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"Telephone" - Lady Gaga & Beyonce

"Telephone" - Lady Gaga & Beyonce

Date: Apr 19 2010

Grammar: Count and Noncount Nouns

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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The music video for Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s song “Telephone” is nine minutes long and features insane costumes, a mass murder, a prison fight, a girl-on-girl make-out, and a whole lot of exposed skin. And those aren’t the only causes for controversy in the video. It’s also drawing criticism for how much product placement it uses. But some people are calling “Telephone” the future of music videos.

Whether you love it or hate it, Gaga and Beyonce’s epic new video is hard to ignore. Find out what Ella and Devan think about “Telephone.”

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Devan

Ella

Ella

Devan:  So have you seen the new epic that is the Gaga-Beyonce “Telephone” video?

Ella:  Have I? Of course. I have it on my cell phone, on my computer, like playing in my living room just for fun. I love it.

Devan:  You love it?

Ella:  Yes.

Devan:  See, I personally hate it.

Ella:  Oh, you’re killing me Devan!

Devan:  Tell me why you loved it.

Ella:  I just think it’s so creative, and you just wouldn’t ever think to combine Beyonce and Lady Gaga, ever, because I just feel like they’re so different. And then to see them in the same room and just kinda like little superheroes in the video is just like…I don’t know, I just liked it, I thought it was really creative.

Devan:  See, now my problem with the video is the insane amount of product placement.

Ella:  Oh yeah, that’s true.

Devan:  I was like keeping a tally of how many products they pitch in there. It’s like Coke and mayonnaise and computers and websites and cell phones, and everything with like all these labels all over the video, and I just…You know, everyone’s talking about how it like really raises the bar for music videos, but for me, it was just a giant commercial. I didn’t see any artistic value when you’re selling that much ad space in your video.

Ella:  That’s true. I did not think about that. That’s probably how they could afford it to be nine minutes long.

Devan:  Yeah. It was nine minutes long but for me, the artistic quality wasn’t enough. I just felt like I was watching a really weird Miracle Whip commercial.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Devan and Ella disagree about Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s new music video for their song “Telephone.” Ella thinks the video is really creative. She loves seeing Lady Gaga and Beyonce together. She can’t believe that Devan isn’t a fan of the video.

Devan is annoyed by how much product placement there is in the “Telephone” video. For her, the video isn’t very interesting artistically. It just seems like a nine minute commercial for a bunch of different products.

What do you think about the “Telephone” video? What makes a great music video in your opinion?

 

Comments

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yeorche

Mexico

I did not see the video but since many viewers watched on youtube I guess it has something interesting in it…

10:35 AM Apr 20 2010 |

Romio79

Romio79

Russian Federation

Funny video.

10:05 AM Apr 20 2010 |

Monius

Mexico

Personally I agree to devan I did't like the video even when I had not noticed the video is full of products placements and the directors did't cover the brands of them. Besides I don't think that weird cloths, unusual make-up and odd scenes should be considered creatuvity at all. For me it is not something new is just a video full of freaky things that pretend to be innovative ….

09:02 AM Apr 20 2010 |

Goshaa =*

Goshaa =*

Poland

omg.that video was great!;)**            lov it.<3

12:04 AM Apr 20 2010 |

new_moon_cat

Brazil

Though I became somewhat curious about it, I am not fond of Gaga and Beyoncè, so I won't stretch a point and spend nine long minutes watching their video. \=p

06:39 PM Apr 19 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

i love the Gaga 's bottoms

saludos.

03:18 PM Apr 19 2010 |

kobiet.ka

kobiet.ka

Poland

i need to agree with lclayton. it is just a big comercial. I do not see any relation between the plot of the video and the lyrics in this song. "Stop calling me" but in movie they arepoisoning some men ??? really weird and in comparison to Michael jacson they score 1,5 /10 so poor. i fnot crazy costumes that lady gaga wears and glasses I would not watch it at all…I feel really sorry for recent artists. They see possibility of being famous only in making scandals and surprising people with stupid ideas. But what will happen to lady gaga if she will lack in new freak ideas?

 

I feel sorry for Beyonce that she agreed at all to sing with lady gaga and appear in such poor videoclip. But most of people have no taste and own idea so they wll earn on it. (they meaning lady gaga and beyonce)

03:15 PM Apr 19 2010 |

Dorota91

Dorota91

Poland

 I agree , this clip is future of video-clips. It is as weird and odd as modern art. Art which not everyone likes and understand. I don't.

02:38 PM Apr 19 2010 |

hanan-2009

Saudi Arabia

i did not see it so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

01:54 PM Apr 19 2010 |

lclaytonl

lclaytonl

Brazil

I think it's weird! U can see they wanted to give a shot-movie-like aspect for the video clip, and maybe it was a mistake! I didn't understand the language purposed, but maybe it's cuz i'm more used to traditonal video clips… In my opinion (even people saying this is the new standards of vclips) vclips should show situations like u feel (or imagine) when u're surrounded by the music u like. I don't see it at all in this video!

11:38 AM Apr 19 2010 |

candycandice

Sweden

I think the ''Telephone'' video are different from any music video, but still not admiring me as Michael Jackson's ''Thriller''. 

In my opinion, a great music video should be professional made, and what I mean is that it should have something other videos hasn't. ''Telephone'' is a good video, but still it don't have even a drop of class. Too much exposed skin of Lady Gaga, I think. At least Beyonce kept here elegans. Smile

09:57 AM Apr 19 2010 |

kobiet.ka

kobiet.ka

Poland

It is not a man it is (as name indicates) lady. Lady Gaga. Nevertheless, I watched this movie and it was nothing special. They wanted to do sth similar to Michael Jackson and 'Thriller" But really i did not find it amazing. it was cool. A normal music movie but just longer than ususal. 

 

INTERESTING IS THAT AROUND 180 000 000 people on youtube watched it. It is a record :)

09:24 AM Apr 19 2010 |

Ridiom

Ridiom

Peru

I watched this video, really I don't like pop music but this man, lady gaga, has talent.

09:09 AM Apr 19 2010 |

euden-d

Bhutan

I haven’t seen the music video yet. But I would like to see it in future. This lesson just raised my anxiousness about this ‘Telephone’ music video. Regardless to say I don’t have any opinion on how or what would make a music video great though. Good lesson Ebabay!

08:24 AM Apr 19 2010 |

rebel lee

rebel lee

China

Haven't seen it yet.And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it.Because I don't like wild music,I like something soft and nice. 

08:08 AM Apr 19 2010 |

periwinkle.chic

United Arab Emirates

I have never seen the video yet though I've seen the parody of it and it wasn't cool.

07:16 AM Apr 19 2010 |

pinkra

pinkra

Spain

stop calling stop calling i don´t wanna think anymore.I left my head and my heart on the dance floor….. LOL

06:31 AM Apr 19 2010 |

303Kevin

303Kevin

China

i really want to know how gaga think of her own daily looks…she's weird and interesting at the same time.

06:29 AM Apr 19 2010 |

Ahshan

Ahshan

China

hehe

06:06 AM Apr 19 2010 |

iwori

iwori

Japan

I think music video is just a tool to stimulate us to buy and listen their CDs, so I always evaluate music videos how correct they can express their music into image.

The most important thing is the song, I think. There are a lot of musicians who use music videos for ad though.

05:32 AM Apr 19 2010 |

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