From the beginning, Lady Gaga shocked everyone with her over the top wardrobe and catchy music. From her infamous Meat Suit she wore at the 2010 MTV VMAs to emerging from an egg at the 2011 Grammys, Lady Gaga has continued to shock us with everything she does. But recently she has shocked us for a new reason. Her 2016 Oscar performance of a new song, “Til It Happens To You,” gave a breathtaking tribute to survivors of sexual assault. More than the performance, the video left everyone speechless.
Here’s the direct link to the video:
Although slower than most of her well-known songs, the string introduction immediately sets the tone for the song. It is somber and right away you can tell that this is a song that is going to stick with you, whether you can directly relate to it or not. We all know someone who is a survivor, whether we realize it or not.
The opening line is a phrase everyone in high school or college knows well: “It gets better.” And a majority of the time it just serves as an excuse for why we let the offender get away without any repercussions for their actions. The first verse has Gaga relating comments by people who have no idea what an experience like sexual assault can do to a person. It's true that, till it happens to you, you don’t know how it feels and it won’t be real to you.
Her video shows support for victims and reveals the haunting truth that sexual assault is a real problem, especially on college campuses, where often times it is the victim that is blamed and no action is taken -- even with concrete proof that the assault occurred.
The video itself is filmed completely in black and white, which gives it a more haunting and authentic vibe.
The song came from the shocking documentary, “The Hunting Ground,” which explores women’s journeys as sexual assault victims. It shows how they turn their experience into fuel to advocate for awareness on college campuses that sexual assault is a real problem that they have to take responsibility for.
"The reality to some is just an inconvenience to others" -- Unknown
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