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October 30, 2001 Christina, Gwen Hope To Open People's Eyes With 'What's Going On' Videos
Watch the 'What's Going On' Video NOW! CULVER CITY, California - Christina Aguilera's golden locks, Fred Durst's backward ball cap, Gwen Stefani's rainbow makeup and Justin Timberlake's freshly grown peach fuzz took a back seat Thursday to a look unprecedented even in popular music - blindfolds. It's the first day of shooting videos for three all-star remakes of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On.' Many of the artists who contributed to the project - from Ja Rule to Staind's Aaron Lewis to Alicia Keys - wore blindfolds for the video shoot, which then headed from California to New York to film more artists. Gallery featuring Christina's video cameo The videos will feature the artists removing the blindfolds, which are imprinted with such labels as 'Woman,' 'Homosexual' and 'Muslim,' while they sing their parts of the song. The blindfolds in the videos are meant to symbolize how society is blind to dealing with issues like racism, sexism, homophobia and religion and suggests people need to open their eyes, a spokesperson for the project said. The theme ties in with the lyrics to Gaye's 'What's Going On,' a #2 hit in 1971. In it, artists like P. Diddy, Gwen Stefani, and others are shown wearing blindfolds that they strip off to reveal a series of thought-provoking words like 'Hindu,' 'woman,' and 'patriot' on successive layers of cloth. 'My intention is to disqualify these labels entirely, in an effort, however idealistic, to annihilate inequity, prejudice, and scorn,' says Scott. Ja Rule wore a blindfold with the words 'Jew,' 'celebrity,' 'Republican,' and 'radical.' When the rapper uncovered his eyes after several takes, he was startled by the lights. 'That woke me up,' he said. Said the video's director, Jake Scott: 'Well, that's the point, isn't it?' - Corey Moss with additional reporting by Heather Parry 'What's Going On' Video (continued) |
| The blindfolds in the videos are meant to symbolize how society is blind to dealing with issues like racism, sexism, homophobia and religion and suggests people need to open their eyes. |