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Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ is a real work of art

By Jordan Pack

Published: Monday, March 15, 2010

Updated: Monday, March 15, 2010

On March 11, E! News exclusively premiered the highly anticipated, nine-and-a-half minute long music video for "Telephone," a song recorded by Lady Gaga and Beyonce featured on Gaga's album "The Fame Monster."

VEVO, the music video extension of YouTube, also premiered the video immediately following its televised premiere.

As expected, the video took the pop music world by storm and proved to be a "true pop event" as Gaga had previously described it.

In Gaga's previous music video for her hit single "Paparazzi," the singer was arrested for poisoning her boyfriend and taken to jail.

The music video for "Telephone" is a continuation of the "Paparazzi" video.

It starts off set in a female prison, or as the video calls it, a "Prison for Bitches," where Gaga is a cellmate.

For this video as well as her last for "Bad Romance," Gaga is bringing back the art form of what a music video should be.

The last artist to make music videos this epic was the late Michael Jackson.

But for Gaga, it is much more than just a music video.

This is what she likes to call her art, and the deep thought put into her music videos is most evident in "Telephone."

She shows that she knows how to poke fun at herself, especially in the opening prison scene where Gaga is thrown into a cell and stripped of her clothing.

"I told you she didn't have a d---," one prison guard said, mocking the rumors of Gaga's gender.

Throughout the video, there is a lot of product placement.

Many believe that the video was used for Gaga and Beyonce to make money from the included advertisements.

However, Gaga's manager Troy Carter has said that the only paid advertisements were www.PlentyofFish.com and Miracle Whip.

Other products that can be seen include Diet Coke, Wonder Bread, Honey Bun, Virgin Mobile, Coors Light and of course Gaga's Heartbeats headphones.

In an interview with Carson Daly on Los Angeles's AMP Radio, Gaga explained the hidden message and underlying theme behind the "Telephone" video and its wide variety of product placement.

"The hallmarking of mayonnaise and Wonder Bread and the American flag is to make a metaphor with the telephone, and how we're inundated with products and technology," Gaga said. "The whole sentiment of me making a sandwich then having everyone vomit up their food and die, is supposed to be a joke about how we feel with the Internet, movies, advertisements, telephones, cell phones and the media; and how we need to purge ourselves of all of those things, hence the American flag outfits Beyonce and I have on."

Gaga added that the video not only mocks society's dependency on technology but is meant to inspire her fans to "feel more free."

The pop music video also has heavy film influence from movies like "Thelma & Louise" and director Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill."

Beyonce even drives the infamous "pussy wagon" from the "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" movie in the music video after bailing Gaga out of prison.

Tarantino collaborated with Gaga on the video and insisted she use the truck.

The music video has already become a viral hit by reaching 16 million views on the VEVO.com Web site in less than four days.

These two female pop sensations are breaking the mold of any other "cookie-cutter" pop star out there nowadays.

Gaga and Beyonce have proved with the "Telephone" music video that they are real pop artists who conceptually take their ideas deeper than any other pop singer in the industry today.
 

Comments

12 comments
Anonymous
Sat Mar 20 2010 16:17
People who don't like Lady Gaga have bad taste. That's hilarious. Stop listening to overmarketed tripe peddled by Clearchannel and MTV. Joanna Newsom released a new album--actually a work of art. But that gets overshadowed due to this vacuous nonsense.

This article is poorly done. Xanga called. It wants its post back.

Anonymous
Fri Mar 19 2010 10:09
These comments are soooooo fun!!!
Art... what a joke
Thu Mar 18 2010 20:39
Jared... last time I checked people had the right to criticize whatever they want. Even if they chose to do so anonymously. If you (or Jordan) are not comfortable with criticism... don't publish your articles. No one will criticize your articles about Lady Gaga if you keep them on your hard drive... where they belong.
Jared Lathrop
Thu Mar 18 2010 03:56
I don't see how anyone on here can say this article is badly structured. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it and if you don't like the article then don't read it or apply to work for the DA and write a better article yourself. Reguardless you have no right to to critique this author's work if you're to scared to post your name in the first place. Honestly get a life.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 21:32
No, people don't like Lady Gaga because they have differing tastes in music besides what you listen to. Just because she is constantly being played on the radio and wears outrageous clothing doesn't mean everyone should like her.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 12:07
People who don't like lady gaga just have bad taste or are men insecure by her confidence.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 10:14
Are you aware that Lady Gaga is half Mountaineer? Her mother grew up in Glen Dale WV and graduated from WVU in 1976. I'm not kidding. Check it out.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 06:42
1st comment: I think you mean it HAS bad structure. Much like your grammar.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 06:23
Thank you for seeing the art in this video!
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 05:03
over hyped over rated vacuous artist.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 00:58
The article is not nearly as bad as the video itself.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 16 2010 00:12
THIS ARTICLE IS BAD STRUCTURED. IT SUX.

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