Slant Magazine

i would have love to read the reasons wby "Born this way" is your #2 in the best video of the year. You manage to say that it's provocative, but is there any point to all that provocation? Don't get me wrong, i wished I loved "Born This Way" as much as "The Fame: Monster", but the videos are plain egocentrical and alter-ego-driven, which is too much for me, and not enough at the same time, because it doesn't make any sense. It seems that she lost all her spirit and soul, and that she is just a wannabe of herself.

And in all that crap of a visual that she builds in that video, she lost the meaning of the community she's supposed to be endorsing. Just saying!

I'd love for you to explain what you mean by "she lost all her spirit and soul, and that she is just a wannabe of herself." Cause honestly, it doesn't make sense, at all .

Good for you, Ed. Defend your mother monster.

Way to earn that pay check.

I kid, I kid.

To be honest, Gaga deserved a spot in the top 5 of this list. But I'd replace "Born This Way" with "Marry the Night". That's an amazing video.

PS: what makes a great video? Because as much as people scoff at it, I think "Rolling in the Deep" is an amazing video: so layered, so symbolic, so ambiguous. And it suited the lyrics well:

The song is about Adele's lover leaving her, and she laments how they could have had it all etc etc etc. The video shows her sitting all by herself in a dimly lit room in a large, broken-down, old house— this signifies loneliness, desertion and abandonment. Her sitting down symbolizes hopelessness and despair (her movement is intentionally confined; there's nothing she can do about the situation; she's given up). The abandoned house and dilapidated furniture symbolize things that could have been; broken dreams, a broken home. We see dishes breaking— this symbolizes anger, rage; but the amount of dishes symbolize the serious, almost apocalyptic nature of her situation (an idea that is strengthened with the burning city at the video climax). Water symbolizes calmness and tranquility. In an interview, she said the beat of the drum in the song symbolized her racing heartbeat. As the drum beats in the video, the water begins to jerk and ripple with the rhythm of the drum, suggesting increased agitation, emotional disturbances. And I could go on and on and on.

Yet, you all choose to applaud Gaga's space opera nonsense. You guys will write a 1000 word analysis of "Edge of Glory", but won't try to find the layered meanings in Adele's avant grade masterpiece. It's not all about spectacle, Slant.

you're right Mike, it's not all about spectacle. And the majority of the videos on this list have nothing to do with spectacle. I think you should seek help for your Gaga obsession!

p.s. Wasn't "Rolling In The Deep" from 2010?

Fail Adele stan failed.

ouch. haha.

Ed, my second message was never aimed at you, so yeah. You're spared from my lecture. I don't think I could change you people from your gaga worshipping ways, nor do I want to.

And to HerMadgesty, "Rolling in the Deep" was released in December 2010, which means that it made its impact in 2011 and would be considered within lists for 2011 (It's not like it's going to be released in December and make it onto a year-end best-of list in a week).

And to Grotesk, I'm not an "Adele stan". I don't believe in those catty labels used by u gay guys. And say what you want, but Adele is having the year Gaga can only dream of having. and when she wins her 6 Grammys next year, Gaga will be sitting in the audience, crying in her egg.

Wow, Mike321, talk about catty. Just re-read your last statement above; it pretty much lumps you in with "[us] gay guys."

I completely agree with Kinetos.

Oh, and that Zack Snyder's name found itself anywhere in this article, makes me want to see him disappear even more!