tags: personal journal

Nicholas' journal. I also write a programming blog and a tumble log. RSS feed.

Mar 13, 2010
Who Wants A Coke?

A.K.A. I Think All The Product Placement In Lady GaGa's New Music Video Is An Ironic Joke But Everyone Seems To Be Taking It Seriously

Who wants a Coke?

I like Lady GaGa, but her (not work-safe) video / mini-movie, Telephone, is confusingly full of ads. It features a shot of GaGa's crotch next to a prominent Virgin Mobile advertisement, and also Diet Coke hair accessories, Wendy's fast food wrappers, a Polaroid camera, Wonder Bread, and a couple of other products.

Each of these placements get the classic close-up-on-the-product-name that has kind of been a staple of product placement parody since it began. So by now presumably everyone is immune to this sort of stuff and its inclusion in a music video is a satirical take on the whole thing, right? Well, Welt Branding doesn't seem to think so. Nor does The Guardian, or a host of random bloggers. So I'm confused. Surely people don't actually take this stuff seriously?

The video is also 95% naked women but I'll leave that issue for some other blogger.

So what is this, ironic, post-ironic, or post-post-ironic? Thing is, it probably doesn't matter if it's ironic or not, since it will work anyway.

Also, what's with the Swedish lyrics ticker at the end?

Care for a crotchphone?

... or prison dating?

... or some delicious Wonder Bread?

... but I'm at a party. And I'm damn tired of my phone ringing. Sometimes it feels like I live in Central Station. At night...

People I like: liedra.net | spacepants.org | puzzling.org | benno.id.au | tristesse.org | hardy.dropbear.id.au | marauder.com.au | xeny.net | progsoc.org/~curious | oneofthoseblogsonthethemeof.wordpress.com