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Lady Gaga's new music video for "Telephone" is raising product placement to a grotesque degree: Ten brands appear in the 9-minute video, including Virgin Mobile, Hewlett Packard, and Chevrolet. While that may be an extreme example, many artists are increasingly selling their image and songs to products. Some say these commercial deals are a vital revenue source. Others argue they're killing the art. It's our Soundcheck Smackdown debate.

Joining us is Tim Riley, journalist-in-residence at Emerson College, and author of several books on rock including Fever: How Rock 'n' roll Transformed Gender In America, and Maura Johnston, a music writer and blogger.