Questions:
1. What does
the idolization of an individual like Lady Gaga say about a
generation?
2. Why do people
invest any time or money into following such a "manufactured" person?
3. Is the blurring
of borderlines counter-productive or progressive?
Response to Question 1:
While reading the article "Lady Gaga and the Death of Sex" it is not difficult to infer that journalist, Camille Paglia, is not the artist's biggest fan. However, I think her main concerns are addressed when she asks the reader "How could a figure so calculated and artificial, so clinical and strangely antiseptic, so stripped of genuine eroticism have become the icon of her generation?" She addresses her own question later by stating "Gaga's flat affect doesn't bother them because they're not attuned to facial expressions. They don't notice her awkwardness because they've abandoned body language in daily interactions..." I, however, would argue that it is not that Lady Gaga's "awkwardness" or her "flat affect" do not go unnoticed by the generation, but rather that those characteristics embody her appeal to them. Paglia lays tribute to the sex icons of the last century, implying that Lady Gaga can not hold a candle to Theda Bara, Clara Bow, Marilyn Monroe, or Madonna in the roles they play, but why should she? A lot has changed in the past one hundred years and it seems logical to me that our idols would change along with it. We live in a world that is growing increasingly more tolerant and accepting of individuals of different race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion, and though we still may have a long way to go, it seems only natural that our idols must change with us. This generations "attraction" to Lady Gaga is a reflection of its progressive state. Our idols are no longer restricted to the "ideal" image of the stereotypical sex icon because society is beginning to accept that a sex icon is not one size fits all.
I think that your points about Lady Gaga being different yet still influencial were very interesting. We both had the same stance in our blogs, which is why I chose yours to respond to! I also agree that Gaga, though very different from performers of the past, holds much importance in the pop culture world of today, especially at how fast paste it is becoming. I think the author is way too harsh on Gaga, but your blog perfectly explains a different point of view. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete