‘Elastic Heart’ invites the idea of inappropriate behavior
Shia LaBeouf (left) and Maddie Ziegler (right) have stirred up controversy in Pop-artist Sia’s music video “Elastic Heart” Shia LaBeouf photo courtesy of Foxnews.com & Maddie Ziegler photo courtesy of dancemoms.wikia.com
January 29, 2015
The amount of hype due to pop-artist Sia’s recent music video for her hit song “Elastic Heart” is unbelievable.
Getting publicity from publications like: US Weekly, the Rolling Stone, People, Billboard, and Dance On we can see how big of a topic this music video really is. Whether you’ve heard positive things or negative things about the concept behind it, everyone’s talking about it.
Throughout the whole music video, actor and director Shia LaBeouf, 28, and reality series Dance Moms star, Maddie Ziegler, 12, are placed in a huge cage “battling” each other. Because of their lack of clothing and the significant age difference between the two, the public and others in the media questioned whether the video is appropriate.
Jessica Zepeda, a 19-year-old sophomore at Moorpark College, said she saw nothing wrong with the video.
“Honestly, I thought it was really good.” said Zepeda. “I think the dance flowed really well with the music. I didn’t think about [the pedophilia concept] at all!”
Zepeda was in awe of the intensity and the cohesive efforts of both dance and song, as well as the emotion behind the video, almost making it seem like the production is a short film.
Emily Kerr, a first semester English major connected with the artistry that the video projected. She reached past the surface of the video and mentioned how it’s symbolic.
“The title of the song is ‘Elastic Heart,'” said Kerr. “Which would translate to coming back to something like a battle either between herself or someone else.”
When showing the video for the first time to Ryan Lesovsky, a 22-year-old graphic design major, he admitted that the video was a bit odd.
“I can understand what people mean about the controversy, but I don’t see it,” Lesovsky said after watching more of the video. “It’s more of an expressive idea.”
Lesovsky thought it was interesting seeing LaBeouf in a music video instead of something typical, like a film.
Although topics of controversy have arose, the artist nature of the video stands out, captivating the attention of all types of people. It is visible that the concept both Sia and LaBeouf created is unique, raw, and most of all, memorable.
Samantha • Apr 26, 2016 at 3 -07:00.04.
If you understand art you will see nothing wrong with this video. I thought it was beautifully done and very touching and for some reason I related to this video and sia loves maddie she would never do anything to put maddie In an awkward situation if maddie felt uncomfortable sia would come up with another brilliant plan. its art it’s not ment to offend it’s ment to touch ppl and that’s what Sia brings to the table . And that’s what I love about her like o said if you don’t understand art? Then Sia isn’t the artist for you.