The Music Man: Lady Gaga adds to her activist resume with a song and video about sexual assault
September 21, 2015
Warning: This video contains graphic portrayals of sexual assault.
Sexual assault is undeniably a problem, especially on college campuses. In February, “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary about two students combatting sexual assault at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through a Title IX complain, was released to acclaim. The documentary included a song performed by Lady Gaga (and written with Diane Warren), called “Til It Happens to You,” and, nearly seven months after the film’s release, Lady Gaga has released the anti-sexual assault song and an accompanying music video about sexual assault on college campuses.
Singing about sexual assault isn’t new ground for Lady Gaga. Upon releasing “Artpop,” she said “Swine,” a fan favorite off the album and included in “The Hunting Ground,” was about the degradation that comes from sexual assault. She performed the song with artist Millie Brown at South by Southwest in 2014, as part of a symbolic anti-sexual assault demonstration. Later that year, Lady Gaga told radio host Howard Stern the song was inspired by an experience where she was sexually assaulted by a producer.
With “Til It Happens To You,” though, Lady Gaga became even more of a voice against sexual assault. By itself, the song has a great message. Unlike “Swine,” “Till It Happens to You” takes a much more solemn tone, using its lyrics to situationally portray the feelings of being sexually assaulted. The song’s orchestral backing builds perfectly alongside its message, and adds to the tone.
However, the video for “Til It Happens to You,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke, is where the song truly shines. Many reviewers have called it a public service announcement, but it seems like more. In it, Lady Gaga doesn’t just say that campus sexual assault is a problem — she shows why, in harrowing detail.
The video begins with a warning that, although it may be “emotionally unsettling,” the video shows “the reality of what is happening daily on college campuses.” This warning alone hits the viewers hard. Instead of just stating the video has graphic content, it places the blame for the video’s content on college campuses. This isn’t false in a world where, although over one in four women in college have been sexually assaulted, 40 percent of colleges haven’t investigated a sexual assault case in five years, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Once the video actually begins, it shows college students in a few different environments — a party, a dorm, a bathroom — leading up to the students being sexually assaulted. The situations surrounding the sexual assault don’t lead the viewer to think there’s a “typical” case of sexual assault, and the perpetrators don’t fit any sort of stereotype. This, coupled with the video’s detail, sends a clear message: campus sexual assault is not rare and crosses situational boundaries.
The end of the video provides some hope, as the previously shown sexual assault victims begin to heal with help from others. However, it closes with a sobering statistic — 20 percent of women in college this year will be sexually assaulted. The video’s call for action comes from an open-ended clause at the end of the statistic: “unless something changes.” To aid in that change, Lady Gaga will donate some proceeds from “Til It Happens to You” to groups that support survivors of sexual assault.
Music artists have a huge platform to say just about whatever they want. A lot of the time, they focus on their own experiences, or make music about topics like love, partying and sex. While there’s nothing completely wrong with that, it’s always nice when artists use their platforms for important causes. I’m so glad Lady Gaga is using her music to speak out against campus sexual assault, and I and only hope other artists will follow her lead to create a better atmosphere for women in college and those who will be in college.
If you need confidential support or resources regarding sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline on the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network’s website.
Senior Justin Curto is an avid music lover whose tastes range from alternative rock to dance pop. He enjoys supporting the Kansas City music scene by listening longer to 96.5 The Buzz, rocking out to local music and seeing artists live at his favorite venues in the area.
