A short blurb about what I think about the "Phantom Limb" video by The Shins

The recent proliferation of pint-sized extras featuring prominently in music videos is surprising. Nostalgia amongst these videos’ young targets seems oxymoronic; still, there’s middle school, and bands like Hellogoodbye and the Gym Class Heroes employ child actors to sell their music. In contrast, The Shins use this junior high nostalgia powerfully in “Phantom Limb.” The band pairs their haunting, Beach Boys-esque crooning with a children’s performance of the greatest hits of world history’s religious atrocities. This serves as a poignant indictment of the cultural commodification of violence. After all, there are fewer things more absurd than the viewing experience of the average 5th grade play; religious brutality may be one of them.
-Alan