Alice Fassi on Parodying the Mythical Mean Girl for Joy Crookes’ ‘Carmen’

Regina George, Heather Chandler, Cher Horowitz – we know the type. Queen bees whose long blonde locks always fall perfectly, who set the trends, who are equally as loved as they are hated. They’ve gone by various names throughout pop culture history, and singer Joy Crookes has coined the latest with her new single, ‘Carmen’.

LA\PAC director Alice Fassi had the pleasure of visually representing this track, and, as is customary for her, it’s wonderfully wacky. While Joy watches on – disguised as a potted plant – the title character struts in slo-mo, generates gusts of wind when she flicks her mane, and serves face even as she fatefully topples down a flight of stairs. She spends the remainder of the video as an animated head in a box.

It’s ridiculous, yes, but the parody encourages self-reflection, a loving laugh at our tendency to apply such absurd beauty standards both to ourselves and others.

LBB’s Zara Naseer peeked behind the curtain of the music video’s concept and creation in this interview with Alice.

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LBB> You’re known for these surreal, comedic music videos. What’s your ideation process like? How do you come up with these fresh concepts?

Alice> I don’t really follow a routine process; it shifts every time. Most often, I get inspired by the absurdities of everyday life. What people usually call ‘surreal’, I actually see as very ‘real’. I take those little moments that feel strange or off and just push them further, sprinkle in some comedy, and they become a concept.

But it really depends… Sometimes it starts with just an image in my mind. It could be a dream, a film, or even a random conversation. I let that initial spark grow into a fuller idea from there.

LBB> What brief were you given this time, and what did you initially envision in response? Did any specific references come to mind?

Alice> Joy  wanted to challenge the idea of perfection and how we’re constantly being measured against strict beauty standards. It’s a powerful message, but one that’s been tackled many times in earlier music videos, often through images of plastic surgery or transformation. That’s why I wanted to take a different path. I thought back to ‘90s teen movies like ‘Mean Girls’, where stereotypes are so clear-cut they become almost cartoonish, and revisited it, making a kind of ‘parody of a parody’.

LBB> The song’s subject matter – self-confidence, comparison, envy, admiration – is emotional, sincere, and will definitely resonate with a lot of people. Why did you decide on tackling it with a playful tone, and how did you ensure the comedy wouldn’t overpower the lyrics?

Alice> Because there’s something inherently ridiculous about chasing perfection – it often makes us lose ourselves. I wanted to lean into that, showing how envy can spiral us into absurdity. Comedy felt like the right tool, because parodying our insecurities means we’re finally ready to laugh at them. That’s what Joy Crookes did, singing about her source of ‘envy’, but with irony and fun, showing her being able to not take herself too seriously. The idea is: ‘If I can’t be Carmen, at least I can sing about her’.

LBB> The sequence with Carmen falling down the stairs is especially fun – how did you get those shots?

Alice> I had this image of Carmen falling beautifully down a staircase. Like, so perfect she still looks stunning mid-fall. This was a bit of the basis of the full film.

We shot the real stunt shots with a professional who rolled dramatically down the stairs. Then we mixed it with dreamy, floaty shots of Carmen herself, ‘flying’ mid-air. I wanted it to feel hyperreal and stylised. We initially imagined a long looping fall to emphasise the absurdity, but unfortunately lost access to the location where we actually had a very very long epic set of stairs to play with. That broke my heart a bit.

LBB> How did you develop Carmen’s personality and story arc – creating a character that’s equal parts envied, mocked, and adored?

Alice> Carmen’s character came naturally. She’s the kind of girl we’ve all encountered at some point in our lives, effortlessly flawless, almost mythical in her perfection. But that also makes her a target of envy. I’ve definitely lived those feelings, and this video gave me the chance to parody it. It was actually quite cathartic.

LBB> And what was the casting process for her like? What key qualities were you drawn to in the actress?

Alice> Amelia Swaby, our Carmen, had actually caught my eye on a casting list for a different fashion project I never ended up doing. I found her Instagram and instantly thought she’d be ideal for this, though I didn’t expect her to say yes, and I didn’t know if she could act too! So when she came back saying she loved the idea, I was honestly over the moon.

LBB> Can you talk us through some of the styling choices?

Alice> This was the first time I had real limitations with styling. Especially with Carmen’s main outfit, we needed something bold and iconic that could also hide all the stunt gear and still be affordable to buy in more copies. That was a fun challenge. Regarding Joy, everything went smoother; her styling team brought in some great looks that captured the vibe and energy we were after.

LBB> What was the best part of this whole production process for you?

Alice> Working with stunts. It was a first for me, and I loved it. There’s a whole world of storytelling you can unlock with that kind of physicality, and I’d love to explore it more.

LBB> Any upcoming projects you can tease?

Alice> Yes! There’s a new short film coming, it’s part of the ‘Born to Create Drama’ series for YDA Cannes. I’m also working on a fashion film that will be out soon, and writing my next short film. Lots cooking… Stay tuned.