If you’re not very, very careful, Hollywood will kill you every time. Or so it would appear in Fall Out Boy’s latest video for "America’s Suitehearts". A literal media circus that lures in the unsuspecting from “Normal Land” and spits them out as parodies of fame and celebrity, this vision of La La Land is more akin to Ray Bradbury’s evil carnival in Something Wicked This Way Comes. And now, as then, we’re warned to be careful what we wish for because we won’t like what we get.

Opening with a shot of a manic ringmaster shoving aside the “legitimate” media represented by a blonde talking-head reporter, the viewer is drawn into a land that’s too green, conspicuously happy and toxic to boot. There’s the usual characters: fake blondes with boob jobs and accessory dogs, reporters and paparazzi, cheerleaders and even an appearance by a machine gun toting “Guvnr” to represent Arnold Schwarzenegger.

While FOB plays their siren song from the relative protection of their carousel, one by one they lure in the outsiders to be tormented, corrupted and then a willing participant to their own exploitation. Each new “star” fights off the paparazzi at first, blinded by the glare of fame. But as they’re chosen, blessed and elevated by the flashbulbs, they all fall prey to their own ego. The line “Why, why, why won’t the world revolve around me?” is especially ironic as each subject is the center of attention for their brief, shining moment. Then, once they’ve served their purpose they slip beneath the sludge and into oblivion. Even the young ingénue babysitter (played by Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday) is tainted and becomes just another poster child for the “sweet” life.

Neither critical nor sympathetic, this cartoon distortion of a real world farce serves up a timely message: when it comes to the Hollywood candy shop, buyer beware.

reviewed by Therese