find you a new home.
Suicidal Tendencies “Institutionalized”
Some parents would rather put you into a mental institution than give you a bottle of Pepsi. Mike’s parents elevate their abuse to conspiratorial levels. First, they gaslight him into thinking that he has emotional problems. Then, as he meditates lying and staring at the ceiling, they accuse him of being on drugs. Finally, Mike’s parents successfully ditch his agency and relocate him to a place where he could write these lyrics with a soft pencil between his front teeth. Was Mike really on drugs? No one knows. What we surely know is that Mike’s old room was turned into an Airbnb.
Korn “Falling Away from Me”
When family violence initiatives cannot reach you in the middle of the night, your best bet is to summon a Nu-Metal band using your magical music box. At least, this is what the video’s teenager-in-distress does to avoid her loser father’s belt. Though it is hard to call anything that has Korn in it magical, Jonathan Davis briefly becomes the video’s Tinkerbell. With his sparkly red magic, Davis successfully gathers the neighborhood’s repressed teens to the front yard. After the show ends, all the kids in the suburb are teleported to a land where there is no death, but only bass-guitar pedals, and tracksuits.
Twisted Sisters “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
Twisted Sisters know how to take a classic trope and put their spin on it: What if your abusive music video dad also happened to be a loveable goof? Make no mistake, the dad in question still harasses his kid by thrashing his room, and calling him a slob. However, the dad’s tyranny ends when Frank Karuba decides to drag him down the stairs by his hair. Watching the torture the dad has to go through almost makes you feel sorry for him. On top of everything, the dad has to endure multiple Steven Seagal-esque throws through the windows, and dry walls which end up with him falling from the second floor.
YungBlud “Parents”
Parental abuse in alternative music videos rarely touched homophobia in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Finally, we have a music video dad who is openly homophobic! Yungblud brings a boy home, and his dad loses it. Despite his dad pointing a pistol at his face, Yungblud seems to preserve his cheery demeanor. Though there are a couple of points to critique: a) Yungblud’s constant smile on his face looks less psychotic, and more mainstream edgy. b) The director fails to inform the audience how a priest got Yungblud and an electric toaster together in a bathtub. These technical problems aside, Yungblud’s stunts manage to keep the viewers’ attention span at a certain level.
Papa Roach “Broken Home”
As opposed to the happy polaroids you would see in an indie video, Papa Roach hits you with rapid shots of a chronically drunken dad which are bright enough to trigger epilepsy. From kicking the back of his son while watching TV to cheating on his wife right before getting arrested, Papa Roach’s abusive dad pushes all the buttons to be the most popular music video parent. Yet, he still doesn’t feel like he’s trying hard. If Jacoby Shaddix punches the unsuspecting ground while singing, he does so out of pure jealousy he feels towards his video dad.