Talk about power of the press! Soon after I wrote this department’s August column, in fact before it was even published, MTV modernized its astronauts-landing-on-the Moon logo station break with flashier colors and stylized beeps. Now I can watch the ID without experiencing the roach-paranoia the earlier version suggested to my overwrought brain. I rather doubt that the image technicians at MTV were acting directly on my orders when they made the update, but I nonetheless may have tapped into some undeniable Will Of The People with my complaint.

And, if you believe that one, you’ll also buy the idea that Bob Dylan “responded” to my VidVid kidding of his lackluster “Sweetheart Like You” video by making the much more impressive “Jokerman.” Given Dylan’s obsessively guarded style of expression, I had voiced skepticism over his being able to project himself thoroughly enough to make a really convincing video. As usual, Dylan outsmarted us all. The “Jokerman” video prints out the lyrics over a rapidly-shifting series of paintings, news photos and esoteric graphics from all over the rainbow in a staccato approach that fits Dylan’s ranting-prophet verbal style perfectly. We get tantalizing glimpses of a charmingly personal Dylan interspersed with the words as Bob squints shyly into the lights and tries his darndest to keep that rare, million-dollar smile from breaking loose. “Jokerman” makes Dylan seem so accessible that he could well qualify as the first huggy-bear phophet to emerge from the Old Testament.