Vollrath

LADY GAGA ** 2-14-10 Allan Johnson’s article “__Where Are We__?” What would he say about Lady Gaga? **  Lady Gaga is a phenomenon in today’s pop music industry. She is shaping and challenging the music industry in ways that many other artists have not. After reading and discussing Allan Johnson’s article in class, I feel he would have much to say about this pop culture artifact. I feel that Lady Gaga not only demonstrates Johnson’s ideas and beliefs, but she also challenges them too. Johnson’s overall theme for this article was the patriarchy system and its many branches. One branch of this system is male dominance. Johnson explains that this shows men are the ones holding higher positions in society and if a woman were to hold a higher position she would be questioned if she would be capable of performing the task as well as a man could. The music industry is one that is dominated by both men and women. I think Johnson would say Lady Gaga is a woman who would be hard to challenge by a man in this industry. Her music is everywhere and she is one of the first artists to have a debut album with have four number ones. Another part of this patriarchy system is male identification. Johnson suggests that a prime example of how our society is male identified is the fact that women are often portrayed as objects of sexual desire for men. I feel Johnson would have to agree that Lady Gaga undoubtedly fits this belief. It is no secret that behind her success, lays a very sexually charged background. Most of the lyrics to her songs are sexual references. Her videos also promote a sexual desire. Another extension of this system according to Allan Johnson is male centeredness. This is the belief that men are the ones being focused on. Not only are males in general being focused on, but especially the things they do. I think Johnson would argue that this can go both ways for Lady Gaga. Mainly her music focuses on love not only with men, but sometimes women; such as her popular song Poker Face. Lady Gaga is a very independent woman and her off-camera love life is rarely the topic of interest when it comes to her. Often times the topic is about what she is wearing. Johnson also discusses that men often have a more difficult time forming friendships. Openly Lady Gaga has admitted she has very few celebrity friends. This is why she so often has very close relationships with her fans. It wasn’t too long ago she got a tattoo with the word “Monsters” on her forearm, which refers to the nickname she has given her fans. The last characteristic of this system is obsession with control. Johnson explains within every system there is an obsession with control. He states men are assumed to be in control at all times and women are expected to be the opposite. I think Johnson would argue that Lady Gaga is often more in control than her male counterparts. In most of her videos she is the one with control vs. the men in her videos. For instance, her music video for Bad Romance, which grossed millions of views on YouTube, represents sex trafficking. She is being offered and auctioned by men and she is finally sold to the final bidder. She gains control in this video because in the end she ends up seemingly murdering the man who bought her. She is lying in bed next to his skeleton.

Although Lady Gaga’s music has a vast range from dark to upbeat, the ideas of princesses, princes, and living happily ever after usually don’t come to mind when one listens to her music or watches her videos. I feel this pop culture artifact may challenge many of Parson’s ideas. Linda T. Parson’s article discusses many key points about fairytales and how they incorporate today’s patriarchal system. Modern fairytales often view female characters as beautiful, helpless, and they need the assistance and guidance of someone else. The female character’s problems disappear once their prince has rescued them. Her article suggests that fairytales establish appropriate behavior and appropriate desire. I feel as though Lady Gaga does not evolve around these suggestions. She is one of the few pop artists that isn’t on the extreme end of being super feminine. She is constantly wearing outrageous and eye-catching clothing. In fact, many often discuss whether or not she is ugly. One concept in Parson’s article is how women in fairytales are portrayed as weak, dependent, and submissive. If anything, Lady Gaga seems to be on the opposite side of the spectrum. She comes off as a very independent woman and artist. In one interview with Oprah she is followed around by cameras before the opening of one of her shows. She explains to the camera man that she is involved in almost everything that goes into her work. She is very meticulous about what goes on within her performance. Clearly she is not dependent of many people; at least not nearly as dependent as a typical female character in a fairytale. Another aspect of Parson’s article is feminist re-visions. These fairytales often challenge typical fairytale ideas. The female characters in these fairytales are more likely to be independent, deal with issues of choice and freedom and they reproduce social values. This is one of Parson’s concepts that Lady Gaga would fit. In many, if not most of her videos she is the character with control and the sense of independence. As I mentioned before, in her video Bad Romance, she is dealt with the issue of choice. Her video for this song seems to deal with the problem of sex trafficking of women. She gains her freedom and independence at the end of this video when she ends up killing the man who had bought her. I feel as though the biggest connection that this pop culture artifact has with Parson’s article is the concept of beauty and power. Lady Gaga has mentioned many times that she does not dress the way she does to attract the attention of others, but to give her fans a sense of fitting in. She has always said she felt like a “freak”. It’s empowering that she isn’t just simply another pop star that fits into the mold of being what most consider beautiful. She’s a very dynamic artist. media type="youtube" key="qrO4YZeyl0I" height="385" width="640" align="left"
 * 2-21-10 Linda T. Parson’s article “__Ella Evolving: Cinderella Stories and the Construction of Gender-Appropriate Behavior__” What would she say about Lady Gaga?**



