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Someone Telephone Tarantino

by MICHAEL TUNISON / LADY GAGA / MUSIC



The video for Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s hit “Telephone” was just posted online yesterday and already has two million views on YouTube, so it’s probably safe to say this isn’t an Edge exclusive. But it’s been long-awaited enough and a big enough spectacle that it merits some commentary on my end, so let’s break down this loopy nine-minute faux-shocking Virgin Mobile ad, shall we?

It opens with Tarantino-like title credits. Unless you’re Hype Williams, you really shouldn’t be doing that, and he only gets to because he’s been doing it so long, so Hype was grandfathered past the no-credits-for-music-videos ban I instituted and didn’t tell anyone about.

It being Lady Gaga, there are umpteen elaborate costume changes with trashy accoutrements, such as sunglasses lined with cigarettes and soda can hair curlers. It’s the arty-slutty look she has perfected so. And it being set in a women’s prison, of course there are girl fights and overt soft porny touches.

Overall, I don’t know. You want me to sit through a nine-minute music video, you have to give me a little more than stock attempts at sexualized shock and product placements. And giving Kill Bill fonts and the Pussywagon doesn’t quite capture the full Tarantino effect, sorry. That banter at the mid-point of the video is just embarrassing too.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 3:47 pm and is filed under Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

  • Chuck B
    To me, it was reveling in the whole concept of product placement. Embracing it with open arms -- while simultaneously subverting "the sell out".

    If you want to make a living as musician these days, you better not count on any money coming to you from music purchased by consumers.

    As for weltbranding.com's comments..."However, the placement lacked a natural feel…" C'mon! Did ANYthing in the short have a "natural" feel. It was in your face on purpose, like much of the rest of the video, and lo and behold, here we are talking about those products. Sounds like big wins all around.
  • steve850
    Did anyone notice the blatant product placement? The use of Wonder Bread seems to be contrasting to Gaga, unless they are trying to be an edgy bakery... Overall, interesting video, but the product placement is bothersome. http://www.weltbranding.com/bl... has a good take on the blatant product placement.
  • Chuck B
    Whatever. I thought it was awesome. Watched it 5 times in a row. Not sure what YOU are watching if those were "stock attempts" at anything to you.

    And those product placements tell me someone has figured out how to monetize giving away 2 million views in one night, not to mention all the downloads that get played over and over that aren't even counted.

    Virgin, Polaroid, and Diet Coke got their money's worth.
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