Often in jest, I will tell people that I only do things that Lady Gaga would do.
Lady Gaga being the "New Age Madonna" has caused quite a stir with her freedom of expression which is often displayed in her lyrics and fashion sense. Since she is considered "outrageous" to many, claiming to live by her rules makes for a great joke.
Apparently, I am not the only one who has adopted this method of decision making. The summer months has brought myriad of fashion statements that were once considered faux-pas and now have become somewhat common place (much to my dismay). From flip flops becoming the staple of footwear, no matter how haphazard the toes of the person wearing them to halter tops that don't begin to cover the massive mounds of flesh spilling out of them people seem to be embracing freedom to express everything.
Lady Gaga's hit single "Just Dance" implores the listener to get up and move no matter what the situation. The catchy beat does in fact make you want to shake what your mom (or in my case cupcakes and snickers) gave you. However, I can not say that I can apply that care free attitude to all aspects of my life. I can certainly enjoy a "feel good" ditty about reckless abandonment on the dance floor of the club, however I can not say that I am going to display such behavior at say, a funeral. After all, shouldn't there be a time and place for everything?
I recently attended a wedding, and was unpleasantly surprised by a guest who was wearing a beach dress. There was no disputing that this dress was a washed out and well broken-into get-up that belonged in a sand dune someplace. However, she seemed oblivious to how under- dressed she was. No sooner did I leave the wedding to run into a man who was walking the street in a pair of shorts. That's it. Just shorts. Now, I am well aware that most men (with the exception of the ones who are obese or have abnormal amounts of estrogen) do not have breasts and therefore it is not obscene to take their shirts off. However, walking to the store or waiting at the bus stop with no shirt on is a little much for me. Would it have been so hard to employ the use of a t shirt? I can't even begin on the absence of shoes. I would have much rather he embraced the flip flop phenomenon than gallivant about without shoes.
Sadly the freedom of expression transcends one's attire. People feel free to do just about anything. I happen to know a woman who was happily married for several years until her husband decided to go to a club and follow a strange woman home for... (insert imagination here).
She couldn't help but wonder how he came to make such a huge decision that would affect years of a happy relationship in such haste. His response: " I just went with it". Thankfully, being a good wife, she followed his lead of embracing freedom and freed herself from him shortly after.
And so, are we influenced? Or are we just finally managing to do what we have suppressed for years in fear of offending others?
I don't have the answers, but I have a feeling dancing won't do a thing about it.
So I love the theory behind, WWLGD? Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI equate Gaga, to an envelope pusher. She’s going to push it until she meets resistance or finds another way to accomplish what she wants as her end goal. Has she been known to be a little crass, rude, R-rated in the process, yes. But she should be given a nice pat on the back too, since it has grabbed so many peoples attention (hello look at the YouTbue sensations – from the 12yr old boy playing piano & singing a mellowed out version of Paparazzi to the uniformed men in sync dancing to a number of her songs). Single handedly Gaga has brought the Nation together on some level.
Agree, that Gaga, as the new age modern version of Madonna – some have taken her craziness to an entirely new, highly likely, inappropriate level. As evidenced by what you have written.
That said, I do think some careful attention to the Gaga’s lyrics should be noted. Through her catchy beats, funky dressing styles, and outlandish behaviors, the lyrics do depict what most are or have struggled with throughout their lives. She’s just creative enough to be able to turn certain plights into lyrical music that you can’t help but want to get up and “just dance” to!!
I think it was the Gaga who in an interview about “Just Dance” said, the song was about when you do drugs and drink and you're so messed up you can't even figure out what's going on, so you just dance because you can't really do anything else - or that if you were to stay still you might realize you're TOO messed up. Take the drugs and alcohol away – the message can still be implied, that sometimes dancing is the best thing to do when things (life, relationships, work, etc, etc) are just that messed up. Possibly it will also allow for a different “spin” (pun intended) on the entire situation!
While I’m not a huge fan of “Bad Romance” I can still argue that Gaga is explaining that she deeply wants this guy, she's in love with him, but something isn't right. You choose if the guy is a bit of a psycho, sick, __________ (insert issue here). And part of her hates him and part of her knows it will only end in disaster, but she wants a relationship with him anyways. She realizes that he knows she wants him. It will end with one of them, probably her, eliciting revenge if they actually have a romance together. She doesn't want to be his friend, but he only wants friendship. Their relationship isn't healthy but possibly the passion of it makes up for the unhealthy status?!? The Gaga wants a 'bad romance', a sick, passionate, love. It may even be a married man, because of what she said about the baby sick in another room. I think that the whole idea of something being very wrong, very off, is present, yet she only wants more. It’s definitely desperate and painful for her. She loves him. Hello – we have all been here. Not sure anyone has figured out the “right” answer as to what to do.
ReplyDeleteWhere would one begin with “Alejandro”? The song is about how Gaga sees love based on a man's wallet (she hides true love en su bolsillo [bolsillo is pocket in Spanish]). She then wraps men around her finger with her innocent act (She's got a halo round her finger, around you). The Gaga bring forth her fear of commitment to the point where she cannot even remember the name of her lover (i.e. is it "Alejandro," "Fernando," "Roberto"). Additionally, the line "Mexico, rejoice!" ties into the whole "What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico" theme that is ever-popular among Spring-Breakers in Cancun. The song is about being promiscuous and garnering as much money as possible, then realizing how wrong it is: "I know that we are young, and I know that you may love me; but I just can't be with you like this anymore...Alejandro." By that time, however, "Alejandro" is already in love with the speaker as he calls her name and addresses her as "babe." Unfortunately for him, he has no idea that she never felt anything more for him than lust and financial assistance.
While “Poker Face” is one of my top Gaga songs, I’ve also had the hardest time trying to figure out exactly what Gaga is saying. I believe that it isn’t about leading men on with her money – like many believe it is. Rather the Gaga is comparing messing with somebody’s feelings to playing poker. A guy played her and she is going to get him back. Gaga is acting like she still likes him, enough to make him fall for her, then BAM! He’s the one hurt, cause he "can't read my poker face" When you are burned by someone, it is only natural to want to flip that pain and hurt the one who hurt you.
I’d like to say that “Telephone” is self-explanatory in that a guy is trying to contact a girl after she went and made plans, when he didn't ask her to do anything. And she's not willing to put everything on the side just because all of a sudden he's bored and wants her. Gaga is choosing to avoid the guy on the other side of the telephone. Who hasn’t been here?
I agree that too many people might have taken the WWLGD effect a little too far. I also feel that it is imperative that people just don’t take her outlandish behavior & style as an excuse to get off carte blanche – when possibly one should dive further into the very deep lyrical styling’s of the Gaga. I think that Lady Gaga speaks on a personal level to everyone. Her songs depict the very delicate, rough, tantalizing, amazing, & whatever adjective you might want to use, of how hard it is to love and let someone love you back.
@ Peaceful Naked, I am so digging your interpretation of Bad Romance. I am one of the self-proclaimed "Gaga Lovers" and that song does a lot more than get my toes tapping.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that she says she wants his or her ugly, she wants their disease. I take that to mean so many different things. The term "bump uglies" can mean that she wants this person in the most carnal sense, to the point that she'll take whatever comes with it... (the disease) or it can mean that she is willing to take the ugly parts of the relationship, the dysfunction. She just wants to be infected with their affection.
I do believe that Gaga isn't much more outrageous than Madonna was. It just seems so because we are from an era that survived Madonna. For the younger generation, Gaga isn't all that risque, just new. Once they get older, there will be another to fill that role and have them gasping in horror as they quickly flip the channel to shield THEIR kid's eyes.