Nick Izzo

Multimedia W&R
10/9/14

The Rhetoric of Baby Got Back

Sir Mix-a-Lots Baby Got Back has been a controversial song ever since it
was first released in 1992. However, Mix-a-Lot was clearly aiming for such a
response when it was released: the song was a significant change of pace from the
traditional music of the day. A man singing for four whole minutes, solely about his
obsession with big butts, would shock any unsuspecting new listener. The music
video followed the song in the same way: a wacky, unexpected visual style all based
around Mix-a-lots same singular passion. Sir Mix-a-Lots video for Baby Got Back
is designed to set Mix-a-Lot himself apart from his competitors in the music world,
using unusual and unique visuals, an extremely goofy feel to the song and video, and
parodies of other popular icons.
The clearest indication that Baby Got Back is an attempt at being highly
unique is its different and unusual color scheme, and the visual style which Mix-a-
Lot employs in the video. From the very first scene, two young women say the
prelude to the song in front of a cartoon-like pink and purple background. As the
song itself starts, a great contrast is produced by the change from the original,
darker purple and pink, to a bright, sky blue, in front of which most of the video then
takes place. Neither background has a natural or realistic look to it; both look as if
they come straight out of an animated or cartoon world. The serious-sounding hip-
hop song then played out in front of the silly background creates a jarring, wacky
contrast, which other hip-hop songs would avoid just to be taken seriously. As the
video goes on, Mix-a-Lot has objects, and also words, occasionally pop up onto the
screen, some for just a frame or two, and others for roughly as long as a second.
While a mature audience could easily connect the objects, which often include fruits
such as bananas, or a spring being stretched out, to the intended innuendo, the
silliness remains: a serious song of the same genre would never place a picture of
a banana in the middle of their video as Mix-a-Lot does. Added to the fruits and
objects are single words, large white block text over a black background, almost all
of which are synonyms: rear, tail, and dorsum each appear at one point
throughout the video, some placed to match the rhythm of the song. Like the
bananas, lemons, and other fruits, the innuendo, and the non-serious feel to the
video, are both prevalent and clear. The large block-text on dark background
contrasts with the bright, unusual background in the rest of the video, which itself
creates a unique style for the video. The pop-up words, and fruits, are a signature
part of the video for Baby Got Back, setting up Sir Mix-a-Lot as an innovative,
unique kind of artist.
Secondly, the video for Baby Got Back, and the song itself, are simply
extremely goofy. The song itself, while melodically might sound similar to other hip-
hop songs of the time period, is solely about Mix-a-Lots passion for butts, and not a
second of the video deviates from the same silly, non-serious feeling. From the
opening scene of the video, the first words that valley girl Beckys friend says are
Oh my god, Becky, look at her butt, and the first words Mix-a-Lot himself states are
I like big butts, and I cannot lie. By the time the first line of the song is over, Mix-a-
Lot has already anchored down the idea that the rest of the song will contain a
severe lack of serious, tough-sounding hip-hop music, and will instead be
humorous and comical. Through the rest of the initial scene, the camera starts at
Mix-a-Lots face, slowly panning out to reveal the rest of the main scene: a set of
large, butt-shaped props, on top of the tallest of which is Mix-a-Lot himself, followed
by a group of female dancers, and lastly, another group of African-American men,
clearly dressed in order to look gangster. They, with the bright blue background of
the scene, create juxtaposition between hard urban life and a silly, cartoon-like
world, further stating to the audience that the video is planning to be goofy, not
serious. Additionally, at the end of the second verse, as Mix-a-Lot sings even white
boys got to shout, the camera shows a zany-looking professor, complete with
glasses and a bowtie, tugging at his collar, as he is shocked by what must be an
impressive body in front of him. While from the context of the song, Mix-a-Lot is
using the professor as a representation of white men, the stereotype is meant to
obviously be false, and the silly-looking older man only serves to make a goofier
video. Other silly additions to the song include the regular use of sound effects, most
notably a whip sound, and the sound of a clown nose. Though not as explicit and
directly juxtaposed as other elements, the sounds still contribute just as strongly to
the humorous feel of the song. Lastly, the song also sets Mix-a-Lot apart using what
it lacks. Throughout the song, there is a surprising lack of obscene or vulgar
language. All of the myriad of synonyms for butt and other body parts that Mix-a-
Lot mentions are clean or euphemized, including in the title. He even states in the
song, I wanna get with ya, I wont cuss or hit ya. By abstaining from cursing in his
music, especially in a song so unilaterally focused on such a mature subject, Mix-a-
Lot makes it clear that hes much different from the rest of the hip-hop genre.
Finally, Mix-a-Lot sets himself apart in Baby Got Back by parodying many
popular icons or ideas. Throughout the video, Mix-a-Lot is at odds with a thin,
dressed-up model on the cover of Cosmopygian, a spinoff of a popular magazine.
Mix-a-Lot says in his song that the popular idea that thin is more beautiful is wrong,
saying at points, So Cosmo says youre fat. Well I aint down with that. Now, Mix-a-
Lot is not only setting himself apart from other artists, but also the mind of pop
culture as a whole. Mix-a-Lot also creates humor through the valley girls at the
beginning of the song, chewing their gum and talking in that well-known accented
speech, and Mix-a-Lots homeboys, whose urban looks contrasts heavily with the
storybook-like background of the video. His homeboys also serve to parody general
rap culture. Juxtaposed among the homeboys, the DJ, and Mix-a-Lot himself is the
completely non-serious physical image of Mix-a-Lots obsession with butts. The
complete nonsensical vibe of Baby Got Back sets Mix-a-Lot as a radically different
artist than the other rap guys of the music world.
Until recently, music almost never went as far as Baby Got Back in terms of
directly and clearly describing such a mature subject with such passion. Even today,
Baby Got Back is well known, and parts are even used over again in other popular
music. None of Mix-a-Lots fame and success would have happened without such a
bold, unusual song that set him apart from the rest of the music world. With such
success, it is clear that Mix-a-Lot has truly succeeded in that goal.