Although Lady Gaga is literally not a superhero, she is does have some of the qualities they possess. Hager writes, “These young superheroes [Powerpuff girls] function as role models for girls…the girls both inhabit and challenge stereotypical notions of gender (62).” Lady Gaga has always said she cares deeply for her fans and just recently she and Cyndi Lauper launched a lipstick Viva Glam version for MAC cosmetics. MAC has always charged $14.00 for their lipsticks, but this time if one purchases either of these two versions of lipsticks campaigned by Gaga or Lauper, all proceeds go directly to helping men and women living with HIV and AIDS. According to MAC cosmetics, the funding of their program has already helped raise 160 million dollars. When being interviewed about this campaign Lady Gaga said, “ I am single, through choice, because I’m on the road so much I can’t get to know anybody. Even Lady Gaga can be celibate,” she declared. “It’s OK not to have sex. You don’t have to have sex to feel loved.” Personally I think it is more empowering and profound for the fact that for a woman who is so overly sexualized, she can still promote these ideas, which are clearly responsible. Another example of how this pop culture artifact is an ideal role model is her concern for her fans. In the same interview Lady Gaga also said, “What keeps me warm at night is my identity and my sense of self, and that’s what MAC represents for me. When I go on stage, I realize every night how much my fans protect me and how much they mean to me, and I would be doing a real disservice to them, I would be a truly heartless and irresponsible person if I didn’t protect them too.” Lisa Hager also writes in her article that the Powerpuff Girls make for a “new version of cool for girls (64).” Obviously Lady Gaga is very involved in the fashion aspect of society and that can be considered a new version of cool, but looking beyond that I think it’s more important to understand that she is someone who isn’t afraid to express herself and her true identity (as she mentioned above). I think because she is more open and because she does break certain boundaries, it can help others be more confident in expressing themselves too (ex. her fans). The importance of a role model is to have someone to look up to and ideally one is going to follow in their path. Overall, if there is one aspect that Gaga challenges from Hager’s article, it is the relation of the Powerpuff Girls and how they are not sexualized. Without a doubt, Lady Gaga is sexualized. Evidentially, it doesn’t stand in the way of her making good decisions and becoming very involved in global issues.
 * 3-07-10 Lisa Hager’s article “__Saving the World Before Bedtime”: The Powerpuff Girls, Citizenship, and the Little Girl Superhero”__ What would Hager say about Lady Gaga?**

** 3-14-10 “//__Teena Means Business: Teenage Girl’s Culture and Seventeen Magazine__//” What would Kelly Schrum say? **



The reflection of what a majority of girls consume is on the covers and within the pages of popular teenage magazines, especially in Seventeen Magazine, which author Kelly Schrum has summed up in her article. With a simple search using Google, I could not find any evidence of Lady Gaga being on the cover of Seventeen Magazine. I think it could be a rather controversial discussion as to why maybe she hasn’t been on the cover of this popular magazine. I do think that a majority of the reason is because she isn’t portrayed as the “all American girl” such as Taylor Swift or Lauren Conrad. Lady Gaga is much more controversial and dynamic. She had a controversial cover shoot for an issue of Rolling Stone and she recently appeared on Cosmopolitan’s April cover. Cosmopolitan’s issue featuring Gaga focused on her love advice. Cosmopolitan seems to tend to young women in their 20’s and up, whereas Seventeen obviously appeals to teenage girls. Schrum mentions in her article that, “magazines catered to a world in which the reader was perpetually enticed and unfulfilled as advertisers began to focus on creating and appealing to consumer anxiety.” In reality, this is very true of print advertisement, and especially magazines. Beautiful, thin, and popular women advertise products that are meant to make consumers (teenage girls in this case) to feel they have to purchase these products to improve themselves. I think Schrum would argue that Lady Gaga could contribute to this in two different ways. In one, she is very skinny and extremely popular right now and therefore she would probably have a major influence on young girls and what they consume. On the other hand, it is often argued as to whether or not Gaga is attractive. Some may say she is even ugly. Recently, her video for “Telephone” featuring Beyonce was released and it portrays her sexuality and quirkiness for fashion. In one scene she is dancing in underwear with several other women and she is evidentially thin. In other scenes, she is shown with a telephone-like device on her head, and other odd fashionable accessories. Schrum also writes, “Teenagers began to rely heavily on their peers and on commercial popular culture, such as movies and music, for guidance and entertainment.” Lady Gaga definitely has a lot of power in this statement. I also think Kelly Schrum would say Gaga has a positive position when it comes to influencing teenage girls. Although she is so sexualized and a lot of the focus on her is about what she is wearing, it’s more important to look past that and realize the things she chooses to involve herself in. She’s spoken out on gay relationships, and a lot of teenage magazines don’t always choose to discuss gay relationships. As mentioned in my last entry, Gaga has also involved herself in world issues, like the campaign for MAC cosmetics and efforts in helping those living with aides. Polaroid also announced months ago that they have chosen Lady Gaga for their new creative director for a line of specialty products.

