Every once in a while a song, and its accompanying music video, will come along and cause a bit of a stir in the pop culture universe. However, only once in a blue moon does a video become such a talking point that it almost entirely eclipses the song itself. From a-Ha's 1985 animation creation, "Take On Me", to Madonna's 1989 controversy-ridden clip of the religion-critiquing hit, "Like a Prayer", the last thirty years of the music video have given us avid pop culturists quite a feast to consume. I think it is safe to say that high-gloss, Hollywood-budget music videos have become the norm in the music/entertainment industry. They, undoubtedly, carry considerable more currency than ever before and perfection is all but an impossible dream. Even the more, ironically, stripped-back endeavours seem to require a small fortune and a big spectacle to impress. For example, recent 2008 mega-hit, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) featured little more than a white room, a black leotard, a gold glove oh! and the lady herself of course, Beyonce. Shot entirely in black and white, the Single Ladies video simply showcased Miss Knowles fierce dancing prowess (and a respectable lack of clothing didnt hurt!) making it one of the most memorable music videos in recent years. So, given that even simple now has to be simply spectacular, it is undeniable that fewer videos are making that lasting impression that every music artist strives for. This is clearly the case as; particularly female; artists seem to be competing to see how far they can push their sexy agenda without having to apply a triple X rating to their videos. However, the point of this article is not to scrutinise the ever-changing trends throughout the thirty short years of the music video (necessarily) but, more specifically, to draw parallels between two iconic videos: Michael Jacksons 1983 Thriller (a now classic video music) and rising superstar, Lady Gagas clip for 2009 monster-hit Bad Romance. Now, before you even think it, Im not saying Lady Gaga is the New Michael, or making any sort of proclamation about her popular status, but it would be foolish to deny that her image is as indelible as her music, especially her artistic, mini-movie length music videos. Will we still be discussing Gagas career in another 30 years? I dont know. But I sure hope so! Nevertheless, I happen to be a fan of both Jackson and Gaga, and am simply exploring aspects of Gagas career which could indicate a similar career path to Michaels. Thus, I have chosen to discuss her Bad Romance video, given the unquestionable impression it has made on the music industry, as has the Lady herself....