Kendall Kiss

English Composition II

Dr. Cassel

3/12/21

Smooth Criminal Essay

Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm’s version of “Smooth Criminal” are two very

different takes on the same song. While “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson and Alien Ant

Farm share the same lyrics and melody, they are vastly different from each other in every

respect. Michael Jackson’s version has more depth to the music and a polished, cinematic feel,

while Alien Ant Farm used basic instrumentation and frenetic imagery. Michael Jackson’s

audience is mostly black women around 18-25 years old, while Alien Ant Farm’s audience is

white males and females around 13-19 years old.

Michael Jackson’s music video tells the story of a gangster that weaves his way through

an unsavory bar revealing the fate of Annie, a girl who is presumed to be hurt or killed. This can

be inferred from the repeated lyric “Annie, are you ok?” and the line talking about “the

bloodstains on the carpet.” The line “You’ve been hit by a Smooth Criminal” refers to Annie’s

attacker, because there are no clues as to who the perpetrator is. Michael is the main character in

this music video, and he dances around the bar scene, artfully dodging enemies and singing. The

supporting characters in this video, such as the woman with her bodyguards and the man that

brandished a knife help Jackson tell his story as if it were a scene from a movie. Other

supporting characters include three kids that watch Michael, and various other men and women

in the bar. The bar is small, and it has several chairs, a bar counter, an upstairs area, and a
jukebox that Michael uses to play “Smooth Criminal” when he first walks into the bar. Michael

gets up on the stage with a few musicians at one point as well. In the scene where Michael goes

upstairs in the bar, there is a man wielding a knife, and he pulls out a gun to defend himself.

There are also men betting money and women dancing. Towards the end of the video, the police

come and try to arrest the people in the bar, but Michael escapes before they can catch him.

Jackson took great pains to innovate in the area of choreography. His 45 degree lean was never

before seen. Jackson used a full orchestra in his music to give it a rich, full sound. The elaborate

scenery and excellent story telling show that his music video was more polished and had more

care put into it than the Alien Ant Farm’s version.

Alien Ant Farm’s music video presents a very different interpretation on the visual story

telling of Jackson’s song. While the lyrics are the same, Alien Ant Farm’s video doesn’t have a

consistent story to it. The main setting for the music video is in a neighborhood, while a block

party is going on. There is a wrestling ring, a pool, and several houses. The background

characters in this music video are very exuberant. There is a woman in a wolf mask and a bikini,

older men with punk clothes and a mohawk made of utensils, and even a monkey. The music

video also has several references to several Michael Jackson songs, whether it be the dance

moves used by Alien Ant Farm or the props. The style of music that Alien Ant farm used was

rock/metal, which is much different from Jackson’s pop style. The classic moonwalk and the 45-

degree lean, along with the light up sidewalk, Bubbles the chimp, and the exploding car are all

tributes to Michael Jackson’s famous songs. The main characters in this music video are Alien

Ant Farm, and they appear to be the musical entertainment for the party on the street. Alien Ant

Farm used basic instrumentation, only having a guitar, a bass, and a drum set. The crazy scenery

and seemingly nonexistent storyline show how frenetic Alien Ant Farm’s version is.
 The claims in Michael Jackson’s and Alien Ant Farm’s version of “Smooth Criminal” are

vastly different. In Michael Jackson’s version, the main claim is that the world we live in is

dangerous and unpredictable. People can get away with crimes and people will act like nothing

happened. Annie’s brutal attack is shocking and it’s not hard to see that the area that Michael’s

character lives in is dangerous. Several members of the bar that he sings in wield weapons and

try to threaten Michael. The men that show up with guns at the end of the video show that this

world is dangerous too. The dark filter and the fog on the video itself add to the solemn attitude

of the music video. His song serves as a cautionary tale to those at the bar and to his audience. In

Alien Ant Farm’s version, the music video presents a completely opposite claim. The main claim

in this piece is, even though life is scary and unpredictable, you have to look on the bring side of

life and have fun. All of the characters in Alien Ant Farm’s version of the music video are

dancing around and having fun at the party. Bubbles the chimp and the older man, with the mow

hawk made of silverware, are so outlandish that you can’t help but crack a smile when you watch

the video. The colorful outfits and the bright, almost surreal atmosphere of the video give it a

very positive feeling. This video serves as a reminder to have fun in life and to not let that bad

things get you down. The vast differences between their stories show that Michael Jackson and

Alien Ant Farm were making tremendously different claims.

