They sing! They scream! They touch! They kiss! They bang their fists in anger! They hold each other in consolation! They slice and they dice! (Okay, that last bit was embellishment. This isn't, after all, Joss Whedon's tragic look at lesbian life).

This is T.A.T.U. -- the next new thing in lesbian visibility; such a thing has never appeared before now. This is the video for "All the Things She Said". It's fresh, it's hot, it's lesbian, it's thoughtful. Can you believe it? Beside the content, if nothing else, this video really is cinematically breathtakingly beautiful.

If you have not seen it, here is the rundown of the video: two cute girls (yes, they're teens and yes they're wearing school girl skirts, but we'll overlook that for the moment) are positioned behind an alternating chain link fence / iron bars (like a prison or a zoo), they're being gawked at by people of all sorts on the other side; they giggle a little at the onlookers initially; they sing their song, they do their diddy, they get agitated; they kiss, and one looks at the people on the other side of the fence as if to say "And, so what?"

It rains and rains, there is a sickly or alien tint over the entire scene, their clothes get wet and clingy, their makeup runs; they become increasingly desperate to get out from their "cage" or at least to be understood by those who standby in shock and amazement (there is a wonderful series of shots where the camera goes from one girl to the other and back again several times so it seems that the bars holding them in are never-ending).

They turn to each other for comfort and kiss again and again; they hold and caress each other; they confess their love and say it doesn't matter what those people think; those people say what looks like very bad things about them; they kiss tenderly again and again; finally, after it seems one has totally given up, the other motions to a place around the side of the building that has served as their backdrop; they go around the corner and it's a place where the sun is breaking out of the clouds; they clasp hands and walk off together into it. The people on the other side of the fence are left in the eerie green light with rain falling steadily on their heads.

A sample of the lyrics:

If I'm asking for help it's only because
Being with you has opened my eyes
Could I ever believe such a perfect surprise?

I keep asking myself, wondering how
I keep closing my eyes but I can't block you out
Wanna fly to a place where it's just you and me
Nobody else so we can be free

And I'm all mixed up, feeling cornered and rushed
They say it's my fault but I want her so much
Wanna fly her away where the sun and rain
Come in over my face, wash away all the shame
When they stop and stare - don't worry me
'Cause I'm feeling for her what she's feeling for me
I can try to pretend, I can try to forget
But it's driving me mad, going out of my head

So who the hell are T.A.T.U., and, that whole acronym thing, what does it stand for? T.A.T.U., or Taty, are a Russian pair of teenage girls (they are 17 and 18) who have marketed themselves as lesbians. Or, the record company has, at least. They don't seem to mind. They are working with well-known British producer Trevor Horn currently. According to the site (get this) www.White-Man-Killer.com, "'Taty' is supposedly a wordplay on the phrase 'Ta Lyubit Tu' - roughly translating to 'She Loves Her'. 'Taty' is pronounced in english 'Tatu' (tattoo)."

As of the week ending 1/31/03, "All the Things She Said" is number 15 on Radio & Record National Airplay; moreover, it has hit #1 on the charts in Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Mexico. The video is currently among the top 10 most requested on MTV in several different countries.

Are they lesbians? There are conflicting interviews; some which say that the image grew out of their true relationship together. Others where they state that everyone thinks they're lesbians but they're only good friends. When played on the radio, they've been announced as Russian lesbian teenagers. But, please, you be the judge of that for yourself.

Okay, now, honestly, does it really seem that they're lesbians? No, not really. Why? For instance, their kisses are close-lipped in the video, not very passionate though the message they are trying to convey is, and when performing live they have a choreographed number where obviously they have been directed to lock lips for the sake of showiness. One thing is certain -- everything they do is under the direct control of their producer who forced one to lose 10 kilograms to shoot the video and the other to hack off her hair and dye it black. Also, they don't give direct answers in many interviews as to whether they are lovers; but as they say in other interviews, well, that's pretty much their business. (Even though the fact remains that they have risen in the public eye because they are purported to be lesbians in love). However, what they insist on being quoted on is: "t.A.T.u is about saying what you feel, not what others expect," says Lena. "Be in love. Be yourself. We are." That's a good message whoever they are.

Does it really matter if they are? As far as lesbian visibility goes, and positive portrayal, it doesn't matter. It may just be a big gimmick. When downloading the video, the description said: "If you like watching girls make out, get this video." Ooooo...K, Squick. No one in this forum wants to think of lesbianism as a gimmick because it smacks of disrespect, but something in me says that it has to be a positive thing that lesbians are at least seen as something to be emulated, that thinks have changed enough so that it's not only a safe territory for the entertainment biz to explore but also popular enough to be a profitable one. (On a more sour note, I won't tell you about any of their other videos because it would just ruin my high right now).

Even if they are just actresses, they are acting in a play orchestrated by someone who has a conscience. In the end, the viewer is left with a hopeful message about what is out there for lesbians when the video ends. It is an uplifting positive ending, and the only tragic message is that staying on the other side of that fence taunting these girls leaves you in the same sad depressive place you started.

The girls are seen as battling because others question their choices, but they never question what they feel for each other. It's one of those days when it's good to be a lesbian.