On November 10th 2009 came the music video to pop
icon Lady Gaga’s number 1 hit ‘Bad Romance’ and received acclaim from critics
and fans alike. The response varied from viewer to viewer with different people
interpreting the video in their own unique ways. Some took a very simple
opinion on the video such as Jennifer Cady of E! who stated ‘This music video really makes us appreciate
everything Gaga actually brings to pop music. She's exciting to watch, plain
and simple.’ Others such as Emily Herbert delved deeper exploring the
underlying themes of the video commenting ‘was
this the price that Gaga had to pay for the fame she so desired? Did she feel
as if she'd had to prostitute herself in some way? The themes were all based
around sex, decadence, and corruption.’
A significant message
portrayed by Gaga in the video surrounds the corruption of the entertainment
industry and its artists. She very literally shows the dark side of the industry as the on-screen action depicts capitalists
bidding on Gaga as she performs what they want to see; provocative dance moves,
wide-eyed, unaware Gaga illustrating the drug abuse but it
is the odd location of a bath tub and the image of Gaga being dragged out by
her limbs that alarms viewers and instantly displays the dangers of the
industry and the lack of control she has over herself and her body. A final
metaphor portraying an aspect of the entertainment industry is how Gaga and the
other performers are all identical and synchronized. The first instance in
which the audience sees the performers is as they emerge from the egg pods,
forming the idea that this is the birth of the artists and they are all blank
slates ready to be moulded into what is expected of them. As the performers
transition into their synchronized dancing and matching outfits for their male
onlookers, it forms the perception that all artists have to be the same to
conform to societies wants/needs; it’s a cash cow which investors know will
raise capital. This raises the question, is it us as society controlling
artists? If we broke the mould and invested into artists who are different
could we change the industry?
Another theme
explored from start to finish is the Male Gaze, a concept coined by Laura
Mulvey. It consists of the idea that the audience are viewing a text as a heterosexual
male, with scenes
The final theme of
the video is the character in which she transforms into from the blank and
timid slate she was at the beginning. Through her makeup and attire both shown
to the right, she is displayed as dominant and confident and the projection of
the male capitalist in her sunglasses
All of the themes begin and close with the same notion
however. The first scene displaying a dominant Gaga surrounded by performers
and symbols of status (e.g. large dog, fashion and coins) and the final scene
very literally displays Gaga beside the skeleton of her male counter-part who
we can only insinuate she burnt to death. This is a book end meaning the the
video starts and ends with the same idea; however Gaga also cleverly links the
song throughout to lead up to this final scene. The repetition of ‘Ra’ in the
songs iconic bridge is a word taken from the Ancient Egyptian Sun God Ra and
has connotations linked with fire, and burning. Through playing this bridge
over the scenes of her character being birthed from the pod and in the first
instance we see her drugged, for me it forms the concept that from the start of
her career she was always going to be a danger to the exploitive and
competitive music industry we have today.
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