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 ** 4-4-10 Jack Zipes’ article “__The Phenomenon of Harry Potter, or Why All the Talk?__” What would he say about Lady Gaga? ** Perhaps the best connection to make with Lady Gaga using this article written by Jack Zipes, is the concept of a phenomenon and what it is, what it means, and how it influences popular culture. Like Harry Potter, Lady Gaga truly is a figure that has exploded amongst mass media within the last year. It’s impossible to tune out the buzz about Lady Gaga. Zipes writes, “For anything to become a phenomenon in Western society, it must become conventional; it must be recognized and categorized as unusual, extraordinary, remarkable, and outstanding.” I think he would agree that his definition perfectly molds the phenomenon that Lady Gaga has created. Zipes also wrote, “It is impossible to be phenomenal without conforming to conventionality.” I think this statement is where challenges may take place when discussing Gaga. The main thing that is utmost socially acceptable about her is her music. Obviously not all of the lyrics to her songs are socially acceptable, but the fact that the majority of her songs do have undeniably catchy beats and rhythms. Lady Gaga’s wardrobe is often a popular discussion amongst the mass media. I think there have been very few times where she has dressed “socially acceptable” or what most may consider normal. Yet, her fashion is a key example of how she has a very big influence amongst others and especially other performers. Other stars have grown accustomed to wearing big shoulder pads and colored wigs. Zipes mentioned how Harry Potter was marketed, and it is evident that Harry Potter has a high degree of influence amongst many readers. Realistically, the amount of Harry Potter merchandise that is available to consumers is abundant. Zipes also described how Harry is a “slight, modest, but confident boy who wears broken glasses. Despite his potentially nerd like qualities, he has supernatural gifts that enable him to perform heroic deeds and defeat cynical forces of evil…” It’s clear that many people were able to somewhat relate to this character and thus only further lead to these books becoming the phenomenon that they are. Lady Gaga on the other hand is probably a figure that’s more complicated for some to relate to. Her taste and work is often classified as “out there”. However, because she is a prominent pop culture figure, it’s satisfying to see that she’s genuine and different. It’s easy to understand when she says she feels it’s important to be confident within herself so those who are struggling with confidence can relate and become self-assured also. She generates that being different is o.k.

4-13-10 Catherine Beavis and Claire Charles’ article **__“Challenging Notions of Gendered Game Play: Teenagers playing //The Sims//”__** What would they say about Lady Gaga? This article explains the involvement young women have in playing computer games. It also explores the gendered relationships that are developed by a group of Australian teenagers playing the popular game The Sims. Although I have never heard of Lady Gaga being a part of a video game, it seems to be a very popular amongst Sims’ fans to create music videos with the use of the game. These videos are produced by creating a Sim that looks just like the recording artist and then posting the video online with the help of YouTube. Lady Gaga seems to be an extremely popular choice for this interest. One particular connection that can be made with this article in reference to Lady Gaga and The Sims is a particular quote made by the authors, “media consumption is not always a gendered practice, and even if it is a gendered practice, its modality and effectivity can only be understood by close examination of the meanings that “male” and “female” and their inter-relationships acquire within a particular context (357).” I think the authors would say this is true of Gaga’s fans. It is well-known that a large supporting group of her fans are gay and bisexual. Particularly I think because she is so open and accepting of gay and bi-sexual relationships. She has reportedly also openly admitted that she is attracted to women and has been involved with women before; although she did continue to say that she has never been in love with a woman and only a man. The article also mentioned, “…the girls constructed situations that mirrored order and “reality” a little more closely (365).” The article depicted that female players tend to play the game as reality would play out vs. males would play the game to create fantasies and dream homes. This also shows a slight gender role. Women are expected to be interested in child-raising and men are supposed to show interest in the construction of homes. I think the authors would say that Lady Gaga does bend the gender rules. I think they would agree with this due to her diverse fan groups and the fact that she is a very prominent female figure in the music industry. Her independence and diversity only further supports this idea.

