The Intriguing Video "Bubbles Burst" By Sean Lennon

March 25, 2020

Sean Lennon, the son of the legendary John Lennon and Yoko Ono, has made waves in the music industry both as a solo artist and with his rock band "The Claypool Lennon Delirium". However, the release of the controversial video "Bubbles Burst" in 2016 stirred up significant debate and speculation.

"Bubbles Burst," a creation by The Claypool Lennon Delirium, allegedly draws inspiration from Michael Jackson's relationship with his chimpanzee, Bubbles. Since its debut, the video has been the focal point of controversy due to its abundant room for interpretation. Some viewers have pointed out the presence of sexual innuendos in the video, such as phallus simulations and suggestive positions, which seem to serve as an allegory to Michael Jackson's relationship with the children who visited his ranch. 

The video briefly starts with pictures of a childs themed room full of toys, and strange books, many of them with the title of "boys" in them. Bubbles, the monkey, dressed as MJ and acting like a scared child, hides under a blanket while MJ unsuccessfully tries to coax him out with various foods (banana, bottle, sandwich). Eventually, MJ succeeds by offering a lollipop and then proceeds to demonstrate suggestive dance moves such as touching his crotch and holding him from behind. They then walk hand in hand to a bathtub where bubbles enjoys licking a lollipop while MJ blows bubbles (no, not the monkey). The bathtub then transforms into an airplane that takes them to "Foreverland," essentially a replica of Neverland full of amusement rides and candy. However, before they reach it, they are surrounded by the press and the police. MJ then transforms into a spaceship and escapes with Bubbles into space. The video concludes with the two gazing lovingly at each other in the bathtub, followed by a heart-shaped frame fading over the screen.

The relevance of Sean's perspective cannot be overstated. As one of the children who formed a bond with MJ, his portrayal of Michael Jackson holds considerable weight. Sean is not merely another individual commenting on Jackson's alleged actions; he was a firsthand participant in Jackson's life, spending time on his ranch and experiencing the reality of their friendship. Given this personal connection, one might expect Sean to present a more favorable depiction of Michael Jackson, especially considering their longstanding relationship despite the cloud of child molestation allegations that surrounded the pop icon.

However, Sean's portrayal of Jackson in the video raises thought-provoking questions. While there are numerous ways to represent MJ's bond with Bubbles figuratively, the specific approach chosen by Sean appears dubious. Even if the video was not intended to be purely interpreted in a sexual context, it still paints MJ in a negative light, depicting him as an enigmatic and sinister figure.

Sean's statements about this video have been ambiguous. On one hand, he mentioned that it was meant to be surreal and not a direct reflection of reality. On the other hand, he also indicated that his intention was simply to document the truth. Below are some excerpts of his statements about the video from both Facebook and interviews:

Comment: For some reason, sooner or later, everyone MJ seemed to know, would put him under a microscope, and analyze his personality and/or motives...small wonder he was lonely

Sean Lennon: I'm not ever person he knew. And if you're gonna do what he did, then it's open season for art and parody. Ppl who think I should tip toe around his memory are idiots.

Comment: Sean, with all due respect to your art since you believe in it, this is a very bad video. The way you portray Michael is oh so wrong, I really wish you didn't do this, It makes me feel bad, and one thing that mj hated was when people thought of him as an insane person, I'd say fast forward into your next solo album.

Sean Lennon: Hey I'm not hot headed in the slightest. I'm just trying to explain my POV. The truth is the song is a dream of reality, then the video is the dream of a dream... that's what art is like to me. So honestly I thought it worked. I knew ppl might be upset. But honestly I've never done anything w out ppl being upset w me so I no longer care.

View screenshots of the conversation here.

Sean Lennon for NPR (June 2016).

"I think it's important that even if people don't believe me or are angry about the way Michael [Jackson] is portrayed in the video, that the truth is my intention is very sincere and harmless, and I'm just making a song. I'm not trying to take him out or anything, or put him down. I was just trying to have fun and talk about an odd situation in a way that makes it art. It's like a parallel dimension, and it's a dark, comedic manifestation that comes more out of the song and not out of real life. It's like a reflection of a reflection. As a visual poem, I think it represents something real: [Michael] was very lonely and he was weird and had weird interests. And he was in this kind of Peter Pan universe — this bubble he'd created for himself. And there's something dark about that. There's something sad about that."

Sean Lennon for Exclaim! magazine (March 2019, after the release of LN).

"I mean whatever happened with him and anyone else, I have no opinion of because I wasn't there, you know? But when I talked about it in 'Bubbles Burst,' the song, I wasn't trying to be critical. I was simply trying to document the truth. You know, 'This happened,' is all I would say. I think a lot of people thought I was criticizing him or not criticizing him or whatever but it wasn't about that. The song was really just documenting a strange time — like a surrealist moment of my life that was memorable."

Personally, I don't believe Sean was harmed by MJ, mainly because I don't think he would risk crossing a Lennon. Instead, I believe Sean attempted to depict in his video the reflections that have dawned on him as he has matured and realized that what appeared to be fun and innocent as a child, was In fact, abnormal and highly dubious behaviour for a grown man to be engaging in.

As a final note, Sean maintains a neutral position regarding the allegations. He asserts that MJ was a very humorous individual and that nothing illegal transpired with him. However, he emphasizes that he cannot speak to anyone else's experience without having been present.

This, in my opinion, is a very sensible statement.