Whether you love it, hate it or don't get it, Lady Gaga's 'Alejandro' video has everyone talking.
By becky broderick — Written on Jun 09, 2010
Lady Gaga is no stranger to controversy, and she's currently gleefully courting it with the video for her latest single, "Alejandro." Well...does the term "music video" even apply to Gaga's work anymore? Her vids are more like mini-movies. Mini-movies that might even confuse David Lynch.
In "Alejandro," we see Gaga dancing and writhing around looking an awful lot like Madonna, while we're bombarded with controversial images: scantily clad, goose-stepping men, rosary bead munching, and lots of simulated sex—including the aforementioned scantily clad soldiers having their way with a nun. Is it rape? Is it consensual? It's hard to tell. Either way, it's going to offend a lot of people. Church Depicts Mary & Joseph Bored In Bed
So, is there an important message behind this video? Maybe. Gaga said it was "for the gays," and Perez Hilton explained, "It's her talking and advocating for gays in the military...in a very 'in your face' kind of way." But director Steven Klein described a very different concept: "[It is] about a woman's desire to resurrect a dead love and who can not face the brutality of her present situation. The pain of living without your true love."
The issue this particular Celeb Lover has with the video isn't whether it's offensive—it's whether it's at all original. We're totally gaga over Gaga, but this clip just seems like a jumbled retread of Madonna's "Express Yourself" and "Vogue" videos, with a bit of "Like A Prayer"-style blaspheming thrown in for good measure. We've never minded Gaga wearing her influences on her sleeve, but it's like she raided her influences' closets on this one.
Check out the full video for "Alejandro" below and let us know what you think!