Prompted by Townsfellow shawnkilroy, I just watched the video for “Something So Strong,” by Crowded House for the first time in a while. I think that this song is undeniable. It’s a great performance of a great song, the hooks are so big you could use them to go whale fishing and it still sounds fantastic despite the era in which it was recorded. Even Mitchell Froom managed not to go overboard with the production.

The problem? Everything about the video. When this came out, I almost blew off Crowded House solely because of that video. This may be an example of Bigsteve’s Listen But Don’t Look Principle, but let me catalog some of the atrocities that take place in a mere 3:13:

• Shameless mugging
• Slack-jawed bemusement
• Milk drinking
• Neckerchiefs
• Cartwheels
• Pratfalls
• Horn-rimmed eyeglass—bedecked Nerds dancing with dresses
• Video chicks that are so devoid of sex appeal that they make it seem like the Nerd made the right choice when he went for the dress
• And a complete and utter disregard for one another’s personal space.

“Losing My Religion,” by REM is a distant second for me for songs that I ended up liking despite the video. The film-student pretentiousness of that video made it unable for me to give that song a fair shake. When I finally saw them do it live on tv, I ended up really liking the song.

Are there promotional efforts that ended up doing more harm than good for you?