Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun

What this video is

Released in late 1983 as the debut single from Cyndi Lauper's 'She's So Unusual,' the video arrived at a pivotal intersection of second-wave feminist pop culture and the nascent MTV economy. Lauper transformed Robert Hazard's male-centric 1979 demo into a feminist anthem by rewriting its lyrical perspective. The video's low-budget, downtown-Manhattan aesthetic — thrift-store costuming, volunteer cast, guerrilla…

Why it matters

A canonical text of early MTV new wave / synth-pop video production and a landmark in feminist pop iconography. The video's integration of comic-book graphic overlays, ensemble female choreography, and theatrical street performance established a template for narrative-performance hybrid videos.…

The director

Edward Mori Griles (Nov. 18, 1945 – Oct. 2024), born in Queens, NY; graduated School of Visual Arts, Manhattan. Began career as art director at DDB Worldwide (1965), then creative director of Goal Magazine and executive producer of NHL Films (1972). Began…