Lady Gaga's music video "Paparazzi" was released in 2009 along with the song, which was a hit single. The video was directed by Jonas Akerlund. The song and the video received very positive criticism though some outlets found features of the music video controversial.
The video opens up with audience positioning. The audience is positioned as one of the paparazzi in the music video. This lets people connect more to the video, almost like they are experiencing it, as audiences likely cannot relation to a pop star, they might more easily be able to relate to a spectator of sorts. We see that the setting is a large mansion building, with lavish decoration and furniture. There is also a title sequence, which makes the video seem like a noire film. With the main title for the video, there is also a pink blossom in the middle of the screen. This could be used to make the shot stand out, to add the idea of romance. This part seems to be a sort of interlude to the actual music video, as it plays out like a short film.
There is also an abstract transition, which leads into the music video. It is a black and white swirl, with Gaga in the middle. It could symbolise hypnotism, that everyone around her influence and control how and what she does. We can see this in the next scene, where she is bound to a wheelchair, and has bodyguards around her. This seems entrapping, as it seems quite closed in. This also show representation of disability, as Gaga is wheelchair bound. However, the video tries to glamorise this with a jewelled neck brace among other things. The black they wear symbolises loss which in the music videos context could be loss of ability, independence and love.
The next segment of the video takes a much darker route. It explores the topics which the video is mainly about. It looks at violence against woman but also what wealth is actually worth. It does this through second long shots of dead woman. The shots are show as like photos being taken by a camera, matching the theme of paparazzi taking photographs. These shots on their own seem picturesque, even with their dark nature. One picture in particular there is a dead maid on the floor of the mansion. Instead of blood from her corpse, it seems to be in fact gold. This raises the question of what is life actually worth.
Near the end, it somewhat looses the meaning it started with, and becomes more like a stereotypical pop music video, however it, still does have meaning. As in a dance scene, Gaga and the dancers are wearing similar costumes, this could symbolise adoration and idolisation
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