The new video for They Might Be Giants’ “Can’t Keep Johnny Down” feels like an homage to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” video, except instead of two rival gang leaders knife-dancing, it features an 80-year-old tank-topped Rip Torn bare-knuckle-boxing with a shirtless whippersnapper. We called TMBG’s John Flansburgh to explain this odd collaboration.
“Did I ever consider fighting Rip Torn myself? Oh no. After seeing the Norman Mailer video, I would never dare. To fight Rip Torn is to lose to Rip Torn.”