In the spirit of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and Beyonce‘s “Telephone” is no music video. This is a short film. And arrives with about as much hype. Did it live up to it?
How does it compare to its predecessor? Were there enough lesbian overtones? Was the reference to her dick cute? How about those cigarette shades? And the gratuitous Virgin Mobile and Miracle Whip and Diet Coke plugs? (And Plenty Of Fish? Seriously.) And the cameo from Jai Rodriguez?
And what’s it say that as of this post, it’s been viewed just 300-ish times on YouTube’s official music video site Vevo?
Peter van der Pas
The outfits were daring, if not “thrilling” and I liked the reference (and proof) that she has no dick. (I am getting so tired of google suggesting “Lady GaGa hermaphrodite”!) But I have to say that even as much of a queer advocate that she is, I think that some of the lesbian jokes were a little offensive. The Plenty of Fish website took it too far for me. Does anyone else feel this way?
Steven W.
Plenty of Fish is an actual dating website that’s been in business since 2003. They’ve been doing promotions with Lady Gaga during her current tour. Fish doesn’t always mean pussy.
mark snyder
on first look i feel like she kinda sold out. not much art here just skimpy clothes and the glamorization of the prison industrial complex.
fredo777
149,364 views
bruce
Lady Gaga is a classic example of a woman exploiting the gay community (by issuing a few gay-friendly comments) but then marketing herself to the male heterosexual fantasy. She’s pathetic. Note how, despite her claim to being gay-friendly, she refuses to put male-male action in her videos.
She’s verging on a fraud.
simon
Lady Phony strikes again. Not only does this so-called gay-friendly cunt refuse to put male-male action in her music videos, she panders to the very men who hate us. She markets herself as bisexual to the men who think girl-girl is hot and guy-guy is gross.
Lady Phony is a cunt, make not mistake.
mikey
Note that in all of her music videos, she’s failed to put any male-male action. Not even an itsy bitsy bit. For someone who’s made a lot of money off gay men, she’s short-changing us, don’t you think?
fredo777
As for the video itself, I loved every cheesy, cartoonish, over-the-top, commercial second of it.
fredo777
Btw, Bruce/Simon/Mikey, we got your point the first time you posted it. No need for 3 different (fake?) names.
j
@fredo777: I thought that was a little strange too, that each of those comments came right after each other. If you’re going to use sock puppets, do it right! Also she’s amazing so shut it. She’s done more for us than any other female artist in the charts right now. Why do people not complain that rianna doesn’t have “male-male action” in her videos? As soon as lady gaga says she supports us people expect her to nail herself to a sequined cross and become our martyr where no such expectation exists for other artists who haven’t vouched their support. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?
jason
Lady Gaga has been exposed as the phony she is.
She’s such a transparent phony, I’m surprised many of you didn’t pick it up earlier. Maybe you got sucked in by her mesmerizing dance beats.
She refuses to put any male-male action whatsoever in her music videos. For someone who has traded on gay male support, it’s an insult to every gay man. Moreover, she’s using grubby ploys like female bisexuality to appeal to sleazy straight guys who don’t like us gay men at all.
jason
J,
The simple fact is that Lady Gaga has spent a career telling us how much she likes gay men. Well, if she likes gay men so much, why doesn’t she put some male-male action in her music videos?
Christina Aguilera did it without much fanfare, inserting a passionate male-male kiss in her Beautiful video. Where is Lady Gaga’s contribution? I also get the sense that Gaga is controlled by heterosexual men who hate us.
Wake up, gay guys. You’re being played like a top. You’re being spun and spun into believing that Lady Gaga is on your side. She’s failed to deliver in her music videos.
Qjersey
Most of the comments about belong on a bathroom wall.
Joe
were you all just watching to see if there was some man on man action?
as a big gaga fan myself, i’m on the fence. i want to say first off, i loved that she was able to make such a big event over a music video. it reminded me of the heyday of music videos, when it was a big premiere and you sat glued to some show like trl to see the “world premiere” event. she successfully brought back a feeling that i hadn’t experienced in about 10 years.
that being said, the video was only so-so. i thought the first couple minutes (the whole prison part) were fantastic. the dick jokes, the lesbian jokes, the dance sequence in a leather bikini (sans sunglasses!!!) all made for an enjoyable beginning. i wanted it to continue but i wanted to get to beyonce’s part too.
and that’s where it fell apart. we all know homegirl b can’t act, but she was awful here. and then to make it worse THEY WASTED HER VERSE WITH A DRIVING SCENE. she rocks it in the song…why not give her an amazing dance sequence to go along with it?
the rest was just boring. the story was a little confusing and really boring. and my interest was only really piqued again when the tv flashed “lets make a sandwich.”
Lanjier
Campy fun, but drag performers would have pushed it way over the top, which is where it needed to go.
Lucky Luke
She’s one of the hottest artists around now, can’t her label afford a decent video without so much product placement? It’s really distracting.
Lancelot
She went to a woman’s prison, did she not? Where exactly were you expecting to see some man on man action? If you want to see that watch a porn.
fredo777
I think the product placement added to the video as opposed to taking away from it. It reminds me of pop art (Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans, etc). Anyway, expecting too much from a video that obviously didn’t take itself too seriously (“let’s make a sandwich”… i mean, come on) is just ridiculous.
greenluv1322
As a lesbian I have noticed that you gay guys are like hetero women…way too fucking sensitive. It’s a video and I like it I just really hate Beyonce wasn’t in it so it could have been a lot better with Rihanna!
Eric
I used to be a fan, but after seeing her Telephone video I think I’m done with her nonsense. Far from ground-breaking, just nauseating and slick.
1. Way to go, setting your pop video in a prison populated by mostly minorities.
2. Your put-on bisexuality act is played out and far from edgy. You’re just a better packaged Kate Perry, kissing girls for attention from straight people.
