After a long time, I watched the extended version of the Paryman video. What fun this must have been to shoot.

And I totally forgot about the various digs at Michael Jackson. Famous of course is the chimp with the batman logo, peeling a banana which then says PSYCHE. But also I think the beginning could be a dig at the "King of Pop", with the declaration "All hail to the new king", and then Prince doing some MJ-style dance moves.

Also when he lights a cigarette for a woman with a flame thrower and the woman then has all her hair burnt - as had MJ after the Pepsi commercial accident.

But maybe I am interpreting too much - what do you think?

Here is a link to the video:

Prince Partyman extended ...cial video

RODSERLING said:

I think you're interpreting too nuch. The King of Pop name wasn't until 1992.

Krid said:

And I totally forgot about the various digs at Michael Jackson. Famous of course is the chimp with the batman logo, peeling a banana which then says PSYCHE. But also I think the beginning could be a dig at the "King of Pop", with the declaration "All hail to the new king", and then Prince doing some MJ-style dance moves.

Also when he lights a cigarette for a woman with a flame thrower and the woman then has all her hair burnt - as had MJ after the Pepsi commercial accident.

But maybe I am interpreting too much - what do you think?

What video are you watching?! There aren't "various digs at MJ."

The chimp - maybe. But you also have to remember he was Partyman, a jester, a troublemaker. (I mean, he killed everyone at the party, not a cool guy in the long run.) But I'll give you the t-shirt thing. It was just the year prior that in Moonwalker, it was noted that Bubbles was "wearing a Prince t-shirt." "Psyche" doesn't mean anything, other than the monkey not getting his banana. Again - he's the Partyman. A JOKER.

Those aren't MJ moves, or even close. MJ never flung his arms around like that. In fact, it's more Elvis, than MJ.

"new king" is a line in the song, which directly references The Joker's parade and him taking over Gotham as someone for people to worship and adore. He's giving away free money after all. And Batman's at home washing his tights.

There is no way with Prince being an MJ fan that he'd make fun of a horrible accident which left MJ with 3rd degree burns on his head. That's just ridiculous, dark, and disrespectful to everyone. You think Prince was going back 6 years just to make a reference to a Pepsi commercial?

You been reading too many Tiger Beat magazines, son. The only rivalry between Prince and MJ was the one created by the media that suckers bought into.

Betcha missed him humming "The Arms of Orion" when he walked in, too, didn't ya?

TrivialPursuit said:

Krid said:

And I totally forgot about the various digs at Michael Jackson. Famous of course is the chimp with the batman logo, peeling a banana which then says PSYCHE. But also I think the beginning could be a dig at the "King of Pop", with the declaration "All hail to the new king", and then Prince doing some MJ-style dance moves.

Also when he lights a cigarette for a woman with a flame thrower and the woman then has all her hair burnt - as had MJ after the Pepsi commercial accident.

But maybe I am interpreting too much - what do you think?

What video are you watching?! There aren't "various digs at MJ."

The chimp - maybe. But you also have to remember he was Partyman, a jester, a troublemaker. (I mean, he killed everyone at the party, not a cool guy in the long run.) But I'll give you the t-shirt thing. It was just the year prior that in Moonwalker, it was noted that Bubbles was "wearing a Prince t-shirt." "Psyche" doesn't mean anything, other than the monkey not getting his banana. Again - he's the Partyman. A JOKER.

Those aren't MJ moves, or even close. MJ never flung his arms around like that. In fact, it's more Elvis, than MJ.

"new king" is a line in the song, which directly references The Joker's parade and him taking over Gotham as someone for people to worship and adore. He's giving away free money after all. And Batman's at home washing his tights.

There is no way with Prince being an MJ fan that he'd make fun of a horrible accident which left MJ with 3rd degree burns on his head. That's just ridiculous, dark, and disrespectful to everyone. You think Prince was going back 6 years just to make a reference to a Pepsi commercial?

You been reading too many Tiger Beat magazines, son. The only rivalry between Prince and MJ was the one created by the media that suckers bought into.

Betcha missed him humming "The Arms of Orion" when he walked in, too, didn't ya?

Well, you certainly seem to know Prince better than I do

I was just watching the video, and these three things made me think this, and especially the chimp. But they all seemed to be tongue in cheek, in a fun way, not in a nasty one.... And yes, I realise the line "new king in town" is from the song

Never heard of Tiger Beat magazine, sounds like fun

If I had to speculate I'd say the chimp was a definite reference.

