This past Wednesday, Sia released a music video for her most recent single “Elastic Heart.” It features 12-year-old Maddie Ziegler, the original dancer from her “Chandelier” video, and Shia LaBeouf. They are in a cage, “fight dancing,” if you will. I watched the video almost immediately as it came out and was moved by the profoundness and overall emotion of the video.
What happened after the release of this video is what bothers me. Many people have been saying this video portrays “pedophilia” and that it is inappropriate. Once I heard that, I immediately re-watched the video thinking I might have missed something, and I did realize how it could be considered a trigger. The video itself, however, is not about pedophilia at all, which is what many people are describing it as. I would recommend watching the video and having your own perspective on it. I’m going to touch on my own interpretation on what I feel it means.
I have never experienced pedophilia and it breaks my heart to hear that it even happens. In no way am I lessening those experiences or calling you wrong for feeling hurt by this video. In fact, Sia has even apologized on Twitter, stating:
My main problem is that people immediately over-sexualize music videos. From my perspective, this video is about mental illness, and Shia represents a father figure, while Maddie represents Sia. One of the scenes has Maddie gently hitting Shia’s face as he changes between silly faces with each hit. It feels very paternal to me and in no way sexual.
Sia has suffered depression and substance abuse; she even has admitted to contemplating suicide. This song is about being easily breakable; “I’m like a rubber band until you pull too hard,” is one of the most telling lines. She has suffered before, but she bounced back. The cage is a metaphor for depression, and, as Maddie dances, you see her get out.
As I said earlier, Shia’s role seems fatherly, and Maddie, closer to the end, seems to be trying to help him escape from the same cage she has already conquered. I’m only making an assumption, but, because depression can run in the family, perhaps Sia’s father also suffered. Although it may not be true, it seems like a possibility, and that is what the video led me to feel.
The last 45 seconds are the hardest for me. There is no sound. Maddie is attempting to get Shia out of the cage but failing. This profound representation of the struggle to help someone overcome depression is heartbreaking and personal. Overall, it’s a deep and emotional video; the unfortunate side is that it was taken the wrong way.
I can’t even to begin to describe the effect of pedophilia, and it’s heartbreaking that nowadays so many things have become triggers for the horrors of our society. It was good of Sia to open up about the controversy and apologize. I just wish people would understand that the message of the video isn’t pedophilia, but that it may have been a trigger for those affected. Shia and Maddie both had amazing performances, and I believe the video created a unique take on mental illness and the struggle of it.
