Without clothing to use as a form of expression and hide our bodies behind, humans are stripped down to the core, literally. Some feel they lack if they do not have tangible garments, that make them feel unique. Many people can mask their personality better than others. So if they are fully exposed physical beings, who are they now?

"Thank U" an empowering song by Alanis Morissette, has an even more striking performance in her video. Completely naked for four minutes and twenty seconds definitely makes a bold statement about what she thinks humanity is all about. Of course, it is controversial and maybe to some disturbing that she tells this story naked. But she is wise to be daring, her message is received. 

The video starts out in an alley way with Alanis stark naked staring at glowing orbs floating in the air before her as she stares at them with wonder. The glowing lights are like god, giving her a perspective that she has never seen before. These little glowing lights give her some sort of insight about what the true meaning of life is: noticing what you experience inside. After being entranced by these lights for a few seconds, the song starts up and she begins to observe the life that surrounds her. The lights make a re-appearance near the end of the video and again she still stares at them but with a look of understanding. She now understands this new perspective, she understands what it means to not only look around herself but to look inside herself for answers. 

Alanis reminds me of Eve from the Bible. In the story she is raw, and her nakedness does not  cross the minds of Adam, or the animals or even God himself as being strange. But once she gives in to the evil snake and eats fruit from the tree, she suddenly feels as though she needs to be covered up. It is admirable that Alanis wandered the streets and the grocery stores and the subway completely exposed, but the only words she has to say are thank you. Then thank you to what and to whom? 

Thank you frailty, consequence, disillusionment, clarity, nothingness, terror, silence. Seven human emotions that juxtapose with each other on the surface. But looking deeper they are all connected. With silence comes terror. With nothingness comes clarity. With frailty comes disillusionment. They are all consequences of each other. And that is the way the circle of life works. Everything is an effect of cause. Most people do not understand that when they do something, there will be reaction. 

But Alanis knew there would be a reaction to her video. I find it amusing that she is naked the whole time and no one acknowledges that. However today if a person were to walk naked into a crowd of people there would be shock and horror and disgust. The surrounding people having no reaction to her naked body and it just shows some sort of human exception. That yes she is naked, but there is no problem with showing what she truly is. She even exchanges a heartfelt smile with a bus goer. Some people that are walking by touch her shoulder or her arm, look her in the eyes and without words say, "I understand". 

Alanis' soul purpose is to express that humans do not need all this stuff to show how we feel. The nakedness obviously makes a bold statement, nakedness is also simplicity. Because at the end of the day we are bodies and souls. We are raging balls of emotions trying to get by. Only some of us will make the effort to live.