Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" - Analysis

The opening to Bad Romance appears as though it is the conclusion to the video, due to the fact that by the end of the video she has reached the highest point of fame that is fairly comparable to her own fame. Extravagant clothing, her wealth and popularity clearly expressed in product placement (Dr Dre, various jewelry, various alcohol). This editing choice is reflected in various motion pictures (Mission: Impossible III, Limitless and Memento) to the effect of both intriguing the audience with what the possible conclusion could be but also being able to allude through Act 1 and Act 2 of the production of the conclusion. As the light appears through the windows it symbolises in a way that it's time to open up a new batch of artists that the industry can manipulate and exploit. The nonchalant nature of how these key industry members operate creates an underline sinister tone for the beginning of the video. Sinister tones which appear in a majority of Lady Gaga's videos, similar to the underline theme of suicide among Gaga's house tenders in the video "Paparazzi".

The opening shots of the narrative focuses the rising light onto several white pods, one of which having 'Monster' on the front in red, accompanied by the The Christian Cross on the front. Creating connotations of that the people who have her captive are aware of who she is and the title 'Monster' acts as a warning for the people who are about to use, and exploit her. In conjunction with the shots of them leaving their pods in the next scene, the room, the pods and their latex outfits are all pure white. Connoting clearly that these characters are innocent and vulnerable to the world. Each one of their eyes is covered by their latex headpieces, emphasising the point of them being young, so naive to all of the problems in the world at this point in the development, growing into the music industry.

There are also various shots throughout the entire video which emphases the imagery of Lady Gaga doing a Feline styled dance move or with camera tricks or special effects makes herself look like a feline. In comparison with a shot later of her looking very animistic and inside of a cage connotes feelings of her being an animal locked inside of a cage, the cage perhaps representing the unequal power struggle in the music industry. Gaga using this video to make a statement on the music industry being equal to that of various mistreatment of animals practices that occur all over the world.

Another character which Lady Gaga portrays in this video is that of a Ginger haired woman in a bathtub. It can be seen that this is the purest version of Gaga we seen in the entire video and in conjunction with her emphasised wide eyes, it connotes feeling similar to what was shown before of her naivety to this world being the most prominent message expressed here. The bathtub in particular can be placed specifically to symbolise messages of Cleansing of values or washing away any past beliefs before the character is given the drink which conforms her to become tainted and operative in this world.

The significance of women making her conform to the music industries demands could be that even though these women are given a degree of power in the video, they still work for men (which is shown not soon after this shot), which reflects also the concept of the Glass Ceiling which is argued to be the most opposing force against in today's society against women. Again Gaga is trying to create multiple statements in her video about people's mistreatment, people's perception of fame and even challenging her own fans and asking why they should support this inequality.

Having her arms stretched out as she is stripped by the women gives clear symbolism to religious imagery of Jesus being on the cross; Persecution, Inequality and injustice are all prevalent here in this shot.  These shots of this character being converted to work for the industry are interspliced with smaller shots of another form of Gaga who is crying in front of a high angle shot. This can be interpreted as being Lady Gaga's inner voice crying out for help and presenting a darker interpretation of the term 'Bad Romance'. One which emphasises the points of oppression and inequality in this hard career.











Throughout the entire video there are constant comparisons between Gaga willingly appeasing to what she's told to do (her duties) and her clearly showing an unwillingness to go through with them. This is another obvious toned down version of how sex slaves who are forced into sex-work are drugged to be easily manipulated and abused by who ever "owns" them.


Each man who is bidding thousands to win Lady Gaga can be interpreted as being a CEO of a different music company who wants Gaga, trying to outbid each other after seeing how much Gaga is showing how much she wants to be bought. Another strong message can be interpreted from this as Lady Gaga may be trying to challenge actually who is to blame for this "bad romance" between the artists and the music industry, and if by the artist doing everything they can to appeal to a particular record label, is it actually their fault when news is released about controversies of inequality or abuse.

I want your ugly (What Lady Gaga may be trying convey here is some self awareness to he situation. She is aware that she's a sex slave for the industry and yet she wants everything the industry she has to give to her, no matter what it does to her or other people's perception of why she wants it.)
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it’s free
I want your love
Love-love-love I want your love

As the music video reaches its final Act, Gaga rapprochements her buyer to have sex with him on a bed that is overlooked by 2 animal heads. In conducting research into my AS movie project "Solemn Silence", I noticed that in this shot in particular that the animals heads in the background, conveniently placed each above Gaga's hands are in fact Gazelles, and is commonly a representation of the 14th century deity Baphomet. This same symbolism is seen in the videos "Paparazzi" above the lovers' bed, and in "G.U.Y" she represents herself as Lucifer, the fallen angel.

In conjunction with the next series of shots as she seemingly willingly goes to the man to have sex with him, ultimately giving herself up to him, it appears as though this shot is supposed to convey that she is sacrificing her buyer to Baphomet who is then consumed by the deity, not herself. The ending cross cuts between the fire behind Gaga and her dancing in red clothing, obvious connotations of; blood, sacrifice, love, passion, poison. All of which have been explored in this music video. By the end of the video, Gaga and the Gazelle heads are the only things in the shot not to be burned, and her buyer is a burnt skeleton next to her who was merely a tool for her to achieve fame, which is what she wanted and did so by turning to system against itself.