Yeah. Well. Until all the guys start making videos in their undies, the better to show off their waxed genitals, stop calling, Gaga. I'm not picking up.

I mean, really, the suffragettes starved themselves for THIS?!

Wha..!? This is awful. Are you allowed to wear chanel glasses in prison? The images of these women are what men want us to be. I'm sick of this crap. If i had a teenage daughter I wouldnt want her to fit her image into this.

Eh, I'll take Madonna! And really, I hear enough young women talking about girl fights on the subway. Doesn't need to be encouraged.

I love everything about this video, aside from the rampant product placement.

I dont like it, lesbian cat fights in prison wearing leather bikini's? boring. I do appreciate the car tho, isn't that from Kill Bill? I dont think the song is very good either.

Really? You love the way it makes a joke out of prison rape and mass murder, and casually displays pre-pubescent-looking female bodies virtually naked, with extra-bonus crotch close-ups?

OK, whatevs, it's a free world.

Most relevant lyric: "I don't want to think any more." Oh, that much is abundantly clear, Ms G.

Most painful aspect of the whole thing: how much Gaga *cannot* act! In that, she has a lot in common with Madonna (whose boots, by the way, she is not fit to lick, and who never looked or acted like anything other than a grown woman in her videos).

And the lame Thelma and Louise ending? Puh-lease.

Comments like the ones above me do embarrass me as a feminist. Aren't women allowed to be sexual? Some of you just sound jealous because Lady Gaga is popular

Funny. The same negative things that were said about Madonna in the 80s, are now being said about Gaga with Madonna being the one revered now. Typical. The same old “what came before is so much better than what we have now” kinda thinking.

Jealous of that? I don't think so, honey. Jealous that men get to make their music and be taken seriously without having to wave their bits in everyone's faces? A little.

Of course women are "allowed" to be sexual. Duh. I'm just really interested (and sad, and a little appalled) that the sexuality we're most "allowed" is such a wan, pornographic and humorless subset of all that is possible. We're being sold such a bill of goods.

Oh, but because it's a chick selling it, and it's purely escapist fantasy, that's fine, right? No false consciousness here, no sirree.

Good point, Jukebox Heroine. Is it because we might have expected to find ourselves in a slightly different place, 30 years after Madonna? And yet here we are all over again, with fewer clothes than last time.

I for one feel empowered and fully human, now that I can wear crime-scene tape as an outfit. All we ever wanted, yeah? Not.

Yes, this is just a silly entertaining video, but hell. Feminism is in our hands. Is this what it's all been for?

My god this is a dumb song.

all i have to say is that i wish i was in that prison right now

I liked it, and I generally like Gaga. Am I thrilled about the crotch shots and the nearly naked dancers? No. And I'm not crazy about the song, but I do appreciate the creativity of this video, and some parts of it gave me a good chuckle. I especially liked the Pussy Wagon, only because I'm a huge Kill Bill fan.

I really like this video, and I actually don't think it's a "humorless" depiction of the kind of sexuality we're "allowed" as women. The studded bikini scene is definitely off, but I don't think anybody who didn't have a sense of humor would wear a telephone or sequined lobster on top of her head or dye it that hideous cat piss color. Gaga's look is deliberately over the top, sort of like a drag queen's. And most of the time, her outfits aren't sexy at all--they're just weird. I'm not really sure she's trying to cater to a man's idea of a "sexy" woman, so much as she's making fun of it. This video just maybe doesn't succeed as well as she wants it to.

Of course, it's possible she's not that smart, and I'm only defending her because I love her. Either way, I want those cigarette sunglasses.

Since when did we start defining feminism as doing the opposite of what men want us to do? I'm fairly certain that Gaga likes dancing around in her panties. Is she supposed to think to herself, "gee, men WANT me to do this - maybe I shouldn't?" Many of you seem to be implying that your definition of appropriate feminist behavior involves walking around all day thinking about how men would react to your behavior, and that ain't cool.

Also, it's offensive to call skinny girls who are OBVIOUSLY of age pre-pubescent. I'm sorry that these women don't fit into your view of what a woman should look like, but that's the bodies they have. Skinny girls have a right to self esteem, too. And the last I checked, grown ass women have a right to decide how much hair they want on their bodies.(BTW, I'm neither skinny nor totally hair free.)

Women don't have to be naked to be taken seriously - but I guess in some of your worlds they do have to be clothed.

I agree with the statement that she obviously loves running around in her panties. honestly the only thing stopping me from doing that IS men, soooooo....

