Post date is a loose estimate
Van Halen‘s cover of Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh Pretty Woman’ seemed innocent enough, but the director’s vision for the video didn’t exactly sit well with music video networks. The opening sequence featured a pair of little people holding a woman captive and repeatedly fondling her legs as she attempted to resist their advances.
The band members, dressed as a Samurai warrior, Tarzan, and a cowboy all come to her aid but she’s eventually rescued by Napoleon in a limo. However, the “she” is actually a “he,” as it’s revealed at the end that she’s a cross-dressing man, which also raised a few eyebrows. The clip was banned at the time, but times and tastes have changed and the now-tame video has been shown in recent years on VH1 Classic.
Read More: Van Halen, ‘Oh Pretty Woman’ – Banned Music Videos
Oh the humanity! Diamond David Lee Roth to the rescue. Well sort of?