Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Lady Gaga – Bad Romance

Before the music starts there is a wide shot with Lady Gaga in the centre, surrounded by several other people, this directly connotes to the viewer that Lady Gaga is the main focus of this music video and that she is most important, as the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to her first. Following this are several panning shots of white pods with light that illuminates them, one pod has a holy cross on it with the word “monster” written upon it. Lady Gaga’s fanbase is affectionally referred to as her “little monsters”, which may imply that her fans are lying dormant within this peculiar pure white pods. Additionally the fact that there is a holy cross on these pods may imply that these are intended to be coffins, housing the dead.

The name “Bath haus of Gaga” appears in the room, which may be a play on the “Haus of Gaga”, which is the name of Lady Gaga’s creative team, this name also serves to reflect the porcelain white environment of the shot, which reflects themes of a bath house. Several people promptly emerge from the pods wearing pure white leotards and masks which obscure their eyes and ears, these figures are intended to represent Lady Gaga’s fanbase, however they seem to have no individuality, as if they are a blank slate ready to be moulded. This idea is further supported by the strange pods they emerge from, almost as if they have just been born from them, or if they are implied to be coffins; possibly reborn from. In collaboration with shots showing Lady Gaga’s fans, there are also shots of Lady Gaga in a bathtub with cartoon-like eyes that are wide, staring at the viewer, which may directly imply that her fans are “wide-eyed”, something said about a new-born who is experiencing something for the first time, further supporting the idea that her fans are just being introduced to the world.

The white figures have very animalistic and feline movements, possibly comparing the women of the music industry as difficult to domesticate felines, something of a negative representation of women. Additionally, felines have a stigma of femininity surrounding them, as well as elegance, further implying that these animalistic movements have ties to the female gender. A medium shot of lady gaga infront of a mirror shows her wearing a black outfit which completely covers her body, in addition to black sunglasses and a black spiky crown which is noticeably similar to the masks of the white figures. This outfit has a direct parallel with the outfits of the white figures, with her eyes being obscured and her hat being similar to a crown, possibly implying that she is their ruler. Her black colour scheme directly contrasts with that of her fans, whom are pure white, a colour tied to purity and birth, while Lady Gaga’s colour scheme is pure black, possibly connoting that she is experienced and is in no way new to this world.

A scene following this depicts Lady Gaga being handled by two women wearing the same outfits as her fans, however now their masks have been removed. The two force Lady Gaga to drink an unknown fluid, which in a following scene is shown to change her completely. Previously in the video all of Lady Gaga’s outfits were modest, however now her outfit is a lot more sexualised, this implies to the viewer that Lady Gaga has been forced to become hyper sexualised, not only by the music industry but also by her fans; who without their masks have been exposed to the world and believe they know what’s best for Lady Gaga, forcing her to drink an elixir which sexualises her. After her forced sexualisation, a shot displays several men staring at Lady Gaga and her little monsters, men who have not been present in the video until Lady Gaga’s abrupt sexualisation. Lady Gaga dances for the men, and they respond by pushing buttons which are shown to increase bid prices on a computer, these men are supposed to represent the music industry who spend their money on Lady Gaga as if she were an object or possession to be bought. Not only does this serve to display the severe objectification of women by the music industry and media, it also shows to imply that the media wants women to change to become sexualised before they are willing to spend any money for their benefit.

Later in the music video Lady Gaga is shown wearing a polar bear cape, which connotes themes of both violence and elegance due to the fact that this is a repurposed bear corpse, however it is also a symbol of glamour due to the price of authentic clothing made of animal furs. This is done to display Lady Gaga as a strong and fearsome woman, but also as a glamorous one; one not to be messed with. This is not the same Lady Gaga from the start of the music video, nor one who has been sexualised by the hand of the music industry. This is a Lady Gaga who has risen above the male-run music industry that oppressed her and that she played the part for. Gaga is then seen burning a bed with a man in it, the same man who bid on her early in the music video, and the man who represents the oppressive music industry. By playing the part in the music industry’s scheme she has gained enough power to rise above them, and this shot serves to show Lady Gaga discarding the oppressive industry that used her, achieving her revenge and burning them alive.

Immediately after burning the man, Gaga and her little monsters are shown dancing in red outfits, which drastically contrast with the pure white outfits they have had in the music video thus far. The red colour scheme connotes themes of passion and power, and displays that Gaga and her fans have reached a level of individuality which was not available to them while under the control of the music industry, when they were wearing plain white outfits. At the very end of the music video, Lady Gaga is shown lying next to the scorched skeleton of the man she previous burned alive, almost mocking him as she wears her peculiar outfit with firework sparkler breasts, displaying her abstract individuality and proving to the viewer that she has won.