



About the video

Bad Romance: Women’s Suffrage is a parody music video paying homage to Alice Paul and the generations of brave women who joined together in the fight to pass the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote in 1920.

In 2010, Soomo Learning launched a parody music video called Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration. The result was a viral hit and remains a popular teaching resource for history teachers and political science professors across the United States. The response was so overwhelming that Soomo decided to follow it up with Bad Romance: Women’s Suffrage.



If you aren't familiar with the original video that prompted this parody, you should watch the original by Lady Gaga (content advisory for suggestive/violent imagery). The song "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga went to number one in 17 countries and peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The video won a Grammy and seven MTV Video Music Awards.

Making music videos isn't Soomo's main focus, but education is. Check out our Teaching Resources for more information on how this video can be used as a learning tool.



Lyrics

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Vo vo votes ah ah aah

Whoa aa, won’t ta aah

Stop ha, ooo la la

Til we have suffrage!

Vo vo votes ah ah aah

Whoa aa, won’t ta aah

Stop ha, ooo la la

Til we have suffrage!

It's gotten ugly

They passed the 15th

Still women have no right

Nor guarantee

To liberty

Child, health, wealth

Or property

Hey! We’ll raise our banner

Across this land hey!

‘Cause franchise isn’t just

The right of a man

Universal

Yuh, yuh, yuh, it’s universal!

Yuh, yuh, yuh, universal!

You know we don't want to

Take freedoms from you

Just want our rights and nothing less

We cry for freedom

Oh, hear our voice

And see we’re equal to all men!

Oh oh oh oh...

We the whole people

Not just male citizens

Formed this most perfect Union!

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Vo vo votes ah ah aah

Whoa aa, won’t ta aah

Stop ha, ooo la la

Til we have suffrage!

It is a horror

A cruel design

That makes it criminal

a right that is mine

I want the vote

vote, vote, vote

I want to vote

Well, I think you’re psycho

I think that it’s sick

I’m queen of my home, raise my babies

That’s it

Don’t need to vote

No, no, she don’t want to vote!

No, no, no, don’t want to vote

The rights of citizens

Shall not be denied or abridged

New legislation, baby!

By the United States

On account of sex

We cry for freedom

Oh hear our voice

And see we’re equal to all men!

Oh oh oh oh...

We the whole people, not

Just male citizens

Formed this most perfect Union

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Oh oh oh oh...

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Vo vo votes ah ah

Whoa ah, won’t ta ah

Stop ha, ooo la la

Til we have suffrage!

March, march, be courageous

Fighting

For our rights we may just

Start greatness for the ages

Freedom it is contagious

March, march, be courageous

Fighting

For our rights we may just

Start greatness for the ages

Remember the ladies

Not to be above

but equal to all men

We only ask to be

Part of this Union!

Comme dirait le Français:

c'est Démocratie!

Permettez-moi participer!*

I’m a citizen

Of this nation!

An American!

I want suffrage! And independence!

We cry for freedom

Oh, hear our voice

And see we’re equal to all men!

Oh oh oh oh...

We the whole people, not

Just male citizens

Formed this most perfect Union!

Oh oh oh oh...

I want to wear pants!

Caught in a Bad Romance

I want my suffrage!

Oh oh oh oh...

And independence!

Caught in a Bad Romance!

Vo vo votes ah ah

Woah ah, won’t ta ah

Stop ha, ooo la la

Now we have suffrage!

*As the French would say:

This is democracy! Let me participate!





Credits

Directed by: Tim Alden Grant

Written by: Emilia Fuentes Grant

Produced by: Lisa Corum

Featuring: Meredith Garrison

Also featuring: Dan Williams, Tripp Hamilton, Sarah Barnhardt, Talmadge Ragan, Mae Spencer

And: K Margo

Director of Photography: Adam Hobbs

Production design by: Jeffery Barrows

Costume design by: Trent Pcenicni

Hair and make-up design by: Trent Pcenicni

Choreography by: Jena Burgin-Peters

Music produced by: Mack Brock, Aaron Robertson

Lyrics by: Emilia Fuentes Grant

Vocals by: Stephenie Sanders

Associate Producer: Zara Elizabeth Ricks

Edited by: Tim Alden Grant

Cast

Alice Paul: Meredith Garrison

Woodrow Wilson: Dan Williams

Harry Burn: Tripp Hamilton

Mother: Sarah Barnhardt

Cook: Talmadge Ragan

Laundry Girl: Mae Spencer

Anti-Suffragette: K Margo

The Silent Sentinels: K Margo , Katie Caldwell , Macie McCain , Hailey Nicholson, Chelsea Resch, Whitney Seay

Baby Son: Maks Sizemore

Husband: Jason Blackman

Red Rose Senators (Left to Right): Bill Grant, John Layton, Paul Metzger

Yellow Rose Senators (Left to Right): Tyler Ford , Matthew Cheney , Jere S Thomas

Scoundrels (Left to Right): John Layton, Tyler Ford, Bill Grant, Jere S Thomas

Political Boss: Paul Metzger

Psych Ward Orderlies (Left to Right): Mike Tangalakis , Paul Metzger

Police (Left to Right): Paul Metzger, Mike Tangalakis

A Soomo Learning Production

Bad Romance: Women's Suffrage



Unit Production Management by: Ron Aldridge

Gaffer: Bob Schaner

First Assistant Camera: Greg Hudgins

Second Assistant Camera: Jason Dullin

Production Assistant: William Powell

Prop Master: Johnnie Jones

Grip: Craig LaVenture

Assistant to Mrs. Burgin-Peters: Eddie Mabry

Wardrobe Supervisor: Ivey Barker

Makeup Artists: Trent Pcenicni, Jillian Brady Williams

Hair Stylist: Katie Pcenicni

Visual Effects by: Michael Jones

Colorist: Adam Hobbs

adamhobbs.tv

Catering by: Chef Jennifer Brulé

On Set Photography by: Mike D’Avria

Carpenters: "Bubba" Jonathan Barrows, "Papa B." Robert Barrows

Shot in Studio At: The Broadcast Group, Fort Mill, SC

Special Thanks To: Small HD, Greensboro Day School





Teaching resources

Glossary of terms

19th Amendment: The amendment to the U.S. Constitution that granted women the right to vote, passed in 1919 and ratified in 1920

Anti-Suffrage: The counter movement which opposed giving women the right to vote

Franchise: A privilege, right, or authorization granted by the government

Hobble Skirt: A style of skirt popular in the early 1900s characterized by a hemline so narrow that it severely restricted the wearer's stride

Hunger Strike: The act of fasting in non-violent protest

National Woman’s Party (NWP): A political organization founded by Alice Paul in 1916 whose primary mission was a federal constitutional amendment and was known for using radical tactics

Silent Sentinels: A term coined by Harriot Stanton Blatch, daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to describe the group of women who protested silently outside the White House for six days a week from 1917 to 1919

Links

Commemoration

National Women's Party

Alice Paul

Suffrage Strategies

Women of Protest Collection

National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)

NYTimes

Antisuffrage