I was in Duane Reade this afternoon and heard one of the girls behind the counter say that she almost called out of work today so she could stay home and talk to people about this video. Ha! Then the girl who she was telling this to was like, "I heard they get lesbian in that video." I guess that's sort of the whole point. Shock value and creating a buzz that sends people running to YouTube. I mean, how many hits does it have now? Right?

Autumn06 well said. That's my issue with some of the comments. It seems like a few feminist or so-called feminists have no clue about what it means to be one. Shouldn't we be supporting strong, independent women who don't give a damn about what society thinks or am I actually too liberal to be a feminist now because I don't want feminists telling me what to do or what to like?

Oh, Ri. You're a big girl. Surely you can take a bit of structural analysis without turning it into a cat-fight between women over "what it means to be a feminist" and how you're only a real one if you lerve lerve lerve the new Gaga video and never complain about anything. I mean, WTF?

It's my suspicion that a strong, independent woman who "doesn't give a damn about what society thinks" wouldn't make that particular video. She cares very very very much what society thinks; and her $$=spinning bosses in the music biz care even more.

And they've got us right where they want us: complain about the lurid trappings, and you're a humorless bitch. Love it, and you're a - what? Oh, well, just another new-style right-on sexxxxy-positive feminist who really doesn't have a problem with anything, as long as it's done by a "strong, independent woman" or something that looks like one, and thus feminism finds itself once more marching in lockstep with the guys who write the rules.

I grant you the video is enjoyable on a purely visual level, and the spectacle of someone so young seeming so powerful is rather invigorating. What next?

Follow the money, ladies. It's flying out of our pockets. Where? and why? and what has a nude hairless blonde wrapped in crime-scene tape got to do with it?

I'll become a Gaga fan the day she makes a fun, sexy, eye-catching video about, ooh, I dunno, the way female soldiers are being treated, or how children are being demoralized by the education system, or the wage gap, or daycare, or women's health, or queer-bashing, or the race-and-class profile of our prison populations, male and female, or any of a number of potentially explosive themes that might actually change a life, or a mind, while having a boogie. It can be done, and it has been done.

But boring old lesbian-prison-murder-fantasy-with-bonus-80s-movie-refs? Yawn.

Plus: "I'm fairly certain that Gaga likes dancing around in her panties."

Really? So that's why she did it back when she was performing under her own name, with her own lovely hair and her own beautiful voice? Just cos she likes to gyrate in her knickers on a stage? Oh wait, she didn't.

So is it the price of her devil's bargain with the multi-tentacled music industry, anxious to prop itself up because it's under assault by penny-ante music pirates and a thriving indie scene, and pouring tens of thousands into the spectacle of Gaga, as a gamble on making several millions? Go on, buy a ticket in that lottery and see who wins.

And pay no attention to The Man behind the curtain.

I say again: show me the man who sings in his undies, wrapped in nothing but crime-scene tape, and is hailed as a cultural hero and the last word in avant garde.

Sceptical Sal , I'm sorry but the more you talk the more I realize that you really don't have a clue on what it means to be a feminist. Instead of trying to give me a lecture , maybe you should spend more time learning more about feminism because you obviously don't get it or choose to ignore all of the facts. You can respond but nothing you say will change my mind.

Another thing, I'm a woman. I haven't been a girl since I was a child which was a long time ago. So please don't call me girl.

Gawd, Ri, sorry, I think we're speaking different dialects. Apologies for calling you a big girl, which, where I come from, is actually (among women) a compliment.

True, I don't have a clue on what it is to be the kind of feminist you're talking about. I really don't, although I'd love to hear you explain what that is.

But I am a feminist and have been one since I knew what it meant. Come see my bookshelf sometime. I have those early xeroxed zine copies of Bust magazine, stacked alongside vintage Ms Magazines, the writings of [look, just insert comprehensive, complex and global list of feminist thinkers from the last thousand years here, and I do mean, thousand years], and have even - gasp - written for feminist magazines, including this one. After a couple of decades of "learning about feminism," I've got a handle on what about feminism works for me.

And what works for me is to constantly question and engage in debate, and to constantly be ready to change my mind. For example, I was intrigued and rather thrilled by the Gaga phenom at first: music, art, fashion, performance, tweaking received notions of women in the business.

Now, I feel like I'm seeing it unravel into what it probably always was: sex in the service of capital, and a lowering of the bar for how much flesh a gal should show if she wants to get her music out there.

Keep talking, though, and I might well change my mind back. I'd be sad to think that yours is made up once and for all, and that you say there's absolutely nothing to learn from talking to someone who seems to be coming from the complete opposite direction. I learn the most interesting things that way. For me, that is the heart of feminism: the radical notion that women are people. With something interesting to say, every time.

