Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Music Video Hits Airwaves; Labeled Scandalous, Blasphemous; 'Judas' Uncensored To Premiere Tonight On Music Video Channels

Lady Gaga's video for her second Born This Way single "Judas" leaked this morning, a few hours before its official debuts on E! (saucy uncensored version) and American Idol (chaste tween version). Since there isn't anything truly sexy, blasphemous, or gory in the five-and-a-half minute clip, we're going to have to assume it's the latter cut -- so far, this ain't the scandal Gaga was chasing. .



True to its name, "Judas" is a play on religious love and betrayal recast as West Side Story meets The Wild Ones meets The Passion of the Christ. Gaga is a biker babe riding with a Latino Jesus sporting a golden crown of thorns. She's a Victorian Joker in fantastic eyeliner and glamazon nails. And, for a brief second, she's flogged like Jesus, herself. (Come on, you saw that coming, right?) The Biblical imagery arrives in flashes -- members of a biker gang are named after the apostles; Gaga dons a blue veil like Mary (Magdalene or the Blessed, who knows?); she washes Jesus' feet; Judas, who's played by actor Norman Reedus, kisses Jesus. .


Though she's obviously playing with central tropes of Christianity, Gaga claims the video is not meant to be interpreted as "a religious statement." "I view it as social statement. I view it as a cultural statement," she told E!. Gaga codirected the clip with her frequent collaborator and dance guru Laurieann Gibson. .


The overall aesthetic is broody and dark, befitting the track's disco-grime vibe, but the backdrops look more like summer stock sets than the results of a $10 million budget. (Where did the money go? Was there a $3 million line item for leather?) The choreography on the chorus is suspiciously arm-heavy, like the Haus of Gaga has been watching recent Britney Spears videos, but Gaga gives a strong, determined performance overall. When you compare "Judas" to some of the star's other epic videos though, "Judas" doesn't compare. Even on the religious-outrage scale, "Judas" is a lightweight considering Gaga swallowed a rosary in her clip for "Alejandro." .






• Gag: Gaga drags a gun with lipstick jammed in its barrel across a terrified Judas' face..






• Use of Obvious Imagery: Gaga drowning in a sea of confusion (a.k.a. a giant wave)..






• Most Potentially Offensive Moment: referred to as "an unusual baptism.".


Uncensored version of Judas to premiere tonight on music video channels.