.

And as dark and disrespectful as it is I'd say there is a good chance the woman's hair being burnt was another. As we know P's humour could often be dark or mean-spirited.

Yeah but no but yeah. I think it's speculative at best. However Fascination and Life of the Party both had digs at Michael Jackson.

Maybe stretching a bit, but visually there's a slight Smooth Criminal likeness with the party vibe choreography.

Love the opening...his sheer athleticism is always thrilling.

Elizabeth Taylor named him king of pop at the soul train awards in April of 1989. He worked on the song between March and August (for the remix), 1989.

I always think I pick up on various musical digs going back and forth between MJ and Prince, and then decide that I'm making it up, because they're grown men and why would they? Then I read some strange anecdote about their rivalry from people who were there. I just read one I had never heard before, about Prince wanting to time the release The Rainbow Children so that it directly competed with Invincible, from someone who took a meeting with him at the time. Weird, because it's way past the 80s by then, and I wonder where the fixation came from, and what made it last.

If the chimp is in the video, I think he's making fun.

fortuneandserendipity said:

PJMcGee said:

fortuneandserendipity said:

Yeah but no but yeah. I think it's speculative at best. However Fascination and Life of the Party both had digs at Michael Jackson.

Maybe stretching a bit, but visually there's a slight Smooth Criminal likeness with the party vibe choreography.

The whole King of Pop thing obviously bothered Prince. "There are no kings on this earth, only princes." Then Michael names both of his sons Prince. Which seems like it could be a tribute, tho I doubt Prince took it that way. Daddy Pop. I always thought the line "The jester's on the phone" was a reference to Michael wanting to collaborate.

Smooth Criminal again, haha. That symbol's been trademarked, hence why it was removed. But anyway that could be accorded a tribute, albeit fashioned posthumously.

PJMcGee said:

fortuneandserendipity said:

Yeah but no but yeah. I think it's speculative at best. However Fascination and Life of the Party both had digs at Michael Jackson.

Maybe stretching a bit, but visually there's a slight Smooth Criminal likeness with the party vibe choreography.

The whole King of Pop thing obviously bothered Prince. "There are no kings on this earth, only princes." Then Michael names both of his sons Prince. Which seems like it could be a tribute, tho I doubt Prince took it that way. Daddy Pop. I always thought the line "The jester's on the phone" was a reference to Michael wanting to collaborate.

MJ naming his son(s) Prince was an honorific to his maternal grandfather Prince Albert Screws.
Family Name, ya know?

[Edited 5/13/21 7:55am]

Candy Dulfer was told that this was going to be a "small" video, and then she arrived and it was a massive set with tons of extras. She was supposed to slide between Prince's legs while playing saxophone but she "was too clumsy to do it" (her words).

What about that spoof on Weird Al???

Why's it always gotta be about Jacko???

Could be wrong, but I don't think Michael Jackson was using the "King of Pop" accolade until around the Dangerous period ('91/'92), so there wouldn't have been any MJ-related dig in the "new king" lyric.

Krid said:

Well, you certainly seem to know Prince better than I do

I was just watching the video, and these three things made me think this, and especially the chimp. But they all seemed to be tongue in cheek, in a fun way, not in a nasty one.... And yes, I realise the line "new king in town" is from the song

Never heard of Tiger Beat magazine, sounds like fun

I never claimed to know Prince better. Despite what others do or how they approach the Org, I'm sure you know as much as I do that it's not a contest to see who knows more. We're just all here having fun, allegedly.

I stated what I did just in pure logic. The whole MJ vs. Prince thing is just really old at this point. I don't know your age, but I'm a Gen Xer, when this stuff was in the media 24/7. I suppose, for me, it's just tiring to always try and see some hidden meaning or conspiracy in something that is void of it.

I don't believe Prince was nasty, either. He was definitely cheeky. But in the midst of all he was doing at the time, I would imagine MJ was the last person on his mind. Like I said, I would probably lean heavily to the idea of the chimp reference in the Batman T-shirt. (Frankly, wouldn't it have been even funnier if the chimp had on an older Jackson 5 t-shirt? I would've screamed! haha)

Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, whatever they were - just teeny bopper magazines in the 70s and 80s. Right On was another, focusing more on Black artists and actors. You should google the covers of old Teen Beat magazines or Tiger (it was Tiger something, I forget). They're a riot, looking back on them now.

PS "Partyman" is one of my favorite Prince videos.

[Edited 5/13/21 11:05am]