Glam Metal Band Confronts Controversial Legacy in New Documentary
In a candid reflection on their iconic music video, Warrant’s drummer Steven Sweet has acknowledged that the 1990 “Cherry Pie” video, once celebrated for its provocative nature, now appears “misogynistic” through a modern lens.
Appearing in the documentary Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal, Sweet, now 58, admitted that while the band did not perceive the video as problematic at the time, he recognizes its troubling implications today. “Warrant was all about having fun without hurting anybody,” Sweet said. “I know we didn’t think of it as a misogynistic video, although it was in hindsight.”
The video, featuring singer Jani Lane’s then-girlfriend Bobbie Brown, became a touchstone of early 90s music video culture with its overtly sexual imagery. Brown, who danced provocatively and posed on a car throughout the video, was seen by many as the epitome of the era’s excess.
Rick Krim, a former MTV executive, noted that the video pushed the boundaries of acceptable content at the time. “Objectifying women kind of became the rule,” Krim said. “You look back at it now and you’re like, ‘How did we let them get away with that?’”
In an interview with PEOPLE in early 2020, Brown discussed her complex feelings about being labeled a “video vixen” due to her role in the “Cherry Pie” video. Initially frustrated by being so closely identified with the video, she has since come to terms with its place in her legacy. “There was a time when I would go, ‘Oh God, not that again,’” Brown admitted. “But the older I got, the more I embraced it. The reality is that this is how most people know me. I’ve embraced it. I’m totally okay with it today.”
The documentary also touches on the personal turmoil that plagued Warrant, particularly the impact of Lane’s troubled marriage and eventual departure from the band. Sweet recounted how Lane’s personal struggles contributed to the band’s disintegration. “Jani got into a lot of demons and let that kind of thing take over his life,” Sweet said. “He fell apart basically when his marriage fell apart, and he wanted to just be solo in many ways. And so that forced the band into bankruptcy when he left the band. So the band split up, everybody lost everything because Jani lost everything.”
Nöthin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal is now streaming on Paramount+, offering a deep dive into the era’s glam metal scene and its lasting impacts.