User:Tadhger/sandbox

Music video


The song's music video is western-themed. It was directed by Sophie Muller. The video opens with P!nk galloping with speed through a forested area while checking over her shoulder indicating that she is possibly being pursued. She rides her horse until she pauses at the edge of a small town (population 96) which is called Sharktown. The town is depicted as a dull place and even a tumble weed blowing down the street is seen. P!nk looks to her right and sees a flag with three black stars which pays homage to the flag of Tennessee and indicates that events depicted in the video are likely to have occurred prior to the turn of the 20th century. She then looks down and sees a crude grave marker which bears the name 'Corky'. It is likely that this is used as a tool to infer that even though things appear to be quiet that there is a sinister community that will take whatever action necessary to resist the changes to their way of life, which P!nk embodies. She checks her make up briefly in a small compact and proceeds to ride deeper into the town.

There is a wide establishing shot of P!nk as she moves through the main street. Local residents survey her from the shadows and treat her with mistrust and suspicion. An old woman in rags blesses herself while others, including a young girl and a dirty looking man stare at the stranger open mouthed. A quick zooming shot indicates that she is being watched by a character wearing excessive eye liner, who is later revealed as the sheriff. She sees several horses tied up and immediately notices that there appears to be an element of animal cruelty in the manner in which the horses are being cared for. Upon inspecting the ankles of the horses there appears to be ligature marks and P!nk, believing that more could be done in relation to the welfare of the animals begins a brawl with the men nearby. She is the victor of the short fight and disperses with her opponents in a variety of ways such as tossing them into water troughs or slamming their face off the side of the wooden buildings. The sheriff is obviously nervous of the impact that this new character is having on the town and spits in disdain.

She then enters a saloon and pushing two existing customers that are already standing at the bar aside she attempts to order a drink. The bartender looks to the sheriff (Jeremy Renner), who has been watching P!nk since she arrived for confirmation before he prepares the beverage. When the sheriff indicates "no," and the bartender refuses to serve P!nk she falls into a blind rage and grabs the bartender by the scruff of the neck and screams in his face before leaping over the counter and tossing him into the public area of the saloon. These actions become the catalyst for an ever bigger brawl and though attacked by many of the patrons P!nk continues to fight on though furniture is being destroyed and presumably severe injuries are being experienced by many occupants. The fight simmers down very quickly though and while P!nk is taking a moment to relax and sing on the bar's piano the sheriff decides to take an opportunity to subdue her and smashes a bottle on her head and she is carried, despite her struggles, to a cell in the sheriff's office.

P!nk seduces the sheriff, even though she kicked him in the face while she was being incarcerated, it appears that the physical contact has got his attention and he is sexually attracted to her. He lets her out of the cell and while they are playfully engaging in light foreplay with each other the handcuffs are transferred from her wrists to restraining the sheriff to the window bars of his own office. She escapes custody and immediately heads back to the bar for another fight. As the sheriff struggles against his shackles P!nk and several other women (specifically, the Pussycat Dolls) begin a style of burlesque dancing on top of the bar counter. She runs frantically from room to room and gets the attention of various ladies who it is insinuated are prostitutes and are being affectionate to the clientèle. The ladies join the rebellion against the male oppression and one by one the men are defeated until a showdown situation arises where P!nk and the sheriff face each other in a whip fight on the middle of the broad main street. The sheriff loses and succumbs to the women of the town who surround him immediately. She removes the town's flag and waves it above her head. A shot of two locals with the cloth symbol of oppression in their hands are seen just before P!nk gallops jubilantly out of the town.

The child actress, Kelsey Lewis, who is featured in the video, also stars in P!nk's video for " Family Portrait".