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**4-25-10 Sherrie A. Inness’ article “//__Anti-Barbies: The American Girls Collection and Political Ideologies__//” What would Inness say about Gaga?** The author of this article involves three specific ideas about the contrast and similarities between Barbie dolls and American girl dolls. One specific concept Inness includes is politics of advocacy. She writes, “ there are numerous values, such as the importance of politeness and a strong work ethic, that we might want to encourage, but we also need to recognize how the politics of advocacy can work to affirm values with which we disagree (172).” I think Inness would agree that Lady Gaga would seem to further support values that most do not agree with; however there are a few positive sides also. Gaga reinforces sexuality; especially through the use of her outfits, songs, and videos. For instance, one of her more current songs is entitled “Monster” is about referring to a man (men in general) as a monster. Throughout the song she vividly describes how she is intrigued by him. One particular line that enforces a value most would not agree with is, “we might have fucked, not really sure, don’t quite recall, but something tells me that I’ve seen him, yeah.” I think Inness would say that the positive values Gaga does enforce would be her sense of independence and uniqueness. She has openly admitted to being attracted to both sexes and perhaps being so open with herself can help others with self-struggles. Another specific concept within this article is politics of attack. Inness explains, “The politics of attack is generated by the author’s sense of amusement, outrage, or contempt when they encounter something that runs counter to their concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, justice, fair play, decency, or truth…girls need to recognize that some actions are not generally tolerated by the larger society and deserve censure (173).” I feel as though this does relate to Lady Gaga. She herself as an artist, is an author. Through her music she tells her stories. Obviously a large representation in her music is the concept of love. This has been represented by both good and evil. In the lyrics I posted above, love is represented by control and evil. Throughout that entire song she constantly repeats that he (the monster) ate her heart and her brain. But of course there are two sides to everything. One could look at the song as a reference to her fans in which she does call her “monsters”. One could view it and say that her fans have a huge impact on her life. One line in the song is also, “I wanna just dance, but he took me home instead.” Just dance could be in reference to her first single that made her a star in the first place, “Just Dance”. I would also say that Inness would highly argue that Gaga does not leave anything out. She freely expresses sex and other controversial topics. Lastly, the other concept included in Inness’ article is politics of assent. Inness states, “the politics of assent is often hidden…it works to affirm ideologies prevalent in society (715).” I think the most prevalent way that politics of assent relates to Gaga is being different and outspoken. I think because she consistently wears outrageous outfits, puts on outrageous performances onstage, and constantly makes remarks to the media, she emits uniqueness and absurdness.

This second article by Inness describes the evolution of female superheroes and action figures throughout the last few decades. Inness explains the roles these figures serve and especially amongst their male counterparts. She often also introduces the concept of gender roles and if newcomers are changing those roles. I think Inness would agree that it is interesting how Gaga can relate to this topic about these figures and their involvement with gender roles. The author explains how some female action figures such as Catwoman, Wonder Woman and others are “frequently secondary to men; they are generally helpless to more important males or play clearly subordinate roles (78).” When discussing Gaga I think this is reversed. She is always the center of attention. Whether it be through her appearance or videos, she is never dominated or over ruled by a male figure. In fact, in her recent video for “Telephone” it is suggestively female-centered. The video evokes female empowerment. The video takes place in prison where she is surrounded by “tough and rugged” female prisoners. Not all of these female prisoners are masculine either. Later towards the end of this video one of the only male characters is killed by both Gaga and Beyonce. The setting takes place in a local diner. The man is disrespectful and even sexually harasses a female customer by slapping her behind. It is after this incident that Beyonce puts poison in his coffee. There are many American pride references in this video also. In one scene both singers are wearing clothing similar to Wonder Woman, which consists of red stripes, the color blue, and stars. They even adorn American flags on their fingernails. Clearly, this is one example as to how gender roles are reversed. Inness also discussed that “although more images of tough women now appear, the women still, in many cases, must not appear too masculine and tough; in order to be marketable, they are frequently presented as feminine and heterosexually desirable (83).” I think this is untrue for Lady Gaga. Often she is at the top of discussion when it comes to her appearance. Although often she dresses revealingly, it is not always considered “attractive” or desirable. She changes her appearance so drastically that often she looks like a completely different person. I think Inness would also say that Gaga proves her comment wrong because she is obviously highly marketable. She has transformed the fashion industry and obviously the music industry as well. Lastly, Inness mentions, “These new figures, however, typically do not stray far from certain boundaries. They are typically feminine, attractive, slender, and white. Thus, such figures suggest that it is possible for females to be action heroes only if they fit a certain stereotype (91).” With this comment, I feel as though not a whole lot would change for Lady Gaga’s career if she weren’t white or skinny only because so many people focus on how she dresses and many question her overall attractiveness. I think people are mainly compelled by her weirdness and her music. I think Inness would say although Lady Gaga is white and skinny, she isn’t your typical blonde, big-busted, girl-next-door pop star. She’s nothing like the pop icon Britney Spears was when she coined the phrase “pop star”. I think Gaga has also significantly changed the definition of that term also.
 * 4-25-10 Sherrie A. Inness’ article “//__It’s a Girl Thing: Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store__//” What would Inness say about Lady Gaga? **



