Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s “Telephone” music video premiered last week, and although it might not be the visual masterpiece that is “Bad Romance,” the campy pulp extravaganza has been viewed by over 20 million people.

A sequel to Gaga’s “Paparazzi” clip, “Telephone” finds Gaga in jail and Beyonce bailing her out before the two go on a Thelma and Louise­-inspired mass killing spree. Homage to classic B-movies and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill franchise (complete with the infamous Pussy Wagon), the video features plenty of crotch shots, wild fashion, and manic dancing.

The day of the video’s release, the world seemed to be spending most of its time figuring out what to make of the ten-minute clip. It was weird and risqué, but nothing too over-the-top compared to Madonna and Britney Spears’ oeuvres. But then CNN aired a completely bogus news story reporting the video to be so offensive that it was banned by MTV. MTV (which currently has no air time dedicated to showing music videos) quickly refuted the claim.

FOX News soon followed CNN, airing its own segment dedicated to discussing whether or not Lady Gaga had gone too far with the “Telephone” video. However, CNN and FOX News aside, the outcry has been limited almost to the point of nonexistence.

The mainstream media’s accusations of graphic violence (of which there is none in the video) and overt sexuality seem to be borne out of sexist and homophobic sentiments that underpin much of the criticism. Interestingly, while CNN and FOX News were quick to call foul, the national conservative and religious organizations that typically criticize depictions of sex have been relatively silent. The worst to come out of the so-called “controversy” has been the flagging of the video by YouTube as “inappropriate content,” requiring viewers to “prove” their age as being over 18.

But where were these watchdog journalists when music videos by male performers depicting violence against and/or objectification of women were being released by the bucketful? Especially given the fact that the reporters on CNN and FOX News decrying Gaga’s video are women (Brooke Baldwin and Megan Kelly, respectively).

Ten years ago, Madonna released her video for “What it Feels Like for a Girl” which was subsequently banned from MTV and its affiliates. Although it was not at all sexual, the video depicted Madonna going on a killing spree ending in her apparent suicide. But at the time, hip hop music videos frequently promoted and depicted violence with very few receiving the same (if any) level of condemnation that Madonna did. Is violence perceived as such a testosterone-driven act that when a female appropriates it for the sake of art that Americans are unable to reconcile the opposing forces? Madonna would face similar criticism three years later when she released “American Life,” which she ultimately censored on her own accord.

The promotion and depiction of violence is one of the things I personally do have a problem with. However, the double standard whereby violence is celebrated and sexuality condemned is absolutely ridiculous. Likewise, the glorification of gun-toting male performers and persecution of similarly styled females exposes our culture’s discomfort with certain acts of violence as it cuts across race, gender, and sexuality. If journalists want to debate the prevalence of violence -- and to some extent, sexual explicitness -- in music videos, it needs to be done without gender bias. Otherwise they are simply reinforcing outdated sexist ideals.