Lady Gaga has long been a socially active advocate for a large spectrum of issues affecting millennials. She has voiced support and urged action for anti-bullying movements, gay rights, and relief to victims of natural disaster and political conflict. Her latest movement addresses the sensitive issue of sexual assault on college campuses in America; an issue that has received growing support recently. In her new music video for “Til It Happens To You," Lady Gaga poignantly chronicles three separate fictionalized sexual assaults in a college setting. The video is disturbing, upsetting, and incredibly effective.
First, we see a young musician working on a new piece, when approached, in her room, by what looks like a friend. The man is large, much larger than her, and his teasing and touchy provocations soon turn into an assault. He forces himself on her in a graphic, sudden, and shocking turn of events. The next example shows a female raped by what appears to be a fellow student in a bathroom; the scene is equally as fleeting, indicating how quickly assault can take place. Next, a man drugs two girls, who appear to be friends and roommates, at a party, and takes advantage of them in his dorm room. One friend helps the other, more heavily influenced friend, to escape.
The video astutely captures the psychological repercussions of assault; the musician can no longer make music, another student cannot focus on her school work, and the two friends grow distant and uncomfortable with one another, gaping a hole in their relationship. Lines “I am worthless" and “Sometimes I hate myself” appear scribbled on arms to represent the inner turmoil, self-hatred, embarrassment, and hopelessness felt by victims of sexual assault.
The video captures a few keynotes pertaining to the plague sweeping college campuses. First, sexual assault can be fleeting. Moments of fun and carefree interactions quickly escalate to violence and violation. Second, a friend or acquaintance can sexually assault you. Often, we envision rape to occur in a dark alley, at the hands of a violent and criminally insane stranger. This often is not the case. Lastly, the trauma that occurs after the assault takes place is often more damaging and difficult to endure than the assault itself. Sexual assault is a violation of body and mind, and the video captures the emotional, psychological aftermath of a traumatic experience.
A silent, unseen girl lurks throughout the videos entirety. She walks in the shadows, half-clothed, in what looks to be a college dormitory. Her story is the one that has not been told, hers is the reason the video was made. Friends come to our victims aid and help pull them out of their depression, but our mysterious stranger remains, unheard and without support. She represents the thousands of women and men who experience sexual assault and cannot voice it or address it in ways that could otherwise lead them towards healing. The difficulty in coming to terms with assault, and the sadness of letting it consume you is embodied in our mystery woman.
Take a look at the video here, and share it with friends. 1 in 5 people will be sexually assaulted this year in college, which means that you probably know someone who has, or will, experience this violence. This video is for those people perhaps too afraid or ashamed to speak out. But it is also for the people who can support friends, pull them out of the darkness, bring power to their voice and help to advocate for open dialogue and pro-active listening. Through awareness, communication, and intolerance, this systematic violation might be defeated.
