Penelope Scott - American Healthcare (Glitzy) (Official Music Video) 

Fun fact, doctors have the highest suicide rate of any profession in the US. I just think that fact adds something more to the video.

Random detail: The guy with glasses is named Stephen Docatori, the girl with braids, presumably his daughter, is Jessica Docatori. (You can see their names on their medical certificates).

I like how the song changes from “I just think they should feel good while they are alive” to “I just think they should feel okay while they’re alive” like it’s the realization that no one even feels okay under this system

The church organs at the end of the song make a lot more sense now

I can't decide if it's hopeful or absolutely tragic that his daughter became a doctor too

Ok but the imagery and “static” view really gives off the vibe of the song tbh

Even when I was like 8-10, my friends and I would joke when we were rough housing and say shit like "If I don't kill you the medical bills will!" just because our parents talked about it so much

Yall this commentary on American Healthcare and how some people would rather die than live in debt from their medical bills & how doctors and nurses who go into a profession of healing end up trapped in a corporate nightmare that only sees the sick and dying as profit margins.

After listening to this song a billion times I just realized how the last melody sounded like the organ from a funeral and I think thats fking brilliant

Oh yeah I’m ready to question everything I know about society

Fun little story about me: about 2 years ago, my appendix nearly burst and killed me. My dad almost refused to take me to the hospital purely because we couldn't afford medical bills if it turned out to just be nothing. I almost fucking died because we couldn't afford any medical debt. How crazy is that, the possibility that I could've died purely because my dad didn't want to have to pay the medical bills? But no, it was serious and I could've died. So instead he tells them to put all everything in my name, someone who is freshly 18 and definitely can't afford the $3,000 everything ended up costing. It horrifies me to this day. at least i'm still alive though, right...?

bruh as a studying nurse, this shit speaks volumes to me. it's depressing, sad but it's also a reminder that what healthcare system looks like.

I feel like how the story goes is that the guy with the glasses was trying to become a doctor to well give people a more fulfilling life even if those people will die later on in life. Soon the guy in the glasses had a lot of issues to the point he started drinking, smoking and I think also taking pills and so he ended up dying from it. Soon it gets revealed that the guy in the glasses was in the same photo as a young girl with blonde hair and once the blonde haired girl learns about the loss of her father/friend she becomes a doctor doing the same thing as the guy with the glasses to carry on his will. Tell me if I miss anything, also have a nice day!

I love how this song is in the perspective of a doctor/ doctor’s daughter it would have been so easy to say “healthcare evil so doctor evil” but no it humanizes them and to that I salute

I remember once as a child I saw my mom puking and sneezing out blood for a couple of days and I begged her to go to the hospital and I remember she got angry because she said she couldn’t and now I understand she wasn’t reslly angry she was scared and she couldn’t afford to go to the hospital at all and knowing that’s our health care system it breaks my heart

my theory for the animation: the person with glasses was the girl with braids' parent, and went into the healthcare system as a doctor. slowly the horrors that they'd seen wore them down and they drank themself into an early grave when the girl was young. she didn't know the details of this of course, she was a child. but she'd heard about how her parent was such a brave savior, helping sick people every day! so of course she idolized that and went into the healthcare system herself, unknowingly propagating the cycle and probably doing the same thing herself.

Me with bad mental health shit: Ah yes I'll be fine A few seconds in: I am not fine

Felt this, going to college for forensics. Sometimes i wonder what government shit ill have to hide💀

Penelope Scott songs are a whole different genre I really love her voice and how meaningful her lyrics are as well

I JUST realized that the doctor in the story started drinking when they couldn't save that one person which is more symbolism of how they couldn't save everyone especially since the American healthcare system is expensive and greedy and then the standard is lowers to " I just think they should feel *OK* while they are alive "

it's MY gifted kid burnout and leftist rage and I get to choose the music

dude something about her songs hits so deep like she manages to highlight the flaws in government, the school system, and beauty standards. All while making incredible songs

i don't know why, but the static paired with her voice is so mesmerizing and mysterious-sounding. and she's such a brilliant songwriter, i feel like she just created a whole different genre of music.

