Sia's "Elastic Heart": Weirdly Uncomfortable or Just Weird?
January 13, 2015

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ve seen singer/songwriter Sia’s (bizarre, minimalist) video for her newest track, “Elastic Heart.” The video features  “Dance Moms” superstar Maddie Ziegler and movie star Shia LaBeouf inside a giant, domed cage, alternately grappling with and supporting each other. There’s been some internet outrage over the two performers’ outfits (Ziegler and LeBeouf wear a nude leotard and nude briefs, respectively) and perceived sexual subtext.

But others feel differently. Thought Catalog writer Ann Midori and The Guardian’s Barbara Ellen argue that the only reason people find this video inappropriate is that they aren’t used to seeing male dancers perform this type of dance to popular music. Midori and Ellen point out what every dance teacher out there already knows: Only a small fraction of boys take dance class growing up—and those who do often endure bullying. If more boys danced, Midori says, this video wouldn’t seem so jarring and definitely wouldn’t come across as sexually inappropriate. Ellen wonders if people would have reacted the same way if the video were performed by two girls.

What do you think? Does “Elastic Heart” make you uncomfortable? Is it just a weird, intense dance?

 

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