3. I don’t want you to be a representative of the gay rights movement. Subjugation of women combined with hollow empowerment narratives — no thinks.
rf
Thank goodness for time scroll bars. whole thing can be enjoyed (or not) in about 35 seconds. Now excuse me, I gotta get to the store and pick up some miracle whip…
fredo777
Speaking of uber-sensitivity…
Vou
Well Lady Gaga is a bit like Marmite isn’t she? You either love or hate her…
I’ve been a fan of her since I first heard her and I have to say I had a lot of LOL moments, the video was OTT but I loved it, typical Lady Gaga.
Lady Gaga is an entertainer and I take her as such, whether she pretends to or is actually a champion for GAY rights, that’s a different story.
She makes good music, she’s OTT and quite frankly she is what she is.
scott
@Peter van der Pas: Plenty of Fish isn’t a lesbian joke. It is an actual, general-audience dating site. It was just one of the several product placements that made me uncomfortable.
Andrew
As two separate entities I love the short film and the song. Together I think it’s a train wreck. I actually really like the song and thought the video didn’t do justice to it at all. I liked the visuals and style of the video but overall it was a big disappointment. The plugs for Virgin Mobile and Plenty of Fish were HORRIBLE. Never never so obviously put product placement in a video/movie/tv show.
scott
@fredo777: thank you!
jason
Lady Gaga is a product of male fantasy. Her boss at Interscope Records is a man, her video producers are male. Probably all hetero too.
No hetero male is going to allow a female to put man-man action in her music videos. The music industry is full of these homophobic types. These types would much prefer a female singer market herself as bisexual for male titillation purposes, and not really out of respect for GLBT rights.
Lady Gaga is yet another hetero male-pleasing doormat. She’s no different from the women who do porn to please straight guys, bisexual action and all.
bryce
Lady Caca, as in shit. Nuff said.
fredo777
@Andrew: Have you ever seen an episode of American Idol, especially during the Top 24 rounds?
There have been much, much more blatant product placement examples than in this video + I really don’t get why people are making such a big deal about the few that I spotted.
jason
Number of female singers who are allowed to market themselves as bisexual = at least 10.
Number of male singers who are allowed to market themselves as bisexual = 0.
Says a lot about the music industry, doesn’t it? Do you still think it’s a friendly industry as far as the male-male interaction is concerned?
bill
OMG, our dear Lady Gaga looks uglier than Amy Winehouse on a drug bender.
AlwaysGay
I like the video aesthetically. Who decided “Telephone” was worthy of a nine minute short film? She has other songs that would have been better choices.
Jeebs
to all the people who keep complaining about no male-on-male kiss:
first off, you guys (guy? i really agree that its only one person) need to get your head out of your ass. The LGBT community is more than just the G males. She may have had a lesbian kiss scene, but this wasn’t your typical “straight guy girl-on-girl.” This was a very butch woman who would probably not be considered hot in the eyes of a straight guy. I bet you that if Rihanna, or some other pop star that has no control really over their videos like Gaga does, if they had done this specific video (female prison) the inmates would have been playmate-looking women with fake tattoos and some heavy tongue action.
what I really loved about her video was the androgynous roles men and women had in her video. It took me several views to realize that the prison guards were in fact men, and I think its great that she didn’t made a caricature out of men in drag. I love how she is willing to put cross-dressing/drag in such a normal light, unlike other videos that turn men in drag as a punch line. If at any given moment, drag was being used as a caricature, it was on Gaga herself during that sandwich/kitchen scene, where her make-up was over the top and very drag-tastic.
Overall I really loved the video. Product placement made me cringe at times, because she could have done it more seamlessly like with the wonder bread at the kitchen. Also, as opposed to what I’ve seen others say, I loved the break in between the songs for the dialogue. I thought B killed her part (given that she’s not great of an actress) and LOVED both major dance scenes! Gaga really knows how to make a pop video, and its fun to watch it.
Keith
It’s satire people. It’s Lady Gaga poking fun at her self and her own marketing machine–that’s why it has stereotypical prisoners, product placement, lots of skin. The cigarette sunglasses are the ultimate metaphor for the whole video. It’s making a statement about the modern culture, and in going so over the top is pointing us to notice how ridiculous it all is… yet, in a very fun way. It’s entertaining and teaching at the same time, just as good theatre should.
John
Lady Gaga has $ham clown, cashing in on LGBT culture to make studio execs $$$.
B Damion
Stop..Hat’en..Stop Hat’en..I don’t wanna hate anymore..These two singbirds Be Gaga..are fiiiire…I loved every F-ing second of this video. This video has already made history..it’s Iconic..no other artist can touch this masterpieace….
I love you Beyonce And GAGA….
Alex Sarmiento
I’d watch this video were it not for one thing: Beyonce.
Nate
I think the guy with all the “J” names needs to relax a bit. I mean how many comments do you need to put that contain the phrase “male on male action”?
Shade
Love the GaGa. Any woman who dated Kermit is good in my book.
Joshua
First of all Lady Gaga lookin’ hot, so everyone shut it. Second she is finally like taking LGBT issues and throwing them in the face of America and like forcing them to look. I didnt think it was cash-cowing at all. And POF, my intial reaction was it was a hat-pff to the gays… i dunno it sems like a pretty randomt hing to market? Anyways it was wicked. Love her, and the dance in the jail around 3:30 was awesome. Oh, and she is not friggen usuing the LGBT community to cash in… like really? Thats such a dick move after all the positive things she has said/done for our (and her) community. Gaga is wicked and if you disagree, you are stupid, that is my mature argument.
edgyguy1426
I think Keith and Jeebs ‘get’ it.
Tonic
Why the fuck would I need to see male-on-male action in her video?
