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  Discussion: Telephone video turns 2
 
	
	
		
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Member Since: 8/29/2011 Posts: 18,282     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Shaliydah88  How much longer till Alejandro turns 2? I still remember the 100+ page meltdowns about it   |  Link?  |  
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Banned
 Member Since: 1/9/2012 Posts: 912     | 
 
 One of the best pop videos of all time.
 Gaga's best.
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Member Since: 7/22/2010 Posts: 16,134     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Gui Blackout  I would LOVE to read your explanation. |  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 
In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?  |  
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Member Since: 8/17/2011 Posts: 15,807     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
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Member Since: 8/30/2011 Posts: 7,984     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
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Member Since: 8/29/2011 Posts: 18,282     | 
 
 
	Quote: 
	
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
 |  If she hated the video so much then why does every video since Telephone (except TEOG) contain a symbolic plot, metaphors that are biggest stretch of any imagination, never takes the lyrics literally, and are much longer than the actual song?  |  
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Member Since: 6/22/2011 Posts: 6,997     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
 |  You just made me like the video a bit more. Not much, but more than I did before    |  
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Member Since: 6/6/2011 Posts: 48,509     | 
 
 Still cannot believe this didn't hit #1. It is an amazing song, plus it's Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. 
Oh I remember who was #1 at that time.    |  
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Member Since: 2/11/2012 Posts: 7,228     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
 |  Wow    
I never tought about that!  |  
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Member Since: 2/11/2012 Posts: 7,228     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by I'mRihannaFan  Still cannot believe this didn't hit #1. 
Oh I remember who was #1 at that time.   |  Who? Kesha?  |  
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Member Since: 7/9/2010 Posts: 42,506     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
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Member Since: 6/6/2011 Posts: 48,509     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Dr.Cake  Who? Kesha? |  Nope , Rihanna    
Although this song reached #3, not #2.
 
One of my favourites song of 2010, I miss TFM, I stan for her in that era    |  
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Member Since: 9/26/2011 Posts: 6,117     | 
 
 One of the best videos of the last few years. I can't believe this is 2 years ago, it feels like yesterday when watching it for the first time!   |  
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Member Since: 10/24/2011 Posts: 3,702     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Ramcoro  If she hated the video so much then why does every video since Telephone (except TEOG) contain a symbolic plot, metaphors that are biggest stretch of any imagination, never takes the lyrics literally, and are much longer than the actual song? |  She doesn't hate the video for being metaphorical but because the metaphors were disorganized. Videos like MTN or BTW are perfectly organized, cohesive and the symbolism is not very difficult to understand if you think a bit about it.   |  
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Member Since: 8/24/2010 Posts: 9,422     | 
 
 Remember the hype?    |  
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Member Since: 8/24/2010 Posts: 9,422     | 
 
   at everyone quoting Twai. I was going to but then I saw everyone else doing it.    Anyway, interesting read!    |  
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Member Since: 1/8/2012 Posts: 11,352     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by I'mRihannaFan  Nope , Rihanna    
Although this song reached #3, not #2.
 
One of my favourites song of 2010, I miss TFM, I stan for her in that era   |  OMG, cant believe that    Rihanna blocked theQueens  Lady GaGa and Beyonce, huh? lol  |  
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Member Since: 8/10/2010 Posts: 9,489     | 
 
 
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					Originally posted by Andre  The video that changed pop history  |    
Anyway, HBD telephone vid.  |  
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Banned
 Member Since: 4/30/2011 Posts: 38,486     | 
 
 
	Quote: 
	
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					Originally posted by Twai  Short answer: She's said Telephone is about fear of suffocation, as in a relationship. In the song, she's sick of her boyfriend calling her all the time, constantly checking up on her, not letting her be free.
 In the video, check out how many times she's "suffocated." She's thrown in a jail cell at the beginning. She's wrapped in chains in the prisonyard. She's wrapped in caution tape, closed off from people. She's stuck in the cramped ***** Wagon cabin with her huge hat. They're on the run and the police are closing in. The video has a suffocating amount of 'product placement' (most of which, remember, she wasn't actually paid for), which is then equated with the suffocating Americana-drenched iconography in the diner -- patriotism has been replaced with capitalism, so that wearing an American flag becomes no different than brand loyalty.
 
 So, instead of being a direct representation of the lyrics (it doesn't take place in a club), it's a metaphorical representation of the song's themes.
 
 This doesn't even get into how all of this possibly relates to the music industry -- it's no accident that she starts the song stripped naked, and ends it wearing a cowboy-hat burqa (Americanization of a traditionally religious form of female repression) that covers everything but her face. Same thing happens in Alejandro -- she's an androgynous, practically naked gay man writhing on a bed toward the beginning, and she ends it as a nun. As a woman, she feels suffocated by men, so she makes it happen on her own terms  -- both by poisoning them, but also through her clothes -- she shows everyone everything in the jail, because people are controlling her then, but when she's sprung, she covers it up. Nearly naked -> translucent plastic dress in the diner -> burqa.
 
 You can laugh it off, tell me I'm reading too far into things, etc etc. But she's said she now hates the video because she was trying to pull off too many themes and metaphors and people didn't grasp them all. So tell me, where did I lie?
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Member Since: 4/17/2011 Posts: 830     | 
 
 i forgot how hard this video shat    |  
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