I am a fan of Lady Gaga. I did not used to be a fan of Lady Gaga. In fact, when my BFF had a Lady Gaga-themed party (to which I didn't go because there was 10 feet of snow on the ground and I was busy puking my guts up), I was very unclear as to why she would waste her time doing it. The kookiness of L.G. continued to elude me until, weeks after said BFF burned the CDs for me, I finally allowed myself to listen to them. It took a few days of playing and replaying them, absorbing the beats and deciphering the lyrics, before I got it.
I'm not a diehard fan, but I have a healthy respect for the young lass with a seemingly endless supply of freakish headgear. I don't find her particularly beautiful, although I'm pretty sure I'd sell at least half my soul to have a body like hers. No, she is not attractive to me in the typical sense. But she does have an attractive energy and sense of self.
Why am I thinking about this just now?
Well, this morning I was listening to my daily dose of Preston & Steve and they were discussing the forthcoming Vanity Fair article about L.G. Since MMR is most definitely NOT a pop station, they were a little critical of her, especially the whole quote about losing creativity through sex. They drew the very common comparison between her and Madonna and went on to discuss the crazy head accoutrements she's fond of wearing. It made me think...and here's the conclusion I arrived at.
Lady Gaga is a symbol. Sure, on the surface she represents the sort of standard drug- and sex-infused pop music with which our radio stations seem to be disturbingly preoccupied. But if you listen closely, you see and hear more. Rather than a mindless repeat of the earlier superstardom enjoyed by the likes of Madonna and her brethren, you are actually witnessing the rebirth of a genre in the form of someone who appears genuine in her self-confidence and lack thereof, her vulnerability as a young star, her passion for hedonism...and her willingness to admit her weaknesses.
See, what I got from listening to L.G.'s music over and over again was an open mind and the ability to release myself a bit from a self-imposed Victorian sensibility that bothers even me. I am someone who likes things to be right because they are supposed to be. I need no other reason to criticize someone than because what they say and/or do violates the natural order of things. I have an exceptionally strong distaste for people who break the rules. Granted, I like to break rules myself - but not the ones I see as universal.
An example: I hate when I send out invitations for something and no one RSVPs. Yes, it's a little rude and yes, it creates some confusion for me. But even more importantly, that's what RSVPs are FOR! It bothers me to no end that people do not use the cards for their intended purpose. This neglect ruins the order of things - why have RSVPs if no one is going to use them?!
Similarly, for weeks after receiving the L.G. CDs, I wouldn't let myself listen to them because in a weird way, I am a prim and proper gal with prim and proper ideas. I dislike people who are shameless about who they offend and how they portray themselves. It bothers me when I believe that someone has no self-respect because isn't that what makes humans different from animals, after all?
In fact, though, there are different kinds of self-respect. What I have found by repeatedly listening to and analyzing L.G.'s music is that the universe doesn't always need order. Sometimes it's okay to break outside your comfort zone and be a little bold. And anyway, who am I to judge?
The truth is that I judge myself as harshly as I judge others, and it's completely counter-productive. So thank you, Lady Gaga, for showing me the light.
However, I do not expect to change completely. I still don't like Snookie and I still think she's an overtanned troll who went crazy with the Bump-It.
The end.
t.
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