Even if male-on-male action in a music video were some type of magical display of support, she owes you NOTHING. She’s a freakin’ popstar. Any support she gives (which she has) is great, but she’s a chick that entertains, not an activist.
edgyguy1426
If anyone is gonna get on her case, it’s gonna be PETA for the ‘poisoning’ of the dog in the diner (which, when I saw it, I laffed so hard). One thing for sure, she’s not as good a dancer as Madonna, but she’s a better musician and vocalist. Lucky all the trendsetting has already been done by Madonna or we would be shocked by the things Gaga is doing today.
I don’t get the man-on-man action comments, it’s set in a women’s prison for crissake, but you know many of the dancers she uses are gay…it must just be a pro-Madonna/anti-Gaga faction stirring things up.
derrr
i personally loved both the concept and direction they decided to go in as far as the mood of the video. Then again, i’m a huge GaGa fan.
i agree with the product placement though, SO annoying.
it definitely brought down the quality of the video as a whole.
but i loved the outfits, the quotes, the murders, even Beyonce, who i had no faith in as far as fitting into a GaGa video.
Can’t wait to see where they go from here.
and i completely agree with Tonic, she doesn’t need to stick two guys making out into a video to show her support.
I’m pretty sure i would rather see her making a speech during a march in DC…
Michael
Her clothing may be transparent, but Lady Gaga is not.
I totally agree with Jeebs when he says that the action in this was NOT typical “straight guy lesbian” stuff. Also, what about the relationship between Gaga and Beyonce and this video? …and what do they DO to the straight men? Poison them…
I don’t think this video is promoting the lesbian fantasy for straight men – and I don’t find the lesbian references or puns offensive…but then again I’m also not a lesbian, so maybe I’d feel differently.
I don’t know what I think, really. People are going to hate on more than half of the stuff that any artist puts out there…we all have our icons that we hate.
I think what’s clear though is what was mentioned here previously…and that is that Lady Gaga, regardless of this video, has done more for us than any other artist on the charts right now. By far.
Idk…that’s how I feel. There are so many opinions expressed on here that I just simply don’t agree with…and I can’t prove them wrong just as they can’t prove mine wrong…because what we all consider to be important or appropriate or inappropriate is going to vary from person to person for a number of reasons.
I’m obsessed with Gaga. I think she’s brilliant.
I loved this video, and so did two of my closest lesbian friends.
Gaga has something HUGE going right now, and people just want to bitch. Thassall I’m sayinn…
Michael
Sorry for the second comment, but I just read this (missed it somehow) and I find that this how nearly every critic of Gaga goes faulty:
“It’s satire people. It’s Lady Gaga poking fun at her self and her own marketing machine–that’s why it has stereotypical prisoners, product placement, lots of skin. The cigarette sunglasses are the ultimate metaphor for the whole video. It’s making a statement about the modern culture, and in going so over the top is pointing us to notice how ridiculous it all is… yet, in a very fun way. It’s entertaining and teaching at the same time, just as good theatre should.”
This sums up Gaga’s perspective on what she does. People should NOT try and judge her material by the same standards and same conventions that they use for other musicians out right now. Yet, ironically, they must realize that she is fully participating in this pop industry, just like the rest of them.
Critics of Gaga don’t think about this when they bitch…
Lady Gaga loves to poke fun at herself. In order to stay active and sane in this industry, artists have to be able to play with their art AND take it seriously at the same time. If not, either they get burnt out or we do.
The Artist
Still luvin the GAGA! Seems like she’s having fun. BRILLIANT! We’re only here for a short time, so we should all party like its pass 1999! Side note: I don’t think this version is appropriate for my 4 year old 2 watch. PEACELUVNBILD!
Rob Moore
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just an old troll. I like this video. I like all of her videos. In this one, I thought she and Beyonce made an amazing duet. There were elements of Kill Bill, Natural Born Killers, and Thelma & Louise in this. The fact there is no guy on guy action is not really the point to me. Her instincts and creativity are always spot on. I haven’t seen anyone this creative since before Michael Jackson faded to white. She makes Madonna look like the cow Madonna has always been to me with her very modest creativity at combining music and visual symbols. Her videos always provide plenty of eye-candy with a Y chromosome.
romeo
Laughed and laughed. First of all, one of those guards I’m positive is a trannie. Second of all, I don’t believe the girl on girl action in this vid is the kind that turns straight men on. LOL Could be wrong on this, but I think straight guys would get skerd at that prison scene. Thirdly, as far as I’m concerned, the Gogs has still not proved she’s sans peepee. But whatever. This thing is soooooo gay. Whaddaya want?
The only thing I found offensive was slathering all that Miracle Whip on those sandwiches in the kitchen scene.
Aaron
A handy guide to Gaga’s 15 Best Product Placements
http://mediaelites.com/2010/03/12/product-placement-goes-gaga/
John
What’s up with so mnay people dissing Gaga for not including man on man action in her video? What about the video for “Teeth?” It’s nothing BUT man on man action (well, they’re vampires, but still). I think she does love the gays and most of the gays I know love her.
Gaga 4 Ever! Have a great weekend!
MeDontGetIt
@bryce: LOLOLOLOLOL. LOVE IT. LADY CACA.
MuscleBoy
@Michael: You´re obsessed with Gaga? What are you, a 15-year-old girl? Dude, get a life.
TheAwfulTruth
Still waiting to see when Perez Hilton, her BFF, turns on her. Hahaha…
Krissy
The product placement,the female cliches…they were all apart of the point! Women are imprisoned by these cliches, and the non-stop advertising is killing us. We all eat it up…like the diners in the video. 😉
Synnerman
The PUSSY WAGON RIDES AGAIN!!! ROCK ON!
bill
Krissy,
Give me a break. Lady Gaga’s video could have been dreamt up by Hugh Hefner. Lady Gaga is simply pandering to male heterosexual fantasy. Her cliches are a marekting ploy. There’s no irony whatsoever.