Maybe I’m way off base with this, but I feel like there’s a purposeful sort of irony in how, despite wanting to help people, the person in glasses couldn’t help themselves, and they ultimately let down one of the people who needed them most-their daughter. It’s not clear to me who the person being operated on is meant to represent-perhaps the daughter? Or perhaps her mother? Or maybe they’re meant to represent a concept more than a particular person. Throughout the song, different items associated with doctors (and the person in glasses in particular) are pulled out in surgery, and at the very end, their heart is pulled out. But they put it back. I guess I see this as meaning that, when you take away all the other stuff, being a good doctor at its core is caring about other people. To me, it feels like the daughter managed to succeed where her parent failed-keeping heart even in the face of a system that destroys it. She picks up a flyer for a soup kitchen-she wants to help people. She doesn’t only do this by becoming a doctor, but by volunteering, and in doing is able to feel as if she is making a difference, even though she is bound by the healthcare system in her job as a doctor. Also, as the person in glasses gets closer to death, they are shown with a bit of drool in the corner of their mouth-one of the only differences between someone alive and someone dead, according to what was stated earlier in the song. They became that dead man on the side of the road (Perhaps you could even say they became their daughter’s “dead man on the side of the road”). I thought that was a neat parallel. (I also appreciate the irony of the person in glasses wanting “people to feel okay while they’re alive,” meanwhile being absolutely miserable themselves). Anyways, maybe I’m just seeing what I want to see, but to me this is a sort of bittersweet story-one that ended sadly for the person in glasses, but happily for their daughter. I want to believe things ended up happy for her, anyways. I think it’s easy for people to get overwhelmed by systemic issues and feel as if there’s no point in helping people when the system is always working against them. The person in glasses is representative of this sort of mentality, and in the end they are so bogged down by the weight of the world’s problems that they miss what’s right in front of them-their daughter. But every act of kindness can make a difference. Maybe you can’t save everyone, but to the people you can help, it makes all the difference in the world to them. Anyways, just some disjointed thoughts. I didn’t see anyone else interpret the song the same way I did or mention these things, so I thought I’d share in case someone else went looking like I did :]

if you listen closely, at the beginning, there's the faint sounds of the organs at the end. if you listen to it on loop, it seems together perfectly. it shows that the cycle is continuing and continuing no matter what, and i like that detail.

OMG, YESS, AN OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO- I'M SO HONORED TO BE THIS EARLY

You’re such a brilliant writer seriously

my mother used to work in hospitals. she wasn't a doctor or nurse, she was more like a medical assistant. but oh my god the things she's told me of what she's seen

for some reason, when i was in my “penelope scott but actually just rät, lotta true crime and cigarette aheago” phase i never listened to this, about 2 years later this is one of my fav songs on my playlist

...I now have an entire roleplay idea because of this song. IT SOUNDS FVCKING EPIC

as a european living in a country with free universal healthcare its safe to say the rest if the world is staring at america in horror

no one seems to talk about the fact that the music video is drawn and animated in the corporate art style, further emulating the line “you corporate f*ck*ng pr*ck”.

Something i really like about Penelope's lyrics is that they're really direct and on the nose. Sure there's a good dose of poetics and images but there are also direct call outs and it feels so raw and i appreciate it very much.

YESSS THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS!!

the main character's doctor writing is spot on .

This song was already my fav but the visuals make it even better

3:13 which way are these glasses facing, it’s fucking with me.

This music is terrifying and sad when you realize how much this is based in real life.

The last “I did my best” instead of “did my best to save the sick” breaks me every time 😭

1:51 idk why, but this scene makes me feel something that i don’t know how to express.

the queen has spoken!!

Personal theory - If the doctor (Stephen) is the father to the girl with braids (Jessica), than maybe the woman with the straight blond hair on the operating table is his wife/Jessica's mum.

My head canon is the dead man in road was also a doctor who drank himself to death since he was in front of a licor store

I really wanted to be a Doctor, i took a few years of premed in high school and decided i couldn't help people the way i wanted. It just wasn't the way the system worked. I'm studying to be a detective now. Maybe actually help someone.

