Fear Of A Black Toessel: A memory of Jos Claerbout by Yun Shin

Fear Of A Black Toessel: A memory of Jos Claerbout by Yun Shin

by Jos's popster

Fear Of A Black Hat (1993) is an amusing satirical look at the rap music industry. It was one of Jos's favorite movies. Roger Ebert says:

The world of rap music is so ripe for a satirical bashing that perhaps only Political Correctness delayed one for so long. "Fear of a Black Hat," which treats rap with the same droll dubiousness that "This is Spinal Tap" provided for heavy metal, is not as fearless and sharp-edged as it could be -- but it provides a lot of laughs, and barbecues a few sacred cows. The movie is so similar in approach to "Spinal Tap" it could almost be considered homage. It pretends to be a documentary about a rap group named "NWH" (Niggaz With Hats).


Fear of a Black Toessel (1999) is an 8 minute video memory of Jos, made by his friend, Yun Shin.


Jos and Yun had finished shooting another ten-minute video, Rear Cubicle, the weekend before Jos died. To produce Fear Of A Black Toessel, Yun alternates microphone test video of Jos shot during Rear Cubicle production, with video and photos from WebTV, with family photos; and he accompanies it by the music that they enjoyed.

Both videos can be viewed at the Claerbout home, or homes of many of Jos's friends who have received copies. You might also be able to see them streaming over the web in Quicktime format.

Fear of a Black Toessel is available on the web in two versions:

  1. The original by Yun Shin prepared within the week after Jos died.
  2. A revision by Jos's father Jon prepared three years later that retains Yun's original video and sound track but includes more family photos and ends with music Jos wrote.


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