No MTV ban on Lady Gaga's and Beyonce's 'Telephone'

An apparently extremely shocked CNN reported Sunday that MTV had banned the "Telephone" video collaboration by Lady Gaga and Beyonce -- which surprised the Ministry, because we linked to MTV's version of the video when it debuted last week. 

MTV called foul on that report Monday, highlighting this quote from CNN's Fredericka Whitfield:

"It's so strong, so suggestive, so sexual, so violent as well, that MTV has said, 'We're not even going to air this, so it has banned the airing of this video,'" Whitfield said, without citing a source. At press time, a spokesperson for CNN had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment.

The Ministry, incidentally, swapped its embed of the video and turned it into a link not because of the dancing-in-undies-in-a-women's-prison vibe, or because of the mass murder toward the end (sorry for the spoiler), but rather because it has a peppering of not-quite-bleeped profanity, and as regular readers know, we aim to keep it clean.

In the meantime, check out this Heavy collection of "Telephone" parodies -- we've included one of them up top, and recommend the one with the dancing chicken as well.

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo credit: Interscope Records

Related Beyonce and Lady Gaga dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Lady Gaga, Beyonce world premiere their 'Telephone' video

Beyonce and Lady Gaga meet again! First images surface from 'Telephone' video shoot

Jay-Z, Beyonce get a White House visit with President Obama

Lady Gaga honors Alexander McQueen at Brit Awards

Can you handle it? Beyonce and Lady Gaga's 'Video Phone'

Nonstop Lady Gaga: 'X Factor,' the Grammys, a girdle gaffe -- and the head of Kermit the Frog

Want the headlines? Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter (we're @LATcelebs) or become our Facebook fan at facebook.com/ministryofgossip.

Can you handle it? Beyonce and Lady Gaga's 'Video Phone'

Nonstop Lady Gaga: 'X Factor,' the Grammys, a girdle gaffe -- and the head of Kermit the Frog

Want the headlines? Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter (we're @LATcelebs) or become our Facebook fan at facebook.com/ministryofgossip.

Comments

[jesse]

good cus besides that its a big SNOOZE FEST

[NHN]

Lame song, lamer video. Sexy ? to who ? someone with a telephone fetish ? Reminds me of a couple of pre teens at a pajama party making a video with dads video camera and some cut out props.

[Summer]

That messed up if the language is the issue then MTV could always beep it out and also they could cut the things out they don't like. I think MTV is acting dumb over the video.

[Christophe Galland]

Really LAT? Really reporting on a pseudo entertainment rumor and reenforcing it with a stupid Youtube video AND linking to FIVE more stupid (vulgar) videos, that are neither entertaining, funny, OR witty?
This is definitely a new low. Congrats, Christie D'Zurilla!

[CDZ from the Ministry]

@Christophe Galland -- Christie D'Zurilla here from the celebrity gossip blog. Yep, I did choose to spend a few minutes yesterday writing this up, because of misinformation I'd seen going around on Twitter, and because we'd blogged about the video's premiere last week.

Thanks for taking the time to read the post, check out the linked videos, and comment on it all.

//cdz

[Liam]

Guys, guys, guys...this is called the Ministry of Gossip. It certainly qualifies as such. So why are you bashing the author? I don't see anything in the article, title, or even the section its posted in indicating that it's "major news."

It IS entertainment though and, like it or not, Lady Gaga has put herself on many a radar. Good for her.

About all i can say about the video is that she's considerably more athletic than I would have guessed from her wardrobe. That and Beyonce seems to have only a minor role in the video.

What mass murder?

[CDZ from the Ministry]

@Liam -- Christie D'Z here again. Ha! Thanks for the comment; not always necessary 'cause of course I have 6-inch-thick skin by now, but it's kind of you, and appreciated on a rather down morning here in blogger-ville.

Re "mass murder" -- I guess I exaggerated the size of the "mass." I was referring to the diner deaths. And Gaga is a fierce little vixen, isn't she?

//cdz

[tony]

Silly CNN, MTV doesn't play music videos anymore!

[Chuck]

MTV is playing videos again?? WhoHoo!!

[Patrick Chavira]

Dear Christie D'Zurilla,

Seeing as this single post is going to be read today and forgotten tomorrow, I would like to take this opportunity to write to you the author, for whom there will be many more frivilous and underpaid pop quirps that you will be singularly responsible for before those too are as easily forgotten.

You are responsible for your product.

You and the readers both see and know the product before them. Regardless of their personal opinions, the product before them is at most a four minute article to write, one minute to edit, two minutes to read and five minutes total to link and see lack-luster youtube paraodies from struggling comedy troupes who truly believe that paraodies of the already absurd means they are ironic, trendy, and on the ball of pop culture.

Do not slack.

You're story that you are either interning or are barely paid enough to cover is a flash in the pan of interesting media related news, but you can take control of your product and actually develop what this story is worth, what you are worth, into an interesting article; A blog representing not only the best of yourself but what the Los Angeles Times is supposed to represent, an updated and credible source of News and Entertainment. The argument is that the internet is the medium that is slowly destroying the sale of Newspapers, but I argue with you today Christie that it is indeed quality.

This quote took me 5 seconds to find,

"Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”
Aristotle quotes

The Los Angeles Times has taken what I can only assume to be an ambitious out-of-towner and threw her into the fast-paced furnace called celebrity blogging. You and I both know you are a wonderful person with the talent and drive to become a established writer. Now start proving it.

-- Patrick Chavira

[CDZ from the Ministry]

@Patrick Chavira -- Christie D'Zurilla here from the blog.

Thank you for your input on my work; I also thank you for assuming I am a wonderful person with talent and drive. I can only presume that you did not take the time to click on my bio to the right, or you would know that I'm in fact not an intern, but rather a journalist with more than two decades of experience in Southern California.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2009/10/christie-dzurillas-bio.html

If the fare at the Ministry of Gossip is not to your liking, there's plenty more in-depth coverage to be found throughout the L.A. Times website. Indeed, if you were to read more than this lone blog post (I hesitate to assume that you haven't, but I have a feeling that you probably stopped here) you'd see that even within this blog, we offer a wide variety of content -- some substantial, some light.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and to comment.

//cdz

[Jon Deer]

Gooood! She's such a bad influence on everyonee. Ufff, I don't like her.

[Mufon]

Pretty lame of CNN, reporting inaccurate information, obviously without first verifying it, then saying nothing when confronted.

[Sam]

MTV bans are a joke.

MTV banned Vanessa Carlton's video "White Houses" because of one line in the song that went: "and a rush of blood" when describing loosing her virginity. The video in itself was pretty boring and probably the least offensive thing I've ever seen. Other than a basket of puppies.

I mean plenty of scantily clad, writhing, sweaty, big bootayed women grace the presence of music videos all the time. Really, what percentage of MTV music is just about sex? Go sit with a piece of paper in front of the television and take a tally.