As a new (arguably Gen Z?) teacher I feel like I need one of these for the american education system and teaching because gods the number of teachers I know who get broken by the system we have to work in is so fucking depressing.

as a med student this song literally means so fucking much to me

Dude I've seen medical bills from America, I've seen people who've had to declare bankruptcy over a broken bone, doctors prescribing opiates for financial incentive, its disgusting Im from Ireland, if I break a bone I get reffered to a hospital by my local gp, my treatment will be free, not only that but they'll try to give non addictive treatments, there's a capped overnight fee of € 75 per night for staying, but they can only charge 10 nights per year no matter how long you stay, 750 euro per year will be your max expense no matter how long you stay till the next year and yes that covers everything, scans food and all, maternity hospital is free here, the "socialism and communism" that morons have been indoctrinated to believe over there is shilled by the rich so they won't have to pay more taxes, its madness.

as someone who has been imagining a music video for this song sense it came out this did not disappoint

I'm putting this on my playlist even though this same song is already there

1:16 "what's your major🤓"

Penolape scott is a not an artist , she's an experience

i so relate to this as a chronically ill person, there’s always something medically, mentally, or both happening to me. there is no “good”. there is no “okay”. you just have to “suck it up”.

I always pictured this song as a doctor who had to deal with a lot of suicidal patients talking to an interviewer about their life and how they’ve had to deal with so many people who didn’t want their help

"this shit is ass" why tf did you watch it then?

As someone who works in a similar field, gets paid shit but lives only to help people, this video was immensely impactful for me. I can’t put it into words right now, but thanks for this. You made me cry but in a good way at the end. You’re helping people by making this, thank you

I saw a freshly dead person for the first time three days ago, and now I'm having a bit of trouble listening to this song.

I live in a country with free healthcare, at least for now. But like, how does a situation like this happen in the USA, the richest country on earth?

Omg this looks amazing Just noticed something the guy that’s taking the stuff out of the lady is the guy in the video that worked hard for being a doctor the lady is his daughter I think when she’s grew up having some surgery and she became a doctor as well

petition for more penelope scott music vids

The thing is, that nobody is actually here to listen to anyones problems anymore, its just a game of "how fast can be bring these people genuinely struggling with coping over the edge"

The dude: presents something critiquing the American healthcare system for exploiting the sick Them: aCCepTeD

It’s honestly so depressing because the American Healthcare system believes that money has more worth than human lives. And noble people who have worked their entire lives to become doctor’s, feel trapped in their work environment. Because they spent so much time working for something that they thought would make them feel whole, to only realize that it’s the only job that they have the capability of doing, and that they dug their own graves. Those people end up dying, or committing suicide, depressed and alone because they wanted to help people, but they couldn’t help everyone.

wow. That doctor teddy bear becomes such a sad symbol. The dad probably gave his daughter that toy because he wanted to inspire her to become a doctor like him. But his career made him suffer so much, if she goes down the same career path as him, she's just going to go through the same pain he went through. It's just a bit disturbing how children look forward to having certain jobs... while being blissfully ignorant to what it's truly like being in that career. Children have dreams of becoming doctors and nurses while being oblivious to the fact that those jobs have some of the highest suicide rates.

Okay, 99% sure Jessica Docatori (the girl, you can tell she’s the daughter of glasses guy, Stephen Docatori, by funeral scene and their doctorate certificates) will be fine. Here’s why: - High chance in the original surgery scenes that the surgeon isn’t digging inside the incision, but a box of Stephen’s belongings. Hence Stephen’s heart being grabbed and put in the incision later in true symbolism. Only other interpretation is that the surgeon removed all those objects from her body. This intepretation doesn’t make sense; why would the surgeon grab her heart out only to put it back in? How would she have eaten or otherwise put an entire model head inside herself? - Most logical reasoning for her to be repeating her father’s words is it was the sewerslide note or letter to her post-mortem (not her words). There isn’t another logical explanation for how she quoted her father, who was likely inside an adult-only establishment when saying those words, verbatim. - She’s had ample time to learn from her father. You can tell by the change in her size between scenes she was still young when he died, and it makes little sense for her to go to the same career if she didn’t feel prepared despite the risk. His death clearly had a huge impact on her; she would take precautions. - Timing of the soup kitchen volunteering scene indicates she was inspired by her dad and trying to carry on his legacy. - She’s still smiling in the final scene, after earning her doctorate

This song hits way harder after learning you're disabled.

Penelope's voice is so unreal like I can't believe this is a person's voice it's beautiful

One of my favorite artists ever! Adore this song! It’s quiet realatable! You know how to make good music! You’re songs remind me a lot of my life expecialy warm regards, bad advice, self care, and American Healthcare!

