Before you watch this music video, please note that viewer discretion is advised. As stated in the first few seconds of the video, the video contains graphic images of what is happening daily on college campuses.
One in five college women are sexually assaulted each year. This is a sick and shocking statistic and is a reality for too many women on college campuses around the nation.
Lady Gaga has always been known to shock the public with her crazy outfits, music videos, eccentric performances, and songs. A lot of celebrities are constantly trying to up their shock-value, but I am pleased to see Lady Gaga using this method for good. It is great that she is raising awareness for a social issue that affects millions of women each year. She is living up to the title of role-model. As a woman, I am happy to see such an influential and successful woman in pop-culture supporting other women.
These disturbing portrayals of women being sexually assaulted convey how truly awful sexual assault is. It is supposed to be graphic. It is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. It is supposed to spark conversation and eventually find relief for survivors of sexual assault. Not only does the music video portray sexual assault, it shows the crippling effects that survivors of sexual assault face.
I think the true significance of this song and video is that sexual assault has different effects on different people. As the song says, “til it happens to you, you don’t know how it feels.”
This song is featured on the soundtrack of the movie "The Hunting Ground." This movie raises awareness for sexual assault on college campuses. It raises money to help student-led campaigns, public education, policy reform, and prevention approaches.
A portion of all proceeds from the sale of this song will be donated to organizations that help victims of sexual assault. For more information on the movie and ways you can help, visit http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com.
