I watched three Lady Gaga videos last night: the extended, eight minute and 42 seconds "Born This Way," the full-length "Alejandro," and her first video (to my knowledge) — and also her only really enjoyable song — "Just Dance." Basically, the Lady plays three roles, in these abbreviated dramas:
1) dancing in her underwear;
2) dressed as a nun;
3) wearing 24th century space travel gear.
She is most comfortable in guise 2. And almost as relaxed in guise 3. But she doesn’t like dancing in her panties, even in her new, highly-toned (I hope not plastic-surgerized) body. She may be worried about her lack of dancing talent. But she shouldn’t be! For someone with almost no natural ability, she is miraculous. The choreography is gaudy but great, and Lady Gaga works relentlessly until she fulfills its vision. The six gay guys dancing with her, with their fabulous Three Stooges haircuts, are precise and humorous.
Science fiction is essentially dead as a literary form, but dominates high-end videos. "Born This Way" is a cosmogony (a birth-of-the-universe myth) combining matriarchal theory, medical photography and New Age diction. (The Black Eyed Peas "Imma Be Rocking That Body" features an adorable breakdancing robot.) Clearly, the greater video-watching public — including me — wants pop stars to explain the history of our planet, and predict its future. And why shouldn’t they? Lady Gaga understands the essential truths
of human life as well as any Harvard professor, or CNN "expert." And she has better taste in set design!
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