Devo: De-evolution
I think that the following videos are hilarious, but rather disturbing, at the same time. What's not to like?!
"Jocko Homo" is a song by the band Devo that explores the concept of de-evolution, suggesting that humanity is devolving rather than evolving. The title itself is a nonsensical phrase used as a chant in the song, and its meaning relates to the band's philosophy of regressing to a more primitive state, partly influenced by the work of Konrad Lorenz. The song and its performance are representative of Devo's overall aesthetic, which combines a robotic, dehumanised appearance with a commentary on societal dysfunction.
Concept: The song is a key example of Devo's central theme: "de-evolution," the idea that instead of progressing, humanity is regressing due to factors like herd mentality and social dysfunction.
Lyrics and performance: The phrase "Are we not men? We are Devo!" is a recurring chant, emphasizing the band's identity as a commentary on this idea.
Aesthetic: The song's meaning is reinforced by Devo's visual style, which often depicted them as robotic or dehumanised, embodying the lyrics and philosophy of the band.
"Boogie Boy" (often spelled "Booji Boy") is a character created by the band Devo to represent the concept of de-evolution. As a bizarre, infant-like figure, he is meant to satirise infantile regression and cultural devolution in Western society. The spelling "Booji" originated from the band running out of the letter "g" while creating captions for a film.
Character: Booji Boy wears an orange nuclear protection suit and speaks in a distinctive, high-pitched falsetto. He is the son of another Devo character, General Boy.
Meaning: The character is symbolic of Devo's central theme of "de-evolution," the idea that humanity is devolving rather than evolving. Booji Boy is an embodiment of this regression and infantilisation.
Origin: According to the book We're All Devo!, the character originated after Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh found a strange baby mask in an Akron novelty store in 1975.
Introduction: Booji Boy was officially introduced in the band's 1976 short film The Truth About De-Evolution.
Name Origin: The name was originally "Boogie Boy," but the band ran out of the letter "g" when using Letraset for film captions, leading them to use "Booji Boy" instead.