The appeal that both versions of the music videos uses to reach its audience is pathos. In

Michael Jackson’s version, the dark setting and choice of characters gives the audience a

troubled feel. The story that Michael is trying to convey to his audience is sad and a little scary,

and he wanted how his music video was filmed to reflect that. The music style that Michael

Jackson uses is pop, but it has a lower energy and is more subtle than Alien Ant Farm’s version.

Their music style is rock, which is high energy and in your face. In Alien Ant Farm’s version,
the bright, frenetic scenes and the over-the-top characters convey a happy, care-free feeling.

Alien Ant Farm wanted their audience to feel like a party and they wanted their audience to have

fun. The tributes to Michael Jackson in their video would also appeal to their audience’s

emotions because longtime fans of Michael Jackson’s music would be able to easily recognize

them. While both use pathos to reach their audience, each video uses entirely different imagery

to appeal to the viewer’s emotions.

Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm targeted different audiences with their versions of

“Smooth Criminal.” In Michael Jackson’s prime, his music was popular with more black people

than other races. He was an idol and an inspiration for black people, especially since Martin

Luther King Jr. died only a little over a decade before he became so popular. The age group he

appealed to the most was 18-25 year old’s, specifically females. Most of his listeners were

middle-class. His music style generally favored pop-centered culture but became popular among

hip hop lovers after his debut on MTV with ‘Thriller.” Alien Ant Farm’s song appealed to much

different audience. The age group they appealed to the most is 13-19 year old white males and

females. Most of their listeners are in the lower-class. Their music style is geared towards rock-

centered culture. Michael Jackson and Alien Ant Farm are polar opposites when it comes to the

audience that favors their music. This difference in audience shows the vast difference between

the two version, even though they focus on the same lyrics.

Michael Jackson’s original version of “Smooth Criminal” is a rich, well thought out,

movie worthy, showpiece, catering to middle-class, black women around 18-25 years old, as

opposed to Alien Ant Farm’s use of minimal planning and hectic representation which appeals to

mainly lower-class, white males and females around 13-19 years old. Michael Jackson’s

“Smooth Criminal” was labor of love that Michael poured countless hours into making it
cinema-esque. The music and the choreography were meticulously planned and perfected. The

music video itself was a masterpiece. It was that level of dedication that inspired Alien Ant Farm

to make a cover. They wanted to honor the impact that Michael Jackson had on their careers and

the lives of so many. While Alien Ant Farm’s version seems to be a mess of uncoordinated

imagery, the nods to Michael Jackson’s work show that Alien Ant Farm wanted to create a music

video that celebrated Jackson’s legacy.

 Works Cited

Jackson, Michael. “Smooth Criminal.” Bad, Epic Record, 1988,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_D3VFfhvs4

Alien Ant Farm. “Smooth Criminal.” ANThology, Newnoize, 1999,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDl9ZMfj6aE

Catton, Pia. “How Michael Jackson Changed Dance History.” Biography.com, A&E Networks

Television, 9 Dec. 2020, www.biography.com/.amp/news/how-michael-jackson-changed-

dance-history.

Joshua Jackson -The Daily Reveille -Tiger TV. “Cover 2 Cover: Michael Jackson vs. Alien Ant

Farm.” The Reveille, 21 Oct. 2014, www.lsureveille.com/blogs/cover-2-cover-michael-

jackson-vs-alien-ant-farm/article_555c9de4-5946-11e4-b903-001a4bcf6878.html.

Team, Admin. “Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal – The Untold Story.” MJVibe, 23 July 2018,

www.mjvibe.com/michael-jacksons-smooth-criminal-the-untold-story/.