When I first saw it, like Chicago Tribune reporter Heidi Stevens, I wasn’t sure what I thought of Lady Gaga’s campus rape PSA, Til It Happens to You. The video, made by Thirteen director Catherine Hardwicke, is stylized, graphic, and upsetting. Under a big, 80s-style ballad, we see dramatic black-and-white reenactments of rape situations, including two girls being drugged and raped by a guy, alone in his room. This is not the sort of video I’d normally hold up as a good example of how to fight back against news-related anxiety or stress.
While the video is painful to watch, it’s cathartic at the end. It speaks to the power that can come from connecting with others. The women and men who walk down the hallway are together, and Lady Gaga’s voice sounds strong.
It’s good to see a pop star take on a topic like this. Even if you question her reasons for making this video—it’s obviously provocative and attention-grabbing—it’s an important issue to publicize. I’m glad that someone with her level of exposure is speaking out about it. And let’s face it, there are a lot less helpful ways to try to get attention as a pop star.
The video helps further the conversation about a sensitive but all too common topic, and, hopefully, it will help people. Thank you for making Til It Happens to You, Lady Gaga.