Thomas
You think showing two gay men have sex is the only way she can support the LGBT community? Her marching in DC wasn’t enough? What about her performances at the HRC, AMFAR, and LOGO events? What about her constantly giving us credit for the success she had early on in her career? What about her thanking us mutable times at award shows? GaGa’s appreciation and support for the gay community is very well documented.
bill
Lady Gaga’s video for Teeth is not her official music video.
In all her official music videos, Gaga fails to include male-male action. She may be afraid of the consequences to her career. Keep in mind that all her male bosses are hetero – they control what she does.
When hetero men control things, they dictate that male-male action be deleted. It’s common knowledge in the music industry.
Oscar
I would have loved to have seen Gabourey “Precious” Sidibe in the Beyonce Role.
bill
Thomas,
The best thing to do is compare Lady Gaga’s action to her words. She once said she didn’t want to talk about her bisexuality in case it appeared to be exploitative. Then she goes and depicts it in her music videos. It seems to be a contradiction to say the least.
Secondly, she’s made a lot of money off gay men. Tons and tons of it. It therefore seems curious that she would avoid putting male-male action in all her music videos to date, don’t you think? It’s even more curious because she’s obviously not averse to it in some of her stage shows. But, and this is crucial, when it comes to the mass marketing format of her videos, she avoids it.
This is my take on Gaga: she’s being controlled by homophobic male hetero’s.
bill
There are male guards in female prisons. Why couldn’t she have shown two male guards kissing?
Besides, the concept of a female prison came from either her or her sleazy video producer Jonas Akerlund. Jonas is the same guy who consistently puts female-female action in videos from female artists.
When was the last time you saw a video producer put male-male action in a video from a male artist?
TheProfessor
Now I want to know: do gay men still VOGUE???? Why are they doing it here? That is kind of passe, no?
TheProfessor
@bill: Being controlled by “homophobic male heteros”? Hummm, how about “closeted fearful self-loathing queens”, like the ones who control Hollywood?
TheProfessor
@bill: That is BS. Who controls Hollywood? Closeted or fearful gay men who tremble at the thought of losing their cash cows. No, it is not homophobic straight males who are responsible, but our self-loathing brethren.
fredo777
If I see the phrase “male-male action” posted again, I’m gonna poison someone’s dog.
Dickie
The video is fun. Reading into the video as if it is the ultimate statement on modern society and life is really just a bit much. Reading into it as some sort of slap to feminism or to the gay community is pretty much nonsense. It’s just a fun video made by a performance artist that flirts with the avant garde.
JP
Crap to the 10th power
bill
Male-male action is fun too. Why has Gaga avoided it?
bill
Jeebs,
You’re full of crap.
We in the male side of the community are sick and tired of women getting the “hot” treatment at our expense. We’re sick and tired of half-naked women writhing in music videos made by women. We’re sick and tired of seeing female bisexuality promoted as “hot” but male bisexuality as virtually non-existent. You women need to fuck off.
Unlike you women, we men treat our sexuality seriously. We don’t kiss each other for the benefit of a sleazy third party. We don’t fake our bisexuality for the benefit of moronic straight men.
You and Lady Gaga have no relevance in the gay community at all.
Lucky Luke
Beyonce looks like a blow up doll at 8:18, LOL. Must have been more fun to shoot this video than her usual ones.
james p. p.
Cute video…. Brought to you by Verizon and (as she is the “Creative Director”) Polaroid
Eric
“If the director of the video sought to create a new low in the abyss of our cultural / aesthetic depression, he succeeded.”
sal(the original)
GAGA ISSSS THHHEEEEE BESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!BEYONCE WAS TOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sal(the original)
GAGA I LOVEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
JTG
Bill, or Jason or Bruce or whatever the fuck your name is (seriously, dude, you’re not fooling anybody with all these sock puppet accounts):
1) As has already been said here, LADY GAGA OWES YOU NOTHING. Try to wrap your mind around that concept for a minute. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
2) Next, try to tell any woman in real life to fuck off, see how well that works out for you. Extra bonus points for trying it on Lady Gaga; I’d love to see one of her security posse tackle you. They’d probably air it on TV a million times.
3) If you’re watching her videos specifically to see male-male action, then you’re on the wrong site. Adding to that, if you’re watching any music video ever to see male-male action, you really need to reexamine your priorities. Yes, gay/bi men are underrepresented in music videos. It’s not Lady Gaga’s job to try to change that. (For one thing, she’s female.)
4) I’ll say it one more time: LADY GAGA OWES YOU FUCKING NOTHING. Look at how much she’s already done for the gay community; many people here have listed several things she’s done, and she’s done them genuinely and with passion. How much more does she need to do to prove her support? If you consider “male-male action in her videos” to be the ultimate expression of her commitment to gays and lesbians, and not MARCHING AND PERFORMING IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL, then I’m sorry, but you’re not really worth anybody’s time.
5) Shut up.
I have said my piece.
Sam
Eh. Bad Romance vid was better.
sal(the original)
@JTG: love u too hun,tell em,haters fall back
jason
JTG,
Lady Gaga is contributing to the problem. She claims to be so gay-friendly yet fails to put male-male action in her music videos. At least Christina Aguilera put her money where her mouth is vis a vis her Beautiful video. Lady Gaga doesn’t have the balls to do what Christina did.
Lady Gaga’s contribution to gay rights is partly framed by how much money she’s made off dumb gay men. You see this pattern repeated through history, all the way back to the despicable Madonna.
Lady Gaga is a despicable bitch who caters to male heterosexual fantasy under the guise of being gay-friendly. She can fuck off, along with all the other females who have acted this way.
jason
Thomas,
A picture says a thousand words. By omitting images of male-male sensuality from her music videos, Lady Gaga is neglecting the most powerful tool through which to show support for us.
