Korinne Narog

Professor Myers

English 1201

16 February 2020

“Beat It” Michael Jackson and Fall Out Boy

On June 25, 2009, the world lost one of the greatest pop music artists of all time, but his

music lives on to this day. Though Michael Jackson may be gone, his essence and lasting impact

still remains and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. His music had a tremendous impact on

the industry since the start of his career in the early 70’s, and still impacts it to this day. Jackson

released the song “Beat It” as a part of his Thriller album in 1982 with powerful message meant

to dissuade youth from gang violence. Over 20 years after his death, Fall Out Boy released a new

take on that very same song. Fall Out Boy's cover of “Beat It” modernizes and reimagines the

original music video, while both paying homage to Michael Jackson's unique style, but also

diminishing and even making light of Jackson’s original message. Although Fall Out Boy makes

use of imagery and elements of Jackson's acclaimed music video, their take conveys a very

different message.

Michael Jackson’s archetypal version displays a serious, if stylized and unrealistic,

message of the dangers of gang violence. His video opens with a portrayal of members of two

very real-life Los Angeles gangs: The Bloods and the Crips. It opens with one group sitting in a

diner and the other group playing pool in a pool house. As one member whispers to another,

word gets out, the two groups meet in an abandoned warehouse, ultimately leading to a knife

fight. Jackson is shown walking through the diner and the pool house until he finally reaches the
warehouse. Jackson breaks up the fight and defuses the tension, and the video concludes with

both gangs dancing together with Jackson.

Fall Out Boy’s video takes a markedly different tact. While the video highlights the band

actually performing the song, instruments and all, it deviates from the original message of the

song to include various images that pay homage to the song’s first performer. The video opens

with the band members tearing their way out of garbage bags left outside of a bar in scenery that

appears to mimic the locations portrayed in Jackson’s video: a bar. They are soon greeted by a

man in black leather, played by Joel David Moore, reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s attire in his

music video for “Bad.” Then, they pass Donald Faison, of Scrubs fame, clearly displaying

Jackson’s signature gloved hand and the costume he wore in “Billie Jean.” The band also views a

group of people participating in a karate lesson instructed by actor Tony Hale, also wearing the

famous glove and, like the other, performing many of Jackson’s signature dance moves. The

video culminates with the band member fighting sumo wrestlers in a ring. Just before he is

knocked out, bassist Pete Wentz wakes up realizing the whole thing was just a dream.

Although Fall Out Boy uses the exact same lyrics from Jackson’s original song, their

overall message is very different. The distinctions lie in both the style and the purpose of the

video. In Jackson’s original version, the lyrics were closely wedded to the message and imagery

in the video. While Fall Out Boy’s version begins with the feel of Jackson’s version, their entry

into the video and the succeeding events make clear the band is paying tribute to a legend. Each

spectacle viewed by the band is one that harkens to some other music video of Jackson’s, right

down to the clothing worn by the band onstage. While the band keeps some of the original

references, the message is decisively different.

 Jackson marries his version to the lyrics. He starts the song off by saying “You better run,

you better do what you can. Don't want to see no blood, don't be a macho man.” He indicates the

dangers of fighting and what can happen if you choose to do so. Jackson can’t emphasize enough

throughout the song that you shouldn’t try to be tough or do the “cool thing” and pick fights with

others. His song is geared towards helping youths. He ends the video by breaking up the fight,

further proving his point. Fall Out Boy appears to take a much lighter approach to the song.

Though the audience may still be the same age group as Jackson’s, they almost appear to be

making light of Jackson’s more serious tone, specifically when the video ends with Wentz

waking up from a dream, displaying to the viewers that everything that took place wasn’t

actually real, or even important.

Throughout his song, Michael Jackson uses pathos to appeal to listeners emotions.

Jackson acts out his lyrics of “beat it, beat it. No one wants to be defeated.” Not everyone may be

able to relate to risking your life fighting on the streets, but we all know what it feels like to lose

an argument. It is evident in the song that Jackson actually cares about what happens to these

teens and he doesn’t want them to get hurt. Jackson later sings, “[y]ou're playin' with your life,

this ain't no truth or dare. They'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair. So

beat it.” He makes it abundantly clear that you can lose your life if you pick a fight with the

wrong group.

Fall out Boy’s music video also appeal to pathos, but in a substantially different way. The

point of their video is to remind viewers of Michael Jackson and his musical legacy, while also

putting their own spin on one of his classic songs. Throughout the video, multiple people are

seen wearing Jackson’s esteemed sparkly white glove. You also witness people taking part in

Jackson’s popular dance moves and style. All of these aspects of the video tug at the heartstrings
of Michael Jackson fans. Fall Out Boy also appeals to pathos through the use of humor. At the

end of the video, when Wentz wakes up from the dream, he views trash bags and a Monk statue

sitting next to him, all both of which were highlighted in his dream and obviously the influence

of his “real” life and environment.

At first glance, Fall Out Boy’s remake of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” seems to be a

stylistic take on the original. When you take a deeper look, the two videos have a vastly different

purpose and message. Fall Out Boy aimed to honor Jackson’s timeless style and musical genius

by paying tribute to his myriad videos while still putting a light-hearted, humorous spin on their

version. While Jackson’s was geared towards helping the youth avoid violence, Fall Out Boy

was drawing on the cultural touchpoints the are uniquely Michael Jackson’s while also creating a

video that would catch the interest of their fans. The group did all that while paying tribute to

undeniably one of the greatest performers that ever lived. It is in the eye of the viewer then,

which message carries the greater weight.

Works Cited

Fall Out Boy. “Beat It.” Fall Out Boy, The Island Def Jam Music Group, 2008,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk8Pb17pcQI
Jackson, Michael. “Beat It.” Michael Jackson, MJJ Productions Inc., 1982,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRdxUFDoQe0