Liz OhanesianDepeche Mode “Hole to Feed”
Right now, on depechemode.com there is a 103 page thread on the band's Eric Wareheim-directed video for “Hole to Feed.” Frequently, the words used to describe the video are “disgusting,” “tacky,” “gross” and “worst ever.” If this ongoing conversation is any indication of fans on the whole, then it's clear that a lot of Modies cannot stand the new clip. But why?
Could it be that the rampant tongue-fighting is just too disturbing to handle or is it that the video simply doesn't fit with the image the band has created over the years? Between Black Celebration and Playing the Angel, Depeche Mode worked so frequently with Anton Corbijn (on videos, photographs and cover designs) that he might as well have been a member of the band. His sleek, seductive style became the public image of Depeche Mode, moving them far beyond the awkward early-MTV look of their earlier years. How can any director fill the void left by two decades of near-constant collaboration?
Wareheim's borderline cringe-worthy sense of humor is at odds with what Modies have come to expect from the band. At the same time, though, the video proves that Depeche Mode isn't afraid to push the buttons of its fanbase. Whether or not it works is still up for debate. And so, the question remains, what do you think of “Hole to Feed”?
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