PS If I sound like I'm giving a lecture - well it's kind of what I do for a living. If I could make a decent living dancing around in my knickers, maybe I would. But for me, and for most women, it's the chalkface or the coalface, y'know? Dancing in our undies is for after-hours, with the ones we love.

Her obvious display of seemingly unique innovation is diminished by her vomitus corporate product placement.

"Really? So that's why she did it back when she was performing under her own name, with her own lovely hair and her own beautiful voice? Just cos she likes to gyrate in her knickers on a stage? Oh wait, she didn't."

I've heard Gaga say numerous times that she didn't feel like herself during that period of her life - she feels like herself now. Was the record industry "pouring tens of thousands into the spectacle of Gaga" when she was doing her burlesque show in New York? From what I understand she created her image outside of the record industry. She didn't get her start in the record industry by being naked - she got it by working behind the scenes as a songwriter. Sounds like a hard worker to me, not someone at the mercy of the record industry. You can disagree with her music and her actions but I think it's unfair to characterize her as a puppet for the male-dominated record industry.

Also, not all music has to be serious. I don't want every piece of music I hear to be about some atrocity against women. That music is absolutely needed and I do listen to it, but there is nothing wrong with listening to music for fun.

Oh, and I agree that the product placement was a little ridiculous. What am I supposed to think, "damn, Verizon still gets reception in a prison? Sign me up!"

I love Gaga! I've only seen this video a couple times, but so far I've enjoyed it. I dig all the lesbian/bisexual sexuality..both coded and blatant. The video, its storytelling and the fashion are also incredibly fun. Prison for Bitches! Yes!

The one thing that annoyed me about the video was the frequent product placement (cell phone brand, dating site, soda brand, even some of the clothing brands) That sort of thing really drives me nuts..it makes me feel like those responsible for placing the product think I'm too stupid to notice I'm essentially watching a commercial. (Not that a music video isn't also a commercial for an album but I digress..)

Did you see the production on this video? Very expensive, for sure. The product placement was so blatant because they needed all the money they could get to produce a quality video. Making the product placement obvious and cheesy is a way to kind of maintain your integrity, blatantly acknowledging that "selling out" is part of being able to produce and distribute in the mainstream. like when rappers have lyrics about how x product pays them every time their name is mentioned or like Always Sunny in Philadelphia's sponsorship episode.

didn't beyonce and gaga just do a "video phone" video a few months ago? now a telephone video? wtf is goin on here..i guess phone companies pay more for product placement than peanut butter companies. i wish they'd sing more sexy songs about peanut butter.that would make my day.

ROFL, beetlebum. Bring on the peanut butter. Crunchy or smooth?

Wow, this song blows. It's completely beneath her. I've said this before, but I think she's an incredible force and does some wonderful visual stuff. But a lot of her music is sort of boring, with the exception of Bad Romance. She can clearly do better.

Autumn06: I agree with Sceptical Sal's "man behind the curtain" as a metaphor. Gaga may have had a very independent career but she, like most people are influenced by the society around them. Our culture and especially our pop culture (which Gaga is very focused on) is very much about the women as a sexual object or fantasy. I do not find this empowering. Also, there are many different readings and interpretations into feminism and I am surprised that you would refuse debate and accuse Sceptical Sal of not knowing anything about feminism.

Although I like gaga and mostly think that she mocks the music industry, here are my thoughts on the video.
We have berried our goals of sexual and political freedom under layers of a more friendly feminism. A feminism that does not want to leave the male gase, but to embrace it and define itself in it. The powerful woman becomes less threatening when she can drift in and out of an scripted sexual fantasy. And she becomes less powerful when we are left to focus on her body instead of her ideas.

Poor lass, she's looking awfully tired. Turns out, it's a job like any other, only (like Ginger Rogers) she's doing it backwards and in heels - and while jet-lagged. Rather her than me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5cYiaJ3FCY

Gilliansw, I feel that people such as yourself as trying to control other women's sexuality which isn't good for feminism. I feel frustrated because it's obvious that some don't understand feminism. No wonder our community is so divided

But Ri, is our community divided, or is it diverse? We all come to feminism from where we are, and for some it's all about the sexual liberation, and for others it's about that and/or everything else -- and it's a balancing act to figure out where to put your energy and focus.

What do you think other women "don't understand" about feminism? If you do have a single, monolithic definition of feminism, I'd really love to hear it.

I feel empowered and degraded at the same time. . Using our sexy appeal to get our way? Dancing nearly naked in jail? I dunno.. Poisioning a total pig..I like that. Can't we do bad-ass things in more clothing. And can't we fight without using sex as our weapon?