VID REC: Starsky & Hutch - Testify

[flamingoslim.livejournal.com]

Vidders: Morgan Dawn & Justine Bennett
Musical artist: Melissa Etheridge
Pairing: Starsky/Hutch
Vidder on LJ: morgandawn
Vidder's website: http://www.morgandawn.com/
Vid on YouTube: (posted with vidder’s permission): Testify
Why this vid kicks ass:

Starsky & Hutch may be the oldest fandom to produce vids, and has a reputation for lighthearted comedy or schmoopy romantic vids. This is not one of those. Testify puts Starsky and Hutch in riot-torn Los Angeles, portraying them as two men deeply in love who were trying to do a difficult job in a prejudiced world. The vid is shown through Hutch's point of view, and we see him struggle to makes sense of this world in spite of violence, crimes, and discrimination. Through it all, Hutch keeps going, clearly because he feels he must, and because, "my love still lives and breathes..." Credits are silent; music starts suddenly at the 14-second mark.

Morgan Dawn and Justin Bennett normally keep their vids secured and do not post them on open sites. However, I asked if I could review this vid on Crack Van, and they were kind enough to post Testify to YouTube to make it more accessible. It is the first vid they’ve posted there. I'm not sure how long it will be available, so download it if you like it. German fans will find it blocked, unfortunately, but can retrieve the vid by going here and requesting a password. It's worth the wait. Morgan and Justin have two other S/H vids at their site, all of them worth watching many times.

Fans often forget that Starsky & Hutch, which was supposed to be a standard 70s cop show, transcended its genre in many ways. It was considered the most violent show of its day. In third season, under pressure, the show produced more socially relevant episodes, including "Manchild in the Streets," a stark look at what happens when a racist white cop shoots an innocent black man. At the time of the show (1975-79), Los Angeles struggled with racial issues.

Vidders Morgan Dawn and Justin Bennett, slash fans, saw S&H's partnership as evidence of two men deeply in love. They used Melissa Etheridge's song, Testify, which powerfully addressed the struggle for gay rights, to illustrate S&H's world and their conflicts in it. They interspersed clips of the show with newsreel footage of actual riots and protests to show us the real world S&H might have worked and lived in. The world they were doing their best, as honest cops, to change for the better. The same world that forced them to keep their love for each other behind closed doors.

Premiering in 2001, this is a classic vid from the tape era, and station "bugs" can be seen in many of the clips. So, as you admire the timing and selection of clips, remember that this was not done with computers, but with two VCRs. It makes the resulting vid all the more amazing, in my opinion.

Lyrics:

"Testify"

Morning's hard; coffee's cold
Pretending that the days mean more than getting old
Stale headlines; others drenched in pride
Marching to their drum with fear standing beside
But if I close my eyes and throw back my head
I can see his face and I hear the words he said
And my memories ache and my senses burn
Did he dream too late? Will we ever learn

I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify

I take what's said as my daily dread
I turn the page, and I turn my head
I pick, I choose, on the evening news
Cause by cause they fight, and one by one they lose
Must I live my days in these concrete ways
Will the fire break through this smoky haze
And I swear tonight, I'm gonna find that place
It's not the love that dies, but the understanding ways

I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify

Rip through the wire that screens in my window
Throw open the shade that covers my mind
I'm going to touch; I've got to believe
The bell tolls for me

I, I want to testify
My love still lives and breathes
And my soul is screaming why
The thoughts won't let me sleep
Don't let hearts break
And don't let children cry
Before it gets too late
I want to testify