Semiotics

Today we began to study the subject of Semiotics with Vanessa and then had a lecture. The source we studied from Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide (Tyson, 2006). By studying Lady Gaga’s music video “Telephone” (Telephone, 2010) I began to dissect the signs and symbols within it. Here is s short synopsis of what was discussed about the music video:

A prison setting indicated that Gaga was being held in prison

She answers the telephone, a sign of communication – the telephone gives a degree of distance from person to person…

Also Gaga has said that the ‘telephone’ ringing does not only mean a physical telephone. To her it represents her Super Ego, demanding her to work harder and harder: "That's my fear — that the phone's ringing and my head's ringing. Whether it's a telephone or it's just the thoughts in your head, that's another fear." (MTV, 2009)

The music is almost overwhelming in its beat, Gaga herself said that the main inspiration was “Fear of suffocation—something that I have or fear is never being able to enjoy myself,” (MTV, 2009) presumably because of the inundation of noise and technology the modern world uses.

Gaga wears her hair in rollers made of Coca-Cola cans. Coca-Cola could be seen as a symbol of America.

                                                                                                                                  

I believe the study of semiotics could be very useful in a practical acting way as well as an academic way. In my own studies I’ve often found myself using similar techniques without realizing there was a name for them.

Works Cited

Telephone. 2010. [Music Video] Directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Los Angeles, USA: Darkchild.

Tyson, L., 2006. Semiotics. In Unknown, ed. Critical Theory Today: A User Friendly Guide. 2nd ed. Unknown: Routledge. pp.326-29.