Pop starlet Katy Perry has always had a flair for the ridiculously colorful and hilariously tacky, and both are on full display in the video for “Hey Hey Hey.” Letting her delightfully over-the-top proclivities have free rein, she evokes the spirits of both Marie Antoinette (a knowing self-own) and Joan Of Arc (possibly wish fulfillment) while being pampered and fussed over by poofy-dress-and-corset-clad handmaidens.
Her Joan Of Arc character seems to represent freedom from conformity and expectation, which is a persistent theme in the singer’s music and previous videos, including the Space Jam-referencing “Swish, Swish” visual. Of course, those habits have backfired on her in the past, such as the backlash that resulted from her exceedingly bizarre video for “Bon Appétit.” Perhaps, like Joan Of Arc, she feels a bit put-upon and persecuted by all the fingers pointing and laughing at her mishaps.
The video concludes with a video game-styled fight between Katy’s Joan Of Arc and the piggish prince character she’s been avoiding throughout the video, ultimately defeating him with a “hot dog combo” and attaining the freedom to be who she wants to be. If only it could be so easy for Katy herself, but her weird ideas and clueless demeanor leave her with a lot more in common with Marie Antoinette.
