Has everyone seen Lady Gaga's new video for Paparazzi? Yes, I know it's pop culture and we can get right back to our underground indie cravings in just a minute but first, I must rave. So the new video plays out like a novella, a mini-film of scorned love, murder, and cheesy dance routines. But it's amazing. Seriously. As soon as she was carried out of a limo in a neck brace and placed in a wheel chair and then started giving me jazz hands, I was kinda hooked. It's a whole other level of ridiculousness for Lady Gaga. But in a good way! It's like, retarded. There's even the same gold robot-esque body suit that was used in George Michael's Too Funky video (c. 1992).
The video continues with various death scenes of beautiful 'paparazzi stalked' women sprawled out on lawns, marble floors, and hanging from the ceiling. It's the pentacle of pop morbidity but it's so damn fierce. You have to watch to see how it all ties in because I'm not about spoiling shit. I must say that there is a cameo of the triplets from Daisy of Love which kind of turned me off but in essence it only adds to its sexuality.
The video was directed by Jonas Akerlund, a Swedish video director who has worked with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins (Try, Try, Try music video/Try short film), Madonna (American Life music video {the original banned version, not the watered down Bush version}, Ray of Light, Jump, and I'm Going To Tell You A Secret documentary). He also just directed the far-outsy amazing movie about speed junkies, Spun).
What really got me excited was the fact that the ending of the video is the same ending that I thought of when I first heard the song. Don't you just love making up music videos for your favorites? Anyways, watch the video because it really is a visual masterpiece. If you're not already a Gaga fan, then please stop being pretentious and just enjoy. Her music and videos are really all about having fun, pushing boundaries, and ground-breaking fashion styles and isn't that what we're all about?! Hmmm...
