Last week Lady Gaga released a nine-minute-long mess. Sorry, but there’s no other way to say it. She fashioned the track “Telephone,” from her album The Fame Monster, into a Thriller-esque film that’s rife with lesbianism, sadomasochism, murder, bizarre outfits, nudity and Tarantino-inspired violence. The video features Beyoncé as Gaga’s partner in crime and even throws in product placement for mundane items such as Wonder Bread, Miracle Whip and Diet Coke.
The video premiered on E! News and boosted ratings for that time slot by 32%. All I can ask is, “Why?”
Why is it necessary for Gaga to “pornify” everything ? Especially in the names of fashion, fun and “freedom?”
This media-savvy young woman is out for all the attention she can muster, and she knows sex will get it for her. Much of the world is following like desensitized lemmings, amazed and baffled by her costumes and performances that are often called “metaphorical.” (Probably because no one knows what else to say in most cases, and anything that’s this incomprehensible must be “deep.”)
But really, the “Telephone” video isn’t so much art as it is a visual assault that doesn’t need to be viewed by anyone, even for mere curiosity’s sake. I felt like I needed a shower after watching the first two minutes.
It isn’t often that I see eye to eye with The Huffington Post, but bloggers Jim Schumacher and Debbie Bookchin are spot on when they say:
What if the emperor has no clothes? What if glitzy Lady Gaga is exactly what she appears to be: The latest manifestation of a culture industry that pushes the boundaries of civility and sexuality to the extreme in order to make a buck? And worse, pushes it on our kids long before they want or need to be presented with some middle-aged ad executive's personal sadomasochistic sexual fantasies?
There’s no “what if” to Schumacher’s and Bookchin’s questions, really.
They go on:
Is it really too much to ask for a child be allowed to reach adulthood without thinking that watching two women engaged in a jailhouse beating is prerequisite foreplay for a satisfying sexual encounter?
Apparently, yes. Just because Gaga has the liberty to say virtually anything she wants doesn’t mean she should. And it would be fantastic if she stopped altogether. She’s not furthering music or pop art. Her agenda is herself, and countless people are watching just to see how she pushes the envelope next.
Aren’t we tired of this by now?
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