Lady Gaga’s appearances at gay rights rallies mean nothing to me. Anyone can turn up. Even Paris Hilton was grand marshall at the LA pride rally 5 years ago. Means diddly squat to me.
Mitchell Bryant
the simple fact is that guy on guy doesn’t sell a well as girl on girl.
People who benefit from girl on girl
Lesbiens, Straight men, Bi-sexual girls, Bi-sexual men
People who benefit from guy on guy
Gay men, Bi-sexual two huge demographics
jason
Mitchell Bryant,
Utter garbage.
I know lesbians who get off on sensuous male-male. There are tons of straight women who would rather get off on male-male than female-female.
In any case, why is Lady Gaga reducing her shtick to porn? Porn is inherently male heterosexual-centric. If she wants to do it, she shouldn’t be pretending that she’s hitting balls for our side.
Lady Gaga is either a fraud or a frivolity. I’ll leave the final judgement up to you.
Totakikay
Lady Gaga has the best songs I know. Bad Romance, especially.
RoxyTK
@Lucky Luke: I think she was referencing Warhol with all the product placement. How could anyone forget the “Campbell’s Soup Cans”?
That said, the video should have been shorter.
jason
She has a habit of placing products in her videos. She even did it in Poker Face.
Either way, she’s an ugly human being who refuses to portray sensuous male-male interactions in her videos.
benlayvey
@TheProfessor: “Who controls Hollywood?” The Jews.
LT
What is wrong with you people? Lesbians (real lesbians, not the straight guy kind) are one of the most underrepresented segments of the LGBT community in the media. Lady Gaga is bucking the trend by showing an atypical media portrayal of lesbianism (a butch-femme makeout session).
How is it exploitative for a bisexual woman to show lesbians in her music video? Why do you all spit “bisexual” like it’s a dirty word? Why should Lady Gaga have included “male-male action” in a music video with female singers and a setting in a women’s prison? It just doesn’t make any sense. By your logic, lesbians should be up in arms against Adam Lambert because he didn’t show any “female-female action” in his AMA performance. I think you all need to get over your little entitled, bi-phobic, lesbophobic attitudes and get real. Lady Gaga does more for the gay community everyday than most of us do in a lifetime. She doesn’t owe you anything.
jason
LT,
I think you’re missing the point.
Lady Gaga always hops onto gay men when she needs to spruik herself. However, she avoids showing sensuous male-male interactions in her music videos. It’s a contradiction. Her actions don’t seem to match her words.
In any case, aren’t we already flooded with images of half-naked females and lesbians (faux, expecially) in all forms of entertainment, including music videos? Music videos are now like porn clips designed to prop up male heterosexual fantasy. I’m sick of it.
We get enough half-naked females thrown at us day after day. Even music videos by non-gay female artists contain half-naked females. When was the last time you saw half-naked men writhing around an artist like Eminem or John Mayer? Where are the half-naked men in the artists by non-gay males?
There is a double standard in the music industry, and it’s harming our rights. Lady Gaga isn’t helping us gay and bisexual men.
fredo777
@jason: “Music videos are now like porn clips designed to prop up male heterosexual fantasy. I’m sick of it.”
Instead, you want them to be like porn clips designed to inspire gay male fantasies? More male-male “action” is available if you head over to Corbin Fisher.
gomez
@jason. of course you’d be here, whining.
“Porn is inherently male heterosexual-centric.”
um, seriously? you’re gonna hang your argument on this? doesn’t even deserve disproving.
i wonder if all these whiners would be complaining about a video that only had male/male eroticism and no girl/girl. i think we know the anwser to that. it’s like lesbianism or female bisexuality doesn’t even count with some gay guys. rediculous.
it’s a women’s prison video! what do you expect?
but apparently, to some uptight gay guys, who think they are the sex police, attractive women are not allowed tp be erotic with each other in culture, no way, no how. the fuck? who made you in charge?
and i suspect lady gaga will do a male/male erotic video at some point. and i’m not even a “fan”.
yes, the market is more ripe at the moment for girl/girl. sucks? yeah, but that’s reality. and actually, all these expressions of female bisexuality are paving the way eventually for more expressions of male bisexuality, but you’re too bitter, jealous and myopic to see it. stop crying and enjoy the progress we’re making. for everyone.
gomez
@88 who do you think you are that you get to decide who is a “faux” lesbian and who isn’t? and so what if str8 chix make out with each other? you get to tell adult women they can’t? not on this planet.
you are no better than the right wing moral crusdaers
TheProfessor
@benlayvey: Gay Jews, Benlavey.
mark
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned this:
the video is about murder. it’s morbid – there’s violence, profanity, it’s set in jail. why would you want homosexuality to play a part in this? the lesbianism is distasteful; it’s represented with the same sordid, mocking tone that pervades the clip (btw I’m not trying to insult the artistry)
half of america already thinks homosexuality is a sin. well done lady gaga, you just affirmed that for them.
kj
@ bill,jason etc. All the same person. You r so pathetic posting the same comment on so many blogs about the video.
I dn’t see y the hell Gaga needs to put two guys kissing, to show her support.It is quite sad that you think,thats the only way for her to show her support.
Anyway read this: Review From Gaga’s Sold-out Monster ball conert at Vector Arena, Auckland,NZ.
“Just for good measure, Alejandro closed out with two of her male dancers enjoying a long kiss in the centre of the stage”
http://www.thespaghettiincident.com/2010/03/lady-gaga-auckland-concert-review-nz.html
jason
KJ,
I already know that Lady Gaga allows two men to kiss in her concert. But a concert is a captive audience, not an audience you are trying to win over in terms of record sales. Most in the concert audience probably already own her record.
What Lady Gaga is doing is playing it safe. It’s the same old tactic that Madonna and other females have used. This consists of claiming to support gay rights but marketing yourself to male heterosexual fantasy. Thus, she has had male+female and female+female interactions in her videos to date, but not male-male.
