I grew up in Asia where it was not uncool to like pop music. Since Western pop was one of the few imports that provide a glimpse to what’s it like to be “American”, I didn’t quite understand why so many of my American peers here are so dismissive about pop acts when I moved to America. Anyways, I have an unabashed love and appreciation for Lady Gaga. Love her or hate her, ya can’t deny that she has a vision for everything she puts out. Her new video, for example, is some sort of bizzarre visual whirlwind that involves Russian hospitals, torture rooms, space aliens, and using Wii-motes for some futuristic human auction game. Let’s take a look after the jump:
Bam! Razor blade glasses! How impractical, but oh so badass.
Geek/hipster/Japanophile/Craft girls rejoice- Gaga makes herself look like a Blythe doll using some serious eyeball CGI.
The creepy eyeless costume with the zombie dance routine reminded me a lot of Silent Hill.
Not entirely sure what the plot of the video is but it involves some sort of human auction game. A coven of tattoo-covered men use Wii-motes to control their bids. And I think I spot some bondage gear as well.
Product Placement alert! I spot the Beats logo as well as a pair of Beats headphones. However, these shiny laptops are not by Beats. They are by….
HP.
Bond reference: Dr. No’s creepy cat made out of tiers of hairless skin.
Gaga’s weird sparkle lizard alien get-up fresh from Alexander McQueen’s runway show.
Who can look at this guy and *not* think of Baron Underbheit from Venture Brothers?
And here in the final shot, Gaga’s sets Baron Underbheit on fire and all that remains are his charcoaly skeleton and Gaga’s Fembot bra.
You can watch the entire video here:
Pop music is like crack: it feels good and it’s catchy, but it’s ultimately bad.
That said, she was wearing a cloak made out of a bear. That’s pretty awesome.
LOOOVE those Alexander McQueen Alien-esque shoes!
Lady Gaga just stikes me as another case of an entertainer trying to pass off as an actual artist — which is something that happens quite often nowadays actually.
Just look at this picture:
http://www.thefablife.com/files/2009/07/lady-gaga-kermit.jpg
Does dressing like that have any other purpose than being pretentious? Don’t really think so.
Still, I can’t get that “Poker Face” song out of my head somedays, but that’s Eric Cartman’s fault.
I hate you Cartman! You’re so … rad jajaj
Peace!
P.S. I know I probably came off as a Gaga Hater, but I only despise what she and a lot of other present day entertainers represent, not her particularly I guess.
“Anyway”
I can understand the sentiment about why its uncool to like pop music. Probably has a lot to do with how fractured music tastes have become.
Anyways, I do think Lady Gaga is pretty awesome. She’s managing to do exactly what many pop stars fail to do. She makes a real impression. She might be gone in 3 years but from her videos will live on. Also, she doesn’t seem full of it and fully acknowledges she is making pop music and embraces it.
this is an awesome post. I had to google “baron underbheit + lady gaga” to show a friend and I love all of the connections you made. I agree on all accounts!
She’s certainly good with the visuals, and does do a catchy (and danceable) tune to boot.
I have no bad thing to say about her, but at this point, I involuntarily roll my eyes whenever someone starts dissing her, as my reflex reaction seems to be hipster distaste (as in, distaste of).
Blah, blah, blah, genre snobs. It’s only good if I like it etc.