I wish there was a 3 minute loop of the first 20 seconds on spotify

Penelope is an amazing song writing and people just hate her for no reason but once her song starts to get popular all those people say they love her and her songs

The paper: -insulting them- The people: eh what the fuck your hired

i mean this in the best way possible, 1:17 sounds like the og sailor moon music, it sounds amazing.

Lyrics: When I seven years old I saw a dead man in the road Outside the liquor store a few blocks from my school Well he was cold and he was warm He looked the damn same as before Except for something in the eyes and a bit of drool Well, people die every day I wouldn't have it any other way I just think they should feel good while they are alive I went to school I got good grades I don't know you want me to say Tell me faster 'cause you're running out of time I wanted to help people I thought that I could save the sick And if it's all the same to you There's one more thing I got to do Because with god as my witness You corporate fcking prick I did not become a doctor just to suck the devil's dk I made it though all four years And then almost a decade more I asked the right questions And never even really got bored They hired me in my hometown And then again when I moved away People liked me back then What can I say? It was the government The companies, bureaucracy The lobbyists, the congressmen, and lies They trickled into both my ears And got louder over the years Until all that I could hear was fcking flies Well, people die every day I wouldn't have it any other way I just think they should feel okay while they're alive How could they ever feel okay When things are more and more this way? Sometimes it's like they'd rather die I fcking helped people I thought that I could do the trick And if it's all the same to you There's one more thing I got to do Because with god as my witness You corporate piece of s I did not become a doctor just to suck the devil's dck

Penelope's absolute deadpan delivery is the most sencere embodiment of gen z rage I've ever seen

This Song , Despite Me Not Living In America , Made Me Drop All My Dreams Of Becoming A Doctor . Thank You Penelope Scott

2:17 i wanna cry that scene is so sad and just show the horrid that happen to people...

Found about this song few days ago and im obssesed

1:53 THE WAY IT JUST FLAILS AROUND LIKE THAT LMFAOOOOOOOO

Her music sounds so electronic and virtual it's so beautiful

0:07 Henry Stickman distraction dance lmao

Its my existential and mental crisis and I get to scream these lyrics

this is literally my fav song and IM FREAKING OUT OGMMGGMMGMFS

WOAH!!! IM SO PUMPED FOR THIS! penelope you never fail to impress us!

OMG THANK U FOR PUTTING THE LYRICS IN THE DESCRIPTION I WANTED TO SING ALONG WITH THE SONG 😀💖💗💙💜

I want to become a counselor and I'm going to college to do so. It won't exactly be a medical career, but I'm probably gonna relate to this song real fucking hard when I start working.

Just wanted to mention in the lyrics, the line 'the congressmen, the lobbyists, and lies' is in a slightly wrong order, just incase you hadn't seen and wanted to change it

oh hell yeah!!! I've always imagined an animation for this song and now one has officially come to life woo

It’s crazy how well Penelope Scott can convey emotions in her songs

BRO IF THIS NEVER CAME ON MY RECOMMENDEDS I WOULDNT HAVE EVEN KNEW THIS EXISTED TILL LIKE 3 MONTHS-

I don't know why, but this song is very special to me.

At the end when she says “I did my best” it kinda broke me

penelope scott only makes bangers

she makes the kind of songs where you daydream about your current well being

This woman is a genius. This song is incredible

This song perfectly explains why I no longer want to be a psychologist. I wanted to help people like me but I'm dying now. I'm dying slowly and painfully and I have to just stay alive for people who care about me even though my ONE goal in life is no longer my goal. I don't have other goals. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be when I "grow up". I'm supposedly already a grown up. Fuckin. Idk

I hate how people are saying her songs are ass just because she made one bad song, and then there’s junkyard 2, public void, and the only song that was necessarily hated on was self care, the rest are fine…

This is my favourite song by Penelope and the music video gave me so much more to think about from the lyrics

a "hi" from Brazil, we love you

please the end literally gave me chills

I'm SO glad I started messing around with playlist videos and stumbled across "rat". Your work is absolutely amazing. Subbed, notifications on, praying for a collab with Justice Cow one day, that would make my head explode in the best way!

Can we all agree Penelope Scott is the most underrated music artist?