Stefani Germanotta or better known as Lady Gaga, is an American pop artist who has risen to fame through her music and the way she carries herself in and out of the spotlight. Her music seems like your typical pop music you hear on the radio but her show performances are something else. A pretty typical and famous performance of hers is of her song “Teeth,” performed in Paris during her Monster Ball Tour this past year. Watching the video of the performance almost makes you feel uncomfortably frightened, yet glued to screen watching and wondering what she will do next. She carries herself almost monster like with how she starts off crawling around almost helplessly but then gets up and starts dancing full of vigor and energy. Just the fact of how weird and almost scary her performances are can really make you question why Lady Gaga goes about representing her music in this way and what her audiences see and can interpret from her performances.A large part of Lady Gaga's success is due to her actions and appearance of a contemporary monster hence why she continues to perform in such a manner. The performance stage in the video is very dark and evil feeling with mood lighting, warm/dark colors, and thorn-like trees. It is a very similar appearance to the "Thriller" video by Michael Jackson. If one were to be in the audience of this performance, right of the bat you would feel anxious and uptight with what was about to come on stage. Ms. Gaga herself is covered with blood down her chest and arms with bright, unnaturally yellow hair. She is terrifying and mysterious to the crowd. The background dancers are dressed in very similar "monster" attire include black clothing, costume make-up, and fangs. The importance of all these monster qualities is that this is what has made Lady Gage famous, made her stand out from other pop-artists today. If one were to classify music artist they would be categories like rock, hip-hop, R&B, ect; but Lady Gaga is a category all in her own. Her unique take on performances and image has allowed her to create a massive, die-hard fan group because monsters are appealing to most due to their eeriness and suspense.
The real question is why does Gaga do the things that she does? And why do people like her so much for this behavior? One obvious answer is that she likes the attention, which clearly she does. But, that cannot be the only answer, because she had to begin this strange way of acting before anyone paid any attention to her. In this specific example of her performance of "Teeth" in Paris, Lady Gaga is dressed scantily, has blood all over her, and hyperbolic features (yellow hair, bright makeup). These characteristics show an almost inhuman figure, some might say monstrous. Lady Gaga may not believe that she should be seen as human, though as something different, or even above, humanity. She shows herself as larger than life. Usually monsters are only viewed in movies or books or tv shows, but Gaga brings these ideas to real flesh in her shows. The performance, and performers, aim to bring the viewer into an unreal world, and then make him or her (most likely him according to the audience in the video) almost entranced by the oddness and near eroticism of the concert. People are drawn to difference, and what Lady Gaga does certainly draws many viewers, keeping her huge freak-show fan-base close at hand to influence however she pleases.
In a word, Gaga never refused to behave or act as a monster in her shows, especially in “Teeth” which gets the peak of bloody effects. Maybe she did it for attract concentrations. Maybe actually, she has an evil or dark side in her personality and she hopes to express her inner desire by macabre shows. All her newly creative attractions work well on her faithful fans to indicate that she is really the unique one. To those people who dislike or do not care Lady gaga, the scary style is just strong evidence that she is really a ridiculous, crazy, psychopathic bitch. The battle against Gaga’s show styles will never stop until she continues her horrible road to extremeness.
Questions:
1. Megastars like Michael Jackson, Madonna and Elvis, now here is Lady gaga, they all create unique shows which may be crazy, horrible and bloody. How do you think of their ideas? Are they on purpose to attract people or naturally to show their imagination as an artist?
1. Megastars like Michael Jackson, Madonna and Elvis, now here is Lady gaga, they all create unique shows which may be crazy, horrible and bloody. How do you think of their ideas? Are they on purpose to attract people or naturally to show their imagination as an artist?
2. Do you like Gaga’s monstrous style at present? Give some predictions on her career assuming that she continues to be even more horrible.
3. Why so many people admire Lady Gaga so much that they seem to drop their own conservative value and follow her lifestyle? Is there any social factor?
I think that they are geniuses for looking for something new and different. In today's society you have to be different to attract attention and keep other people's interests and they leave a legacy if they can have a performance that is talked about for years and years to come...we tend to not remember those things that are just like everyone else because it bores us, so they spice it up to leave an impression. Their imagination plays a part to because they are showing who they are as an artist but i'm sure that they don't come up with all the ideas by themselves.
ReplyDeleteI saw Lady Gaga last year at Lollapalooza. It was definitely a unique performance; however, