Sia's "Elastic Heart" video "controversy"

[orangerful]

I usually could care less about music videos and such, but I really liked the song 'Elastic Heart' so when I saw this article pop up on my "what's trending" email, I clicked through.

Sia apologizes for controversial Elastic Heart video

Sia's Elastic Heart Video is Art Not Pedophilia

I feel bad that people watched this video, which is clearly just interpretive dance, and all they could see in their minds was SEX! I don't think there was anything inherently sexual about this video. I mean, it's weird if you don't know the song lyrics or the context, but just watching it I wasn't like "oooh this is sexy". As the second article says, touching does not automatically equal lust.

I feel even worse for Sia, trying to bring some art into a form that tends to be either concert videos or images that have nothing to do with the song.

I dunno, what do you all think? I'm sure if someone has a history of sexual abuse, **maybe** this would trigger something? But we all have things that are triggers that can't be helped, things in our past that make us upset. There are plenty of other images pushed out by the entertainment industry that are blatantly meant to push boundaries and sometimes purposefully use images that are triggers, but I think this is just artsy dance stuff.

(also, I hadn't seen the video for 'Chandelier' and I watched that afterwards as many of the comments pointed out that the girl dancer was featured in that video as well playing Sia. Her dancing is mesmerizing to me. At once graceful and wild. And I'm not usually into the sort of thing.

Comments

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

I like the song too, and I do not tjink that the music video was about pedophilia either :/ Some people can really jump the gun at times DX

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder if in this social media/internet culture people do jump the gun so they can be the first twitter feed quoted in a TMZ article rather than having an intelligent conversation with others first. (just another reason I prefer Livejournal's set up to, say, tumblr or twitter. I was able to ask you all what you thought in a quiet little post vs blasting it out to the entire internet)

[thekaiserchief.livejournal.com]

I really didn't see it as sexual, more of like a father and daughter thing. It's amazing how much people can read into things and I feel bad that it's brought so much controversy to her.

[c-hrista.livejournal.com]

I thought of it as more of a father/daughter thing, too, and the touching might have been affectionate at times but I never read it as being SEXUAL.

Also, I read somewhere that one "interpretation" of the video is that it's supposed to represent Sia and her father who both suffer from mental disorders, and while Sia has learned to cope with and manage her struggles with bipolar disorder, her father hasn't and that's why he can never leave the cage.

I cried watching the video even before I read that interpretation, but I really like the song also because I love songs of STRENGTH and YOU CAN'T BEAT ME DOWN.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I first heard this song on the 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' CD, so I associated it with Katniss until now. I think Sia commented that the two of them represent the halves of herself, struggling to co-exist, but I think your father/daughter explanation makes more sense actually. Especially that heartbreaking end scene.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

At least from her comments, it sounds like she was prepared for the controversy a little bit so at least it didn't catch her off guard like some artists in the past.

[twissie.livejournal.com]

I've seen the controversy and stills from the video, but I have yet to hear the song or watch the video XD;;;; That's me and my media consumption in a nut shell, though.

I think it's fascinating to see the amount of people who claim the artwork is pedophilia - I think it reflects more on the viewers than the artwork or the artist. It was clearly not the artist's intent in any case, and that speaks volume. Art is awesome.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Sia did say she wasn't surprised, probably just because it was a 12 year old cast next to a 24 year old. But, yes, I think it definitely reflects more on the viewers and society's mindset.

And I think still photos would make it seem worse since you can capture a second and take it out of context versus watching the dancing.

[twissie.livejournal.com]

This article is actually very relevant :D
http://zaksmith.tumblr.com/post/107546756753/the-worst-critic-in-the-history-of-the-world

It's relevant for a lot of current events right now, actually ....

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this link, btw, I did start to read it. :)

[hermionesparkle.livejournal.com]

I find it insane that people can watch the video and come out of it with sex on their minds. They also did the same thing for 'Chandelier' when it came out, mainly because of Maddie (the dancer)'s nude leo. I knew when I saw the sneak peek that Shia was going to be in the new one, it would be worse. I find it incredibly moving as art. I did enjoy 'Chandelier' more but I think because it had more actual dancing in it. I see the video for 'Elastic Heart' as two forms of Sia, Shia is the more dangerous parts of her thoughts and Maddie is the newer positive one and they are fighting it out to see which form 'wins'. It seems to be a song/video fighting depression or bipolar but that is just my interpretation.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I think that is pretty close to what Sia says the video is about (according to the smattering of interviews I've read today).

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

I think it's difficult not to feel a bit squeamish about a man and 12 year old girl, both clothed so as to appear nude, dancing like this, and it sounds like Sia knew this and maybe played off it. But the point is that it doesn't "go there", so it shouldn't be taken that way. Probably a good life lesson there in general about not being so suspicious.

The kid is really cool!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I was concerned when I saw the still photos (which still photos don't give you any real context) but once I saw the video I was like "yeah no, nothing there".

[deathling.livejournal.com]

So sort of related but unrelated...what do you think of my friend's video with Next Top Model girl?