Lady Gaga's Telephone video analysed in relation to Post Modernism

1. The task was to textually analyse
Lady Gaga’s song/music
video for the song Telephone (Ft.
Beyoncé).

3.  The start of the video imitates
features of Quentin Tarantino and
features intertextual references from
both Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. The
popping red and yellow adapt a
retro style more known to be used
in the 80s.

4.  Although not a reference to a particular movie, this is a textual reference to herself,
which highlights the widespread rumours of Lady Gaga having a phallus, which she
ultimately denies in this video by revealing herself nude for everyone as a proof.
 This is further complemented by the two guard’s conversation:
“I told you she didn’t have a dick.”
“Too bad.”

5.  Although another unclear reference, this
can be loosely taken as a reference to Retro
50s Boy with Space Age Glasses ID
Cigarette Case, which was a possible
influence for the creation of the cigarette
glasses seen in the video.

6.  Another reference to Lady Gaga
herself is through one of the inmates,
which is shown to be wearing Lady
Gaga’s designer in-ear headphones.
 This ultimately lets Gaga advertise
herself.

7. This is a possible reference to the popular hair curlers of
the 50s style. Although not an outdoors fashion
accessory, it did help women achieve the popular
hairdos of the time.
This proves that Lady Gaga has made a postmodern video
by referencing the styles of previous decades, not just the
movies.

8.  Another way in which Gaga references the previous
fashions is through having a leather jacket with the A for
Anarchy on the back of it, which was a must-have for the
anarchists of the 70s as well as 80s. Spikes on the jacket
are also accurate, as anarchists were usually people
interested in rock and metal music genres and spikes were
great for expressing the tough music one was into.

9. Many popular celebrities
are accused of belonging to
the secret society of
Illuminati, which works for
the devil in order to bring
more souls to hell after the
fans of these celebrities
die. The idea’s – that Gaga
could be one of them –
hilariousness is addressed
by Gaga in this video, as
she appears to be wearing
a symbol on her shoulder
that is a cross between the
Illuminati triangle and the
Devil-goat’s head.

10.  Another very likely reference to the movies, this
time from the 101 Dalmatians of 1996, in which
Cruella De Vil was known to wear extraordinary
fashion. Lady Gaga has mimicked this with an
exaggerated headwear, gloves and a revamped
dress.

11.  The use of a polaroid makes it a desirable product once again but also
highlights the setting of the video to be a mix between the past and the
modern day, as many vintage ideas and objects are put to use alongside
contemporary. Also, in some movies of the previous decades, we’ve seen the
use of polaroids in intimate scenes, which also appears to be the case for the
scene in the Telephone, as Beyoncé is posing seductively.

12. References to American culture by
putting the flag onto many objects
as it makes the objects more
desirable/attractive and shows or
increases patriotism.

13. A peace sign taken from the 60s hippie movement.
This is juxtaposition in the making, as Gaga appears
to have a tattoo of the sign, which promotes peace
and mutual wellbeing, however ironically, she is
about to poison everyone. This could also be taken
religiously, as the tattoo is on her left hand, while left
is always believed to be the path leading to wrong.

14.  A similar choice of an outfit to the Nurse in the movie “Kill Bill”,
in which she dressed up about to poison someone.
 This proves Gaga’s video is postmodern, as she has chosen as
similar style to the character of a movie, further overshadowing
her later actions (of poisoning).
The patch in the video turns out to
be a telephone.

15.  References to Gaga’s previous videos.
 The dog is from her video Poker Face
 The glasses are featured in Paparazzi

16.  Yet another blurring of
the reality and fiction, as
Gaga uses news reports
in her video alongside
the pictures taken for
her Paparazzi video, thus
suggesting she is
creating a movie which is
divided into many music
videos. This is likely to
be influenced by Daft
Punk’s movie Interstella
5555. This is another
proof that Lady Gaga has
created a postmodern
video.

17. Pussy Wagon is taken from the movie Kill Bill and is likely to be an exactly the same
one used in the movie, as every detail of it – including the number plate – is exactly
the same.
Moreover, this is another evidence that the Telephone video is postmodern.

18.  Lastly, the end of the Telephone shows Gaga and Beyoncé speeding away
from the cops after a successful homicide in a diner. The characters Thelma
and Louise from Thelma & Louise (1991), where they drive off into their
deaths from the Grand Canyon after being chased by the cops.

19. Lady Gaga’s video has end
credits as a movie would,
however what makes them
special is the direction they
go in. While end credits are
known to roll from top to
bottom, Gaga’s end credit roll
in the opposite direction,
thus suggesting her lack of
mainstream.