An ARTPOP culture guide to Lady Gaga’s ‘G.U.Y.’ video
By Ben Kelly
It just wouldn’t be a lengthy Lady Gaga video if it wasn’t riddled with a diverse range of popular culture references, made for people like me to fish out and make head or tail of. It would be rude not to oblige, really…
The Suits
No one’s completely sure what went wrong with Gaga and her representation, but this is not a happy Lady. Just as with Marry The Night, Gaga is referencing one of her favourite stories here: her own. Except this time, she’s using her art to imitate life in pretty much real time. As ARTPOP plays, we’re in no doubt that this opening scene is all about her label’s disappointment with her beloved magnum opus – she blasted off online about people not respecting her art, and wanting trillions, when billions weren’t enough; she even split from her long term manager Troy Carter as soon as the album was released. Here, she depicts an army of men in suits literally grabbing money, over her practically extinguished body. Ouch.
The Wounded Bird
‘Greetings Himeros!’ is how G.U.Y. opens. He was one of the Erotes – a collection of winged gods of love and sex in Greek mythology, which is all mixed up in both Venus and G.U.Y.. Gaga wore their style of wings in some press shots taken for ARTPOP and Applause, though they were snow white at that point last August. Here, they’re blackened and burned. The Erotes usually carry arrows too, a la Cupid – but here, Gaga has been shot in the back, seemingly by her own. The arrows continue as a theme throughout. It’s worth noting that in some traditions these Erotes have a special influence over homoerotic love. You’re in the right place here love.
Hearst Castle
The location of this video is the Hearst Castle in California – built in the early 20th century for media mogul William Randolph Hearst (the famous subject of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane)- which is now an historical landmark; believed to have been granted for free for use in this video. The castle physically represents the Haus of Gaga – a collective name for the creative team behind the woman we know and love. She thinks of them as family, and as she arrives at this castle where they are indeed housed, she’s retreating into their familiar embrace, where they’ll surely give her a makeover, a pep talk, and get her ready to rock and roll again. The beautiful setting is also reminiscent of Paparazzi – another video in which she was screwed over, before taking sweet revenge.
The Neptune Pool
A centrepiece of the Hearst Castle, it deserves a mention of its own. Statues of the gods surround the pool, including Neptune (obvs) and Venus (a track which also gets a blast in this video). It was rebuilt three times to suit Hearst’s perfectionist streak. Sound familiar? The synchronised swimmers are indeed heavenly but they also throw back to the Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930s – a time when many of Hollywood’s biggest stars would have been esteemed guests at this very location. As Gaga is adorned in a kind of floral tribute and lowered into the pool, she’s reminiscent of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Gaga may be similarly depressed and near death, but this chick is going nowhere. In the waters of classic Hollywood, she will be reborn.
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Andy Cohen
God only knows why Gaga chose the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to be playing instruments at the pool party – but one can certainly presume they bring the pop to the art: for every Aphrodite, there’s a Lisa Vanderpump. As a pop culture blogger, and gay TV personality, Andy Cohen is also right up Gaga’s street. He appears as a face in the sky, somewhere between Zeus and Teen Angel from Grease, simply singing back the words. If Gaga can’t find a bit of strength from some fierce ladies and a gay man…
Jesus, Gandhi and Michael Jackson
Gaga loves her technology but let’s face it, no one’s coming back to life via that ARTPOP app. Luckily this video is a bit of fantasy (phew), so she gets to revive Jesus, Gandhi and Michael Jackson from some wired up coffins – as you do. Jesus died for his beliefs, as Gaga claims she would for art; Gandhi stood up to the establishment (as Gaga is doing in this video) but ultimately died for it too; and Michael Jackson was ground down by the entertainment world – abused and pretty much killed by the demands of his industry, as Gaga has felt close to herself in this very film. When the G.U.Y.-labelled syringe is seen taking from these men, it’s surely going into creating a stronger Gaga. A fourth spot is also there, but its occupant isn’t shown. I’ll eat my hat if it isn’t Princess Diana.
Blond Ambition routines
When Gaga gets into the middle eight of G.U.Y. (that’s the ‘I don’t need to be on top’ bit), the dance routine is highly reminiscent of Madonna’s famous Express Yourself performance from the 1990 Blond Ambition tour – simulating sex, dominating the man, switching positions, etc. Then, she writhes on the bed, a la the show’s notorious Like A Virgin performance – almost at the exact same angle Madge used to get herself into to simulate masturbation. This is a girl in charge.
The office takeover
After creating clones of the men in suits, Gaga basically makes her own army, implying that the typical industry guy is easily replaced. Then, she gets dolled up like Cruella de Vil, and takes them to her label, ready for revenge. That vintage car is exactly the kind Mr Hearst used to trot around in, so she must have borrowed that from his garage. She distracts the original guys in suits by shooting money at them (the only thing they’ll respond to, presumably), before making her way up to the ‘guys’ in charge. Gaga wants to be the G.U.Y. or ‘girl under you’ in the sexual sense, but she’s keen to point out she’s still in charge, even though she’s not on top; and that’s exactly what she’s proving to the music industry both in, and with, this video. They may be the guys on top, but ultimately she’s the one in control. ARTPOP is back in business.
Watch the full video below:
[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNu_-deVemE[/youtube]