So yesterday before school I watched the Lady Gaga and Beyonce music video for 'Telephone'. Today I open up my weekend newspaper, The Guardian and there she is on the front page entitled "Pucker Face- Gaga's Lesbian Row" with anchorage of "A surreal nine-minute video by Lady Gaga and Beyonce, featuring murder and lesbian sex, triggered hot debate and half a million hits online within 12 hours."And now it has actually had nearly 7 million.
(If you haven't already seen it then click here and let me know your initial reaction in a comment. If you have already seen it then read on and then let me know what you think and whether you love it or hate it)
But here is my reaction to the controversial video.
First of all I was shocked.
There was swearing. Both Beyonce and Lady Gaga said "motherfucker" and "bitch" was heard countless times. There was gyrating in bikinis against cell bars (which reminded me of an even more sexual version of "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago)
There was the moment when Lady Gaga flashed and rubbed herself against the bars of her cell.
There was the moment when Lady Gaga flashed and rubbed herself against the bars of her cell.
There was groping. There was lesbian sex. There was murder.
And it was all so un-necessary. It's a great song with two great artists. The part of the video at around 8.10 minutes where both ladies are doing what they do best-which is dancing and singing in case you have forgotten- is great.
Lady Gaga should have realised that what her fans want isn't some high sexualised 9 minute inappropriate video (which simply does not target either artists main fan base demographic of tweens who look up to them both) but a less extreme video- well Gaga could never do "normal"- of them dancing and singing together and showing the world how talented they are.
And it was all so un-necessary. It's a great song with two great artists. The part of the video at around 8.10 minutes where both ladies are doing what they do best-which is dancing and singing in case you have forgotten- is great.
Lady Gaga should have realised that what her fans want isn't some high sexualised 9 minute inappropriate video (which simply does not target either artists main fan base demographic of tweens who look up to them both) but a less extreme video- well Gaga could never do "normal"- of them dancing and singing together and showing the world how talented they are.
Then I was disappointed. I had expected much better things from two of my favourite women in pop music. I couldn't believe that Beyonce, or "Honey B" as she is nicknamed in the video gave the go ahead on this video. The video was so out of character for her. Normally I am used to her singing "Halo" or "If A Were A Boy" and of course my favourite video of all time, the sassy "Single Ladies" as Sasha Fierce. She is so talented she doesn't need to resort to demeaning close ups of her breasts (which I am sure the director Jonas Akerlund loved) and driving around in a "Pussy Wagon."
I used to think of her as so inspiring. She sings songs about being sassy and not taking any shit from men. I have had second thoughts on her old empowering, booty shaking, independent persona Sasha Fierce, which her fans (including me) loved after seeing this video which obviously is just meant to appeal to men.
I used to think of her as so inspiring. She sings songs about being sassy and not taking any shit from men. I have had second thoughts on her old empowering, booty shaking, independent persona Sasha Fierce, which her fans (including me) loved after seeing this video which obviously is just meant to appeal to men.
Finally I was angry.
It was so blatantly sexist.
The guy who Beyonce kills by slipping poison in his food slaps one girls arse and there is so much dancing in underwear and provocative speech and dance moves that it is hard to think of the video as anything other than misogynist.
Male singers don't whip out their bits when they are singing so why does Gaga have to?
Male singers don't whip out their bits when they are singing so why does Gaga have to?
It just means that people don't take her seriously.
Which is a shame as she is so talented. She started playing the piano at 4, wrote her first ballad at 13, started performing at 15 and is so unique in the music industry of big-boobed-tight-mini-skirt types that her dose of crazy dancing with a telephone on her head makes her stand out.
But this video makes her stand out in completely the wrong way and I can't help but think that she did it all to simply create column inches and controversy.
You can't shoot groping, sunglasses made out of lit cigarettes, lesbian sex, a "Pussy Wagon", murder and naked writhing without expecting some kind of outrage in people.
You can't shoot groping, sunglasses made out of lit cigarettes, lesbian sex, a "Pussy Wagon", murder and naked writhing without expecting some kind of outrage in people.
Does anyone else watch it? I am addicted, roll on the series 3 boxset...
