music video arcade: matters of the 'hurt'
by jim farber

03.11.03

johnny cash, ''hurt''
like a brutal corrective to ''tuesdays with morrie,'' cash's clip for his cover of this nine inch nails song underscores the toll 71 years have taken on him. ''what have i become?'' he asks, frail and sallow. director mark romanek intensifies the bitterness by contrasting the current cash with images of him in robust middle age. the result may be morbid, but by bravely embracing aging, the singer has actually captured what may be life's ultimate cutting edge. grade: a

red hot chili peppers, ''can't stop''
the peppers' latest video takes inspiration from artist erwin wurm, twisting and posing the band members into sculptures. against a white gallery background, their limbs, heads, and torsos pop in and out of tubes, garbage pails, and tents. it's not only funny and sexy; it shows a sweet appreciation of the human form as art. grade: a

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