This isn’t just a coincidence. As far as I’m concerned it’s a strategy. It’s a strategy of record companies and the homophobic executives who control them. They don’t want to “create a stir” or “offend” those who are grossed out by male-male sensuality.
I think it’s only fair to point to Lady Gaga to illustrate this point. We deserve better from her than mere platitudes.
Nick
The lesbian scenes in this are not, as some are describing, an example of Lady Gaga pandering to heterosexual male fantasies.
Note that there are almost no men in this video whatsoever (barring Beyonce’s, what I assume to be, boyfriend). This video is about free women (ironically set in a prison), men are practically non-existant in this “world”. Also, she doesn’t spin sexuality through a heteronormative light. The women are all fairly andrgynous. This is the complete opposite to say Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl.
I personally believe that Lady Gaga will become a feminist icon, one also championing for gay equality (don’t play down the significance of her involvement in the Gay Equality March, surely that says more than the lack of male-male action in this video, which wouldn’t fit in anyway). So many people see this video, or her generally, and say “OMG! She’s like half-naked, what a slut!” As if to say that if a woman shows her skin, indulges in the feminine form, she is obviously only doing it to attract men. Funnily enough, the same doesn’t go for men who take off their tops, does it?
My interpretation of this video surmises what I think Lady Gaga is all about. She is saying don’t be defined as a negation to the majority, don’t believe what is said to be truth just because it’s said to be such, and let yourself be as unconsumed as we naturally come.
Dionte
I didn’t like it at first but now I do
Wil
@j:
Here here! and it’s a little to early in her career to condemn her for not doing “male-male” stuff. It’s a consumers world there and lipstick sells, you gotta trick people into learning/accepting/embracing. Reel them in with the “fashionable lesbians” and then you hit them with the big guns.
I think Bad Romance was better but I had a good time on this ride too. Get over yourselves, It’s alot prettier out here when you don’t have a giant stick shoved up your ass (yep I reread that after I typed it and nope I’m not going to rephrase because because my initial intended point is valid).
jason
Wil,
I’m sorry, Wil, but using lipstick lesbians to seduce straights into accepting us gay and bisexual men is pure fraud. Don’t insult the intelligence of the GLBT community with a tacky, titillation-based ethic.
Acceptance of lipstick lesbianism is NOT indicative of acceptance. It’s a phony acceptance based on titillation. The guys who think lipstick lesbians are “hot” generally put “gay-bashing” under “favorite sports”.
Lady Gaga is despicable, basically. She’s effectively avoiding the concept of male-male sensuality in her music videos. This coming from a woman who has exploited gay men in order to make money. Buzz off, Lady Gaga.
jason
Nick,
Unconsumed? LOL. She’s put products in her video. Unconsumed, my foot.
The sooner the gay community wakes up to Lady Phony, the better.
biggles
My information, which I gleaned from a source, is that Interscope Records (Lady Gaga’s record company) may not be too comfortable about having male-male sensuality in her videos. It’s my understanding that Interscope Records does not want its insignia at the bottom of a music video that contains male-male sensuality.
My understanding is that the deal with Lady Gaga was that she could use male-female and female-female but not male-male in her music videos, which are considered her prime marketing tool. She could, however, have a little male-male in her stage show, but nothing more than that.
I’m not 100% certain as to the source’s reliability but that’s the information I’m getting.
CONVERSATION CHAMBER
For petesake…do some of you not know how PETTY you sound with these gluttonous complaints? Lady Gaga doesn’t “owe” it to anybody to “represent” their interests. She’s a pop star, not an activist. The only thing that she really has a responsibility to do is sell records…not play up to the interests of any one demographic.
If you’re troubled by the lack of apparent male/male action (and to use the word “action” sounds sleazy and self-centered) in her videos, then tell you what…record an album, and make music videos featuring QAF style smooching and groping. Hell, I wonder how many people complaining about the supposed lack of gay male visibility in Gaga’s music videos are supporting gay male artists like Ari Gold, Brian Kent and Rufus Wainwright — whose music and music videos DO speak from a gay male perspective. How many of their songs do you have on your iPods…how many of their videos are on your YouTube play-list…how many radio stations have you called to request that their music be played?
It’s just sounds so silly to me. Gaga is one of the few popular acts out right now who has unabashedly championed the social and political issues of gay people…but you wanna complain because, in the meantime, she (a female) makes music videos from a FEMALE angle? Get fucking real. As soon as someone supports you, you wanna play the cynic and bellyache about them not doing more. And the Madonna cracks are even more ridiculous. Madonna’s gay-friendly stance goes all the way to when she started in the early/mid 80s…when it was NOT cool or socially acceptable for a mainstream act to embrace the gay community…and she probably lost the support of some straight male fans as a result of being such a gay icon.
It’s one thing to argue about double standards…and it’s another to pettily complain when things aren’t done exactly YOUR way.
Hush.
And BTW, I usually can’t stand Gaga…and resent that some of you bozos made me defend her.
Hilarious
Was that supposed to be music?
I’d never compare whatever the fuck that was to anything Michael Jackson ever did in his life.
fredo777
@Hilarious: Was supposed to be + was music. Your disliking it doesn’t make it any less music than whatever you choose to listen to. Besides that, it’s a poppy dance club track + the main criteria for such a track are that it’s catchy + that you can move to it. Mission accomplished.
jason
Conversaton Chamber,
There is no level playing field. Modern society – including the entertainment industry – glamorizes female bisexuality but demonizes male bisexuality. A male version of Lady Gaga would never get signed by the record companies. Repeat, there is no level playing field.
My point is that females like Lady Gaga exploit the double standard. They know full well what they’re doing. Next time Lady Gaga tells us how much she “loves the gays”, I’ll flip my middle finger at her.
jason
Conversaton Chamber,
Lady Gaga isn’t making videos from a female angle. She’s making videos from a female angle which panders to the sleazy straight guy fantasy.
