Research Task On

Postmodernism
Telephone by Lady Gaga(ft.
Beyonc)
Throughout the video there were strong
elements of postmodernism: Realism
Hybridity
Intertextual References
Disjointed Structure
Metanarratives
Disconnected Characters

All these elements were perpetual throughout

the clip.
 Unrealism
Throughout the clip there would be glitches and flickering of the camera which
reinforced the idea that the whole message was just a projection. The music
video also disguised itself as a TV show. Within the lyrics, the format was
followed through as the video commits to the unrealistic character.
Costume also played a part within the video. The guards were not properly
dressed as their bra was visible, this was common knowledge that guards
were dressed formally. This gave an edge to the setting of the video as it gave
the audience insight to how the prison was represented.
Rebelliousness was exaggerated which was extended to the guards as they
said I told you she didnt have a dick, this implies that they were thinking of
raping Lady Gagas character
 Hybridity
The song was based on a mixed genre; Hip Hop and Pop.
This is easy to spot as the bridge acts as a breakdown and
acts as a substitute for a rap. This was contrasted by
unusual dance moves followed by an unexpected bass
heavy bridge. There were two cultures combining as one as
Beyonc brings her R&B feel towards a cray cray and
unpredictable manner.
There was also representations of subverted female
gender roles as well as traditional which can be evident in
one character. Such as Beyonc, there were actions that
you could argue that were feminist or example when see
was rapping but then she would switch to a traditional
female such as when she swore in the diner.
 Disjointed Structure
Theres no explanation of how both characters
change their clothing. They both change after
each scene almost as if to signal the next step
of the narrative. The relationship between the
characters also isnt explained and it is hard to
follow as there is no leading character or head
of the relationship. The lyrics dont relate to
the narrative.
 Metanarratives
Both girls seem to be constantly on the move,
in a hurry but no clear destination. This is
illustrated when Beyonc asks where they
were going next and Gaga replied with a vague
answer. This could be linked to how fast
society moves (technologically or
knowledgably) but with no clear destination or
aim to what to achieve. They also talk about
how trust is delicate and that once it is broken
youll never forget the damages.
 Characters who are
Disconnected
The characters who were disconnected were the
characters who wore normal clothing that had few bright
colours. They never spoke or had a long screen time. They
were always in the background. They are represented as
passive and timid. There was no common theme between
each character as they seemed to have come from
different eras, some from the sixties others from the
seventies. For example, the young women sat on the stool
looks like she came from the seventies but the middle
aged woman looked as if she came from the sixties.