Dial-a-Feud: Donny Osmond Slams Lady Gaga's "Telephone"

Former teen idol takes issue with the pop star's sex-and-violence-filled video, calls it inappropriate for kids

By Natalie Finn Mar 25, 2010 1:35 PMTags
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Lady Gaga's "Telephone" has pushed all of Donny Osmond's buttons.

The squeaky clean singer, an outspoken opponent of censorship in the recording industry in the past, has drawn a line when it comes to the boundary-pushing pop star's latest video, which features Gaga and Beyoncé getting involved in some nasty sexy business.

"I'm all for freedom of speech and against any form of censorship, but all I know is that I'm a parent and I'm upset about this," the father of five said in a statement Wednesday.

"This" being...

The Kill Bill-Grindhouse vibe? The butt cracks? The cigarette sunglasses? The rampant product placement?

"Unlike 20 years ago, in today's modern, viral world in which content becomes instantaneously available irrespective of age, I wonder whether the music industry might need to rethink its marketing policies with regard to making an explicit music video containing profanity, sexual exploitation, nudity, and graphic violence available to anyone with Internet access," Osmond, 52, continued.

"I wouldn't want my child to watch this video. Would you? What do you think? Should these two extremely gifted female role models for millions of young girls, maybe, have given a little more thought to the effect it might have on their core audience?"

Well, yes, Donny, that's why "parental discretion is advised."

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, thinks her fans are getting the message just fine, tweeting yesterday from on tour in Australia:

"What mayhem in Melbourne tonight. Some kids just understand what it means live your eyeliner, breathe your lipstick, and kill for eachother."

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Speaking of bad romance, find out how Kim Kardashian's handling her latest breakup right here, then take a look at our Big Celebrity Splits gallery.