(Viewing the video, I’m reminded of Evita, “Erotica,” the Sex book, the cone bra, “Vogue,” “La Isla Bonita,” and “Like a Prayer.” Madge must be either furious or flattered.) Washing over the viewer in “Alejandro” are essences of David Bowie, Annie Lenox, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Devils, Triumph of the Will, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and of course, the life opus of a certain Italian-American singer from Detroit. What we are seeing in Lady Gaga is a reference to references, a never-ending simulacrum built out of pop culture kitsch. Religious symbolism in music videos has been drained of meaning since Madonna made the crucifix a fashion item. Viewers who try to make sense (or offense) of the religious imagery are wasting their time. This video has all the danceable hooks, overwrought artistic pretention, and humorous camp we’ve come to expect in a Lady Gaga video.
#LADY GAGA ALEJANDRO VIDEO MEANING FULL#
With Gaga, we have witnessed the return of lengthy narratives full of pageantry, passion, and choreography unseen since the days when artists like Madonna, Michael and Janet Jackson, and Prince competed to outdo each other with ever more elaborate productions.įollowing in the wake of stunning visual spectacles like “Paparazzi” and “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro” features a Gaga as a steampunk Queen Elizabeth, catwalk-strutting models dressed like fascists, the singer dressed as a latex nun (complete with a cross over her crotch) and shirtless male dancers in black high heels and (inexplicably) Moe Howard haircuts. Transforming the video into a viral advertisement not just for her music but for a slew of product placements, (everything from high-end vodka to Miracle Whip) she has brought the economic oomph back to the genre, and thus the resources needed to reset the bar for quality. The result was less funding, low production values, bored stars and directors, and thousands of static shots of people in fashionable clothes shouting at a fisheye lens on a stationary camera.Įnter Lady Gaga, an artist with an unparalleled knack for self-promotion in the Internet age. As the recording industry began an implosion brought on by its own arrogance, the collapse of local radio, and the MP3 download, even this commercial function became questionable. Videos, rather than being an art form unto themselves, reverted to their former function as advertisements for music. After the mid-nineties, when MTV stopped playing music videos, there was no longer an incentive for labels to drop millions on a video that would at best get a brief clip on Total Request Live. What’s clear, and to her credit, is that Lady Gaga has revived the music video, a moribund genre that has failed to produce any significant pop culture buzz in nearly twenty years. ” And if anyone knows about American decadence, it’s the Catholic Church. “ has now become the new poster girl for American decadence and Catholic bashing, sans the looks and talent of her role model. Bill Donohue from The Catholic League has cast himself as the Moral Scold, a roll he plays often, and with villainous relish. Lacking a significant follow-up hit to her lesbionic “I Kissed a Girl” (not blasphemous at all), the lesser singer got her name in the news by dissing the better singer on Twitter: “Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke.” Right. Katy Perry plays the role of the Rival, adding public drama through backhanded commentary and calling the video blasphemous. As he told MTV News, The video “represents the character’s battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the Soul”. The director, Steven Klein, plays the role of Collaborator and Defender, carrying out the misunderstood brilliant artist’s vision. And when they come for you, or refuse your worth, I will be ready for their stones.” Okay. So many, over and over, coming in periods of greatness.
As The Lady Twittered: “So many will try to destroy me.
Gaga plays the roll of the Important Artist, making a “statement” and being misunderstood in the process. So far, Gaga appears to be in for a mega-hit, as all the right voices are playing their roles in the PR Passion play. The fascist imagery, religious symbolism, and sexual acting out are both provocative and a sure-fire formula for success in the pop music industry. Lady Gaga’s new video “Alejandro” pushes all the right buttons for a full-on controversy.
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