Possibly in Michigan

But definitely on YouTube!

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t chronically online. It’s something I both love and hate about myself. I love it because I feel like I get to discover all this really cool stuff that I’d never otherwise even be exposed to. I hate it because I’m fully convinced that any mental distress I have would be completely cured, and I’d be the most functional person on the planet if I wasn’t so bogged down with the overwhelming nature of the internet. Instead, I am here, once again, going to write about something viral that moved me to write!

I wrote a couple months ago about viral criticisms of art that weren’t meant to be consumed out of context online. Today, I’m going to talk about an audio clip that very much found a home quite nicely in Reels and TikTok videos - completely out of context! Perhaps you’ve heard the audio clip, if your FYP is a bit on the weird side: two women are discussing perfume, and then their discussion devolves into a story about a woman microwaving her dog, and then back to a song about perfume. It’s recognizable for its sing-songy “no no no no no” sound, which is often the part most used in the viral videos.

I love weird things, so naturally I was curious about origins. One of the things that annoy me about social media is the fact you don’t have to name original sources. Not everyone’s sound is wrapped up in a copyright protected by a big company that comes after people! And no one named the source in the comments, which I fully admit I spend a lot of time combing. It’s frustrating!
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It wasn’t until one fateful day that someone posted a Reel (yes shut up I’m elderly and don’t use TT often!) with the original clip of the audio. Again, no credit to the owner of this audio and video. Again, comments were not helpful, however, there was an actual demand from commenters wanting the title of the video, names of actors, etc. I took descriptions of the video and looked on Reddit, where I finally found a link to the original video and some actual information. God bless, Reddit.

They both love the same perfume!

The audio source of these viral videos I had seen was from a short horror musical shot on analog video in 1983 called “Possibly in Michigan.” It was directed by award winning video artist Cecelia Condit, and stars Karen Skladany (who also scores the project), and Jill Sands. They are stalked by a cannibal in a mask named Arthur before the violent, unexpected ending. The short film explores violence against women, but it plays on our expectations in such a delightful way. It uses an experimental narrative to tell the story, and like a genuine musical, the music moves the plot along.

After I finally connected the audio and video, I was more easily able to find tons of information, including a NYT article that is honestly a great read. I watched a video interview of her on YouTube as well and just in general went into a deep dive into Condit and her work. I was amused to learn that the creator of one of the most deeply moving and creepy short horrors actually hates horror herself! This film I searched for at least fifteen minutes on the internet for actually resides at MoMA, not to mention has gone viral many times before. When it was released, the 700 Club showed the ending to highlight the dangers of contemporary and modern art encouraging gay, anti-men sentiment, and violent tendencies. So inspiring! How could I not be fan-girling? While I did take as many courses in film school dedicated to experimental works as I could, I still was never exposed to Condit, and I’m a little sad about it! Condit is also former professor of film at UW-Milwaukee (so close to where I currently live!). 

I encourage you to watch the short film, and even learning more about Condit. Her views on art, going viral in her 70s, her new connection with GenZ, and the internet in general is refreshing and interesting to boot. 
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It’s fun, it’s weird, and it has a catchy song about cannibalism. Bye bye!