You say that Lady Gaga doesn’t owe anybody anything. Honey, she’s made mansions from gay guys’ monetary devotion. The least she could do would be to put some male-male sensuality in her official music videos.
Just because she’s a woman, it doesn’t mean she can’t do it. As a woman, she seems to have no trouble claiming to be on gay men’s side, so I don’t see why she should have any problem depicting it.
kj
Jason, you just a sad case. I pity your logic,but to each his own. So carry on in your ignorance.
@ conversation camber, well said. N its just Jason posting as numurous id’s, thinking the more he repeats his petty logic, it would some how make it right.
Brian
If you think a straight male’s fantasy is to see a butch woman (whom i had trouble realizing was a woman at first) kissing lady gaga…
If i were a straight male, I wouldn’t get hot and heavy over seeing some barely-recognizable-as-a-woman woman making out with lady gaga. If it were truly pandering to straight men wanting to see two women locking lips, the scene would have been much longer with a much more hetero-attractive woman on the initiating end.
secondly, i agree with everyone who sees this video as a big satire.
i could stand her music, but before this video, i would never admit to being a lady gaga fan. this video was so creative and full of energy that it made me actually respect her as an artist. it made fun of ad-placements, which, to me, added so much more to the video. even if she was using them to fund her video or something like that, she did it in a way that played to what has seemed to be her style. She pokes fun at pop-culture and a lot of societal values that, if you take a step back to look at, are quite absurd in and of themselves, even though we take these things very seriously otherwise.
in my opinion, the ad-placement did not detract, but only added to the video.
Beyonce may not be the best actress, but if anyone hasn’t noticed, Lady GaGa is a great actress while she’s singing; however, when she’s not performing a song, she’s not exactly an oscar-worthy actress, either.
together, I think they performed brilliantly to create the type of atmosphere they were going for. when beyonce said “you’ve been a very bad girl. A very, very bad, bad girl, gaga” and then IMMEDIATELY took a bite of her honey bun, I laughed my ass off literally. it was bad acting, but it was PERFECT! fit the mood of the video very well.
Also, as a gay man, i don’t feel like lady gaga owes me a gay kiss in her music videos just because she supports our cause. We have done a lot for her, but in reality, she doesn’t owe us jack sh*t. It’d be VERY considerate of her to do something for us since we helped her launch her career, but in reality, she doesn’t HAVE to pay us back for anything. Yeah, it’d make her a bitch, but paying us back for our help isn’t a necessity for lady gaga to keep breathing (although, if she told us to go f ourselves there’d be the gay mafia out to get her for sure).
Also, if you feel like man on man action in her videos is the only way lady gaga can be fair to us, you may need to reconsider your values in life.
Brian
Jason,
human society as a whole is always afraid of what is new and unknown.
They don’t respect us/treat us equally because they think all gay people, ESPECIALLY men, care about is cruising and having sex. And this actually plays more of a justifiable defense in the discrimination of homosexuals than religion does. Lawmakers can’t ban gay marriage because of what the bible says due to separation of church and state; however, they can play off of people’s fear of what will happen if we become an accepted minority. This is where they use their thoughts on our “lifestyle” to pander to people’s fear to get society to vote against us.
The way to gain our acceptance isn’t to get lady gaga to include “male-male sensuality” in her videos because all that does is reaffirm society’s views that all gay men care about is sex.
The way to gain equality is to prove to people that we’re not really any different than they are. We’re people too, the ONLY difference between us is that we just prefer relations/relationships with members of the same gender.
It is people like you, Jason (people who seem to think that our sexuality defines who we are), who will assure that we will never achieve true equality.
So next time i see YOU talking about how “male-male sensuality” is the only way lady gaga can be fair to us, i will flip YOU the middle finger, SIR.
Love to all! <3
Hilarious
@fredo777: It blew ass. If you like hyped up garbage just because it’s “cool” to do so go right ahead, but shit is still shit even if you call it roses.
fredo777
@Hilarious: And if you want to shut the hell up, you can go right ahead. I don’t give a rat damn what’s “hyped” or not. If I like something, I like it.
I’m not exactly running out to watch Twilight or listen to Taylor Swift’s album, both of which have received their fair share of hype. The song was catchy + I enjoyed it. If you didn’t, don’t listen. Carry on.
Hilarious
@fredo777: What are you 13? You’re really worked up over my opinion. You seem to forget you’re the one who chose to reply to me and debate MY opinion so don’t act like I’m attacking you, kiddo.
fredo777
@Hilarious: I was exaggerating somewhat for comedic effect, obviously. I couldn’t care less about your opinion on my taste in music, though. I just found your reply somewhat condescending.
james_cambridge
Beautiful, beautiful video. A piece of art actually. Love Ms. Gaga more and more each day…
jason
Lady Gaga doesn’t owe us anything?? Give me a fucking break! She’s got mansions because of us, for Pete’s sake. Look, I know that being a gay guy doesn’t automatically confer intelligence but do you really have to prove the adage that there’s a sucker born every minute?
Look at how Christina Aguilera put a beautiful male-male kiss in her Beautiful video. Christina was never as audible as Lady Gaga on the issue of gay rights yet here we had a video that did more to normalize male-male sensuality than anything before or since.
Lady Gaga needs to take a leaf out of Christina’s book.
benlayvey
@jason: Cool off babe. It’s JUST a video. It’s not like she’s advocating packing us into gas chambers.
jason
Ben,
No, I didn’t say that. I’m simply pointing to Gaga’s hypocrisy.
Brian
Again, Jason, if you feel like lady gaga can only do us right by putting “male-male sensuality” in her videos, you need to get your priorities straightened out.
There’s more to homosexuality than two guys making out.
