This document analyzes ways in which Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone" featuring Beyonce exhibits postmodern characteristics. It notes that the title of the video is shaped like an actual telephone to go against conventions. It also describes shots where Lady Gaga wears glasses with cigarettes attached by chains while wrapped in more chains, suggesting a feeling of being trapped but also rebellious creativity. Another shot shows her using diet coke cans to curl her hair instead of conventional hair rollers, along with excessive makeup while confidently walking through the prison setting of the video.

1. TELEPHONE
Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce

2. This screen shot of the opening of the
music video ‘Lady Gaga – Telephone Ft.
Beyonce’ clearly illustrates the title of the
music video in the beginning of the clip.
The use of the colours used on the word
‘Telephone’, red and yellow allows us to
see why this is postmodernism as the
colours are striking and contradict the
background colours.
Furthermore, the idea that the word
‘telephone’ itself is shaped into a telephone
and has as a telephone wire hanging from
it indicates postmodernism as the letters
are shaped to a telephone.

3. This particular screen shot I had taken
from the music video portrays Lady Gaga
wearing glasses with cigarettes attached
along with chains wrapped around her
neck. This would make her postmodern as
the chains signify she is trapped along
with the creativity of the cigarettes on her
glasses further enhancing her
rebelliousness.

4. This shot of the music video
demonstrates that Lady Gaga is
postmodern as she used coke
cans to curl her hair instead of
using rollers. This demonstrates
postmodernism as it goes against
conventions. Furthermore, as the
coke can is ‘diet’ coke. This
portrays how important her
image is to her as in the modern
world women/girls prefer a slim,
fit figure. Her excessive use of
make up further supports this as
she confidently walks around
throughout the video as if it
makes her look superior to the
other women in the video. On the
other hand, it would also be seen
as unusual to wear this amount
of make up in a prison.