Negotiating the Space Between Beyonce and Lady Gaga

I know -- I'm a little shocked I'm making this post, too.

Beyonce? Lady Gaga? A Duel of the Divas? What the heck are you on about, Miz Moffatt?!

Bear with me on this one. Last night, I saw the highly anticipated video for Beyonce's latest single, "Video Phone," from her album I Am... Sasha Fierce. I think I'm behind on the times, though, and I believe this video has been circulating the Internet for quite some time now. Still, it's taken me awhile to come around to it.

I have to be honest -- Beyonce and Lady Gaga are guilty pleasures of mine. On the one hand, you've got the powerhouse, bold-voiced, full-of-sass Diva. On the other, you've got the eccentric, edgy, "not-sure-if-you're-hot-or-disturbing" Diva. And now, they've decided to share screen time/radio waves with one another.

The end result:

I will be the first to admit that the concept of "Video Phone" is questionable. The alter-ego of an international superstar is advocating for amateur camera play. I mean... that's the gist of the song. All that aside, I do like the sound of the music. It's a little wide-eyed and other-worldly, maybe even a little bit stoned-sounding. Definitely catchy to this blogette right here, even if the content is sketchtastic.

Anyhow, a few observations:

• Intro: YES. This is what the video SHOULD have been like. I dig the assassin vibe and the whole Reservoir Dogs look of Ms. B's back-ups. Sounds like a showdown which appeals to me. And then....
• ... The man with the camera head appears. Oh no. And then the gents persist through the rest of the video. If I needed a better reason to be queer, that image alone provided one.
• Was it just me, or did you get dizzy watching those three Beyonces dancing while the two ghost Beyonces hovered and lip-synched in the background?
• Question: Why are there so many toy guns throughout the video? I think they must have cleaned out a Toys R' Us for the shoot.
• Right, I like the military swagger of Beyonce throughout the track. Again, not sure what meaning is held therein, but, well, it illustrates why I like a tough femme.
• Lady Gaga: She dominates the scene. I know she has a small part in the song/video, but her presence is so much larger than Beyonce's which I was surprised to see. I mean, Lady Gaga has the equivalent of a cameo in this production and she outshines the star. I am sensing even greater things from this woman in the near future, kids.
• Pin-up Beyonce: A+
• How awkward is that ending? Would you call that sound panting? A groaning of some kind? It goes on far too long. Actually, scratch that -- it should just not have happened. Ever.

So yes -- mixed reactions abound. And now I must go and nurse the shame I feel for admitting my secret music guilt to the Blogoverse at large. Forgive me. *Sobs*