Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé - Telephone. Song starts at 2:45.
There’s something really interesting here, which I think is really good for the art of film and TV.
As the screen medium has evolved, and the world of entertainment has ventured towards more realism and naturalism, TV and film has become a medium of reality. Batman has been rebooted as a more “real” Batman. The modern movie musical now must exist in the ‘reality’ plane. As audiences, we want things to be real, so we can connect with them.
this music video is a good step backwards. It represents a more surrealist version of reality, which has been missing from the screen. And because of this, Beyoncé sticks out like a sore thumb.
In case you missed it, here is Beyoncé’s other video with Lady Gaga:
This is naturalism/realism. It’s sexy, and most importantly, features the performers as real people. You could easily step into this world and have a naturalistic conversation with these people. Dramatically, the reality isn’t as heightened as the “Telephone” video.
And here’s why I think Beyoncé doesn’t fit in the “Telephone” video, but Lady Gaga does fit in the “Videophone” video:
In performance, if you extend your boundaries, it’s easier to take them down than to expand them for the first time. It’s similar to stretching out a balloon: once you’ve stretched it out, it’s easier for it to become bigger. Gaga has stretched her boundries, whereas Beyoncé has not.
Beyoncé, however, has embiggened her boo-tay.