And I say again. She doesn’t owe us anything. She never made a deal with us to buy her stuff so she could get rich. She never forced us to do anything. It’s not her fault that us gays ate her shit up (it helped that she was very vocal about her support of the gay community, but AGAIN, she never forced us to do anything).
So SHE DOESN’T OWE US ANYTHING.
How does thinking through this logically make me a sucker?
I have told you I have never been a GaGa fan. But art speaks to me, and I saw the art in this video. I respect her so much more now. Even though you do not see any art in this video, that does NOT make it invalid or incapable of having artistic value.
Get your priorities together, man. The gay community needs more than two men kissing in a music video. We should expect more than two men kissing in a music video. Why should we settle for blatant acts of sexuality to feel like we’re part of pop culture when there’s so much more to our lives than that?
Lady GaGa is not a gay martyr, her music videos should not be the vessels of our cause, and she continues to not owe anybody anything. Yeah, in certain ways, it’s perfectly reasonable for her to owe us something because yeah, gays did step up and help her out. But in harsh reality, she owes us NOTHING.
Jeff K.
Loved it! Anyone else catch the Dune-Star Wars-Command & Conquer reference? Hint: look at the poison recipe.
Klarth
@Tonic: THIS.
IDGI. Why does there need to be male on male action? You just mad b/c Tyrese didn’t make out with one of the male diner patrons. XD
Anyway, srsly, Lady GaGa doesn’t owe us anything. She isn’t where she is because of gay support. She’s a musician, and her work is popular. Did you expect Madonna to do it. I don’t recall that she ever did, and we’re supposed to be all about her. This is just 2.0
Get over it. Everything doesn’t have to be about us.
Klarth
@jason: Um, Adam Lambert? Yeah.
OJ
@Jason
“Christina Aguilera did it without much fanfare, inserting a passionate male-male kiss in her Beautiful video.”
“No hetero male is going to allow a female to put man-man action in her music videos.”
You do realize that Beautiful was directed by Jonas Akerlund? The same director as for Telephone. Henceforth (yeah, I said it), your argument is stupid.
Al
See you in Houston July 25th ! I did not like the product placement,abit long, too trying and kinda faKe!
jeffree
wow i think jason pretty much managed to make himself a one note marching band!! Well at least now he has some pretend friends!
final score: Gaga: 87 Jason: 1.5
if you dont like gaga dont buy her music or attend her concerts but please dont tell me what i should or shouldnt like. that’s rude.
andy
@Peter van der Pas: Thats an actual website, not a pun.
E11is
Everyone who is saying things about her not putting in male on male kisses are missing one vital point
shes a bisexual FEMALE
if she wants to put same sex kissing you better believe it is going to be her and a gal or two gals before its two guys. not because she hates gay guys but because she loves lesbians.
austin
To all those attacking Jason’s posts, let me ask you a number of questions:
a) Why are women, but not men, allowed to market themselves as “bisexual” in the music industry? I know there are bi men in the music industry but why aren’t they allowed to market themselves as such?
b) Why are female singers allowed to be surrounded by half-naked females but male singers aren’t allowed to be surrounded by half-naked men in their music videos?
b) Why has Lady Gaga consistently refused to show any male-male contact in all her official music videos, in contrast to male-female and female-female?
c) Do you see Lady Gaga as an independent spirit or as a product of her record company? If the answer is “product of record company”, surely there’s a chance that she is being dictated to by the men who run the company.
austin
E11is,
Well, if she’s truly bisexual, how does that stop her from showing two men kissing?
Visually, two men kissing is more powerful than two females kissing. Certainly, two men kissing conveys an anti-conservative message more effectively than two women.
Keep in mind that the diva Gaga says she loves gay men. Absolutely loves them. She loves gay men but nevertheless refuses to show two men contacting each other in her videos.
She’s got it in her concert but not her videos. She’s obviously not opposed to it per se but she does ban it from her videos. There’s something going on here vis a vis her record company and Lady Gaga herself.
jeffree
@austin: @austin: wow: u & jason should totally hook up!! U both hate women & have no use 4 gay men! Please go find another blog 2 spew your hate!! I think u r all the same person but even if youre not, then go find somewhere else to play your anti-female games !!
Bluzulu
@bruce:
I completely agree 100%! These little pop bitches just love letting gay men hear what they want to hear. She is a complete fraud. There is not an ounce of sincerity in that thing’s body. Even her so called playing is empty and lacks any soul. I despise this chick! Oh, and about the lawsuit that just surfaced. I believe every single word her ex-producer is claiming. This chick is an outright fraud and a con-artist!
Bluzulu
@kj:
WOW…that was condescending to say the least, but to each his own.
Klarth
@E11is:
THIS. For the most part, it doesn’t seem like gay coupling would even make sense in her videos. Also, it’s not all about her. There are directors for these videos. The record company has a say.
And like you said. She is a female who says she’s bisexual. Since we’ve established that she doesn’t have a dick after all, who is going to be doing this man-kissing?
It wouldn’t hurt her to throw a gay couple in here or there, but if it doesn’t relate to the song or the video, there’s no reason to expect it.
Why don’t we get behind an actual gay male musician who would have a reason to put two guys kissing in a video, and push for that? John Barrowman’s “What About Us” has a gay male and a straight couple in split screen. I’m sure there are other examples.
The anti-gay pro-lipstick!lez bias isn’t specifically GaGa’s fault, nor does she have the power to rectify it alone. Really, nothing she did would make that much difference either way. Chill, haters. Damn.
Matt
Some people sure love to b!tch
I fail to see how being the world’s most successful drag queen (which she is, if she was born with a penis/vagina/ambiguous regardless) and producing a video where the only person she kisses is a really butch chick is supporting some conservative hegemony… but I guess since there isn’t a good 30 seconds of two dudes sucking face she doesn’t support anything gay.
It’s really more a commentary on the mysogyny inherent in gay men than anything gaga has done.
anyway I think she’s brilliant, keep it up