Bad Romance

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

"Bad Romance" is a 2009 song by Lady Gaga. It was part of her album The Fame Monster and was released as a single in 2009. It's also got a (heavily spammed) view count of over 700 million on YouTube and is jam-packed with elements of Mind Screw taken Up to Eleven. Which is hardly unexpected, considering who sang it.

The music video has won 7 Video Music Awards (Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, Best Female Video, Best Dance Music Video, Best Choreography, Best Direction and Best Editing).

Tropes used in Bad Romance include:

I want your Psycho, your Vertigo shtick,
Want you in my Rear Window, baby you're sick.

    • Apparently the Bad Romance-universe has adopted Pokedollars as their form of currency.
    • The opening shot of Gaga's Bathhaus is reminiscent of the scene in Aliens where the Marines awake from the pods.
      • And the body-bags from Firefly.
      • Or even the torpedo casings that Starfleet uses as coffins for fallen members.
      • Speaking of the opening, the pods themselves have red text over a white background and a gratuitous cross slapped on them. Anyone else thinking NGE?
    • When watching the claw-handed Gaga groupies' crowned suits, is anyone else reminded of Max's costume and gestures from Where the Wild Things Are ?
      • The costumes were supposedly based on the pattern from the movie.
    • The dancers in white, with their covered faces and jerky movements are a Shout-Out to the Silent Hill nurses.
  • Signature Song
  • Single Tear: Cut aways during the music video show a surpisingly low-key (in terms of make-up, anyway) Gaga becoming increasingly more upset. The camera is close to her face, and a single tear slides down her cheek near the end of the video.
  • Smoking Hot Sex: Well, Smoking Hot sex-turned-fiery death..
  • Visual Pun: At the word "bitch" in the first "I'm a free bitch, baby", the camera cuts to the Right-Hand-Cat.
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: A lot of it certainly looks like it could be symbolic of something, but it's too much of a Mind Screw to be sure.