** 5-2-10 Kyra Gaunt’s article, “__Introduction: The Games Black Girls Play__” What would Gaunt say about Gaga? ** The most obvious connection to make with the pop culture artifact Lady Gaga and Gaunt’s article is music. Throughout her article, there are constant references to music, rhythm, and dance; most specifically mentioned is the development of music through the use of hand-clapping and short songs that young black girls and boys have learned. Gaunt writes, “…The musical games that are passed down by word of mouth and body, beyond the scope of Billboard and Soundscan” (1.) In other words, this is the explanation that music today and in the past, was greatly composed with the use of familiar sounds and poems and body movements that children have learned and have passed on to generations. This is in a way hard to relate to Gaga because most of her songs are not in reference to games and familiar body movements that have been seen or heard before. She has said she writes all of her own songs, therefore they are original. If perhaps she were a black female artist, maybe her songs would reference the familiar customs that are passed down onto next generations. There are countless female R&B singers that reference these things. Gaunt also states, “Girls, like boys, become consumers of racialized and gendered commercial products and mass popular performances that may homogenize black popular music, but popular music also becomes an extension of an abstraction from many everyday and local phenomena that may have first been experienced in the black public sphere of African American girls’ music-making and play” (8.) When referring to Lady Gaga, if one ignores her race, this is very relatable to her. She is indeed a commercial product and is widely consumed amongst many ethnicities. She in herself is a phenomenon.



 5-9-10 Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown’s article **__“Pretty in Pink: What Girls Wear, from //Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing our Daughters from Marketers’ Schemes//”__** What would they say about Lady Gaga? This article depicts the gendered messages and options young girls have in clothing options at many popular clothing and department stores. Clothing/Fashion is one of the best connections that can be made in reference to the pop culture artifact Lady Gaga. Her apparel and outrageous fashion decisions are usually what lands her in the news and on the covers of magazines. Lamb and Brown discuss the topic of play clothes and school clothes for young girls. They continue to mention that many outfit offered for young girls are obviously not meant for play and “…school clothes need to impress, to say something about you (14).” They say that this type of clothing is restricting of child play. I think they would greatly agree that this is true of Gaga’s fashion choice. Even if she is seen on the streets of a big city or an airport, you never see her in sweatpants or jeans, it is always something outlandish. The authors continue to say that Pink and Red are amongst the two colors that are definitive options at clothing stores. They also mention the aspect of dressing like a princess or a Barbie doll. I think the authors would agree that this does not qualify for Lady Gaga. Although she has been seen in dresses, very rarely are they of anything in resemblance to a princess or Barbie doll. Her fashion sense is not necessarily definitive as girly. The authors also mention a popular clothing store for girls who want to rebel and go against the norm of girly fashion, Hot Topic. Lamb and Brown quote, “The statement made by girls who choose to look punk or Goth is that they want to be different but still belong and still be attractive (38).” I think they would say this can go both ways for Gaga. Although her style isn’t always a certain consistency because it is always evolving, she does sometimes opt for dark colors and mysterious outfits. Whether or not Lady Gaga is attractive is also a popular concern amongst many critics. Finally, Lamb and Brown also mention the use of tattoos and piercings. They explain that tattoos are a cultural phenomenon and many girls choose to embrace this phenomenon as a way to rebel or as a way to make an identity for themselves. Lady Gaga has a number of visible tattoos. One tattoo that Lamb and Brown would probably rip her apart for is the peace symbol she has on her wrist. This tattoo probably would not involve much identity because it is so trendy and a popular choice amongst many. She also surprisingly has many floral tattoos, and a Dad tattoo. Her most recent is a tribute to her fans with a tattoo on her forearm titled “little monsters.”

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