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I don't like Lady Gaga.
Blasphemy alert. I’m a sixteen year old American girl and I don’t like Lady Gaga. And no, it’s not because I don’t like her music, her costumes, or her performances. I just don’t like being manipulated.
Actually, I lied. It’s partly her music, costumes, and performances. But not so much because they’re hideous or outrageous or tiresome. But looking back at those pictures of her as a “normal” girl and seeing what and who she is now, it’s almost insulting. The fact that this girl had to change into something almost non-human to finally get noticed is unsettling, at best. She’s instead this cold, faceless force. No one noticed her when she was trying to “make it”. But then the fame machine (monster, she calls it?) seemed to eat her up and spit out an entirely new person, repackaged and revamped to “shock” us all.
And in the end, it really isn’t even that shocking. It’s almost a little pathetic (and you’ll see what I mean by insulting) when it seems that the state of the nation’s youth has degenerated so much that we need a woman in a mask and sparkling breasts to tell us that we’re all okay. Okay to be different, okay to be loved, the whole package. Because then we really aren’t, are we?
She's been quoted as saying, “I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels. I'd never give up my wigs and hats for anything.” I'm afraid that this mentality about possessions and image, to her millions of female fans, is dangerous. She speaks almost as if these material things are as vital to life as water is. This is the same woman who says that “I'm always saying something about art and music and fame. That's why you don't ever catch me in sweatpants.” She claims that her style and her persona is for art, and yet, it begs the question if she ever does anything for herself. She makes herself a martyr for the love of her fans. And if she is as passionate as she says she is about new frontiers in art, why are the vast majority of her lyrics about sex and money?
I'm not asking her to be anything different, not exactly. Give me a David Bowie reincarnate, an rebel in the music industry. But give me a little more complexity, a little more beauty, a little more thought than just what's on the outside. Give me another facet than just the freaky hair and makeup and clothing, because if that’s all there is, her opinion about simply being yourself is lost somewhere in the jumble of cosmetics and oversized sunglasses. But most of all, give me a break.
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This article has 471 comments.
I'm an almost-sixteen-year-old American girl and I don't like Lady Gag (not a typo) either!
Great article.
Me to. =) =) =)
While I myself dont like Lady Gaga's music, I have a sort-of respect for her because one of my friends showed me a video of her playing for a morning tv show and I have to admit, I was amazed at how talented she was!
Unlike other popular singers, like Ke$ha, she actually showed some talent. In the video she was playing the piano and singing at the same time. And she was playing hte piano WELL. How many other celebrities actually possess musical talent?
This being said, I still dont have to like her music or how she manipulates the media. But I also dont have to rant and rave about how " fake, cliche, obsessed" she is.
I dont belive there is bad music. There is only what you don't like, and what you do like. Don't force your opinion onto other people by saying that one particular music is "bad" just because you dont like it. As many people dont like Lady Gaga as how many DO like her.
Ah, you conveyed how I feel about Lady Gaga rather well. She used to be a completely different person, and the message she sends of being yourself is a good one, but she's rather hypocritical.
Lady Gaga seems like a nice person, and the message she sends is good, but... telling people to be yourself just doesn't work when you changed yourself completely to become famous.
Don't care about respect?
well, a real guy will fight for what he can't have--what he can't see right off the bat. If he likes you for more than your body, then he's definitely a keeper 'cause he sees who you are. Unless all you are is your body, idk.
I think you had a great article, but I think you left out a key point on one of the reasons why Lady Gaga is making it.
Her Voice.
Just listen to her live. She can go high, low, belt it, dance while singing, everything.
Yes, I am a Lady Gaga fan, but I don't think she does it for attention. I think she did it to show that you can be yourself no matter what.
But again, great article. :)
Thanks:) I agree with you. One of the things why I don't like most of the celebs out there right now is that they try too hard to fit in I guess, because that's how the media wants them to be. Celebs that are different in the good way are the ones that I admire;)
I'll check out your poems sometime!;]
Most all of the popular celebs through history have to be bad in order to make it big in the industry. It's really sad when such GOOD celebs and singers are out there and NO ONE cares 'cause they're not 'bad' enough to be popular. That's so wrong.
Heard of Melody Joy? She's such a better alternative than Ke$ha. Heard of Group1Crew? They're better than Black Eyed Peas.
If you think I'm wrong, take a serious look yourself. Ponder the words. What's really going on?
I could list alot more artists out there who go unnoticed to most, even when they have outstanding messages to share. :)
I agree with you, Rosa21. I only like one of her songs but most of all it's like 'why do you have to conform like this???' Unfortunately they have to in order to be popular, and nobody supports those who DARE to be different.
Check out my poems if you'd like to sometime!! =D
Well, I don't like you very much either! -_-
Excuse me, but I never seen you get like, what? TEN grammys? Too much to fu*king count anyways. So, SCREW YOU!
Love, Mother Monster