videos
may 30
2009

GaGaGaGaGa

When it comes to music videos, is anyone out there even still trying to create the epic? Kanye tosses out the occasional ode to MTV yesteryear, but no one else seems invested in the grand narrative arc. With that prelude, say what you will about Lady GaGa, but her new video for "Paparazzi" is conceptually.... something. Perez Hilton himself says: "It is her strongest work to date. It is a mini-film. It is art. It is visual pornography. It is satire. It is commentary. It is brilliant! And, we are NOT exaggerating." Okay then! See also: GaGa channeling Madonna channeling Warhol, and big dicks.

3 comments

This got me thinking.

The Pop aspect of GaGa sort of overwhelms the Weird. What's Weird about her is that she seems so okay with that. Pop is art, art is life, life is sex, sex is fashion, fashion is Pop... that's it. Not original, blah, blah, but she's good at it.

Barney uses the Weird to kind of excuse himself for anything resembling Pop. Bjork uses that device as bit as well.. screaming and grunting and sound-scaping so that no one mistakes her good looks and musical gifts for a packageable product.

They both go for something epic... but I'm thinking that Barneyism is kind of GaGa's kryptonite. She's trying to get laid and paid by really good looking people. Using art and stuff.

Barney is trying to get very heady people horny about art. He wants to get laid and paid intellectually.

GaGa wants to fuck with the body and Barney wants to fuck with the mind. I think there are black hole issues preventing a collaboration. Arts/Culture universe would implode.

But yeah that would be sort of terrific. Thanks for the thought!

posted by Nic*Rad at 11:48 AM on May 30, 2009

Lady Gaga makes me want Britney to be a better man. Also, she looks so Courtney Loveish right at the end there!

I think this is my favorite "narrative" music video. Alicia Silverstone AND old school virtual reality? Sold. Oh, and this one was pretty kickass too.

posted by katiebakes at 12:09 PM on May 30, 2009

There is just as much of Axl's victim-Christ going on in "Paparazzi" as Madonna's whore. I wish there were dolphins though.

posted by stevemarsh at 9:07 PM on May 30, 2009




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