Snap Judgement: Kanye's viral self-parody

We all know how seriously Kanye West takes his videos. Remember the king-sized kerfluffle he caused last fall when his "Evel Kanyevel" clip for "Touch the Sky" lost an MTV Europe award? Or the mind-blowing eyewear he promised (and delivered) in his "Stronger" video? Well, he's just unveiled what might be his grandest video accomplishment yet. It's an alternate clip for his excellent single "Can't Tell Me Nothing," and it looks a lot like the first one he shot — except that instead of Mr. West and a desolate landscape, it stars scruffy funnyman Zach Galifianakis and rangy alt-folkie Will Oldham, aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy. (Okay, fine, it looks nothing like the first one he shot.) Take a look, then check back after the jump for my take.

Galifianakis' deadpan antics turn out to be perfect for "Can't Tell Me Nothing." From his opening chainsaw-wielding pose to his messianic immersion in that murky river, he nails the song's grandiose atmosphere — and I can't help but crack up every time the camera cuts to a close-up of his enraged mug. (One shot of his thrusting crotch probably would have sufficed, though.) Still, to my eyes, Oldham steals every scene he's in without saying (er, lip-synching) a word. He's just an inherently creepy-looking guy, and his deranged, Elaine Benes-style dancing has a weirdly hypnotic power; coming out of his mouth, Young Jeezy's "ha-HA" ad libs sound positively demonic. All in all, this clip ought to do pretty well for itself on YouTube. If only Kanye released alternate versions of all his videos with unexpected guests from the world of indie rock!

You'll notice that I've neglected to mention the Swiss farm girl dance troupe — all kidding aside, who were those people?! Let me know what else I missed, or if you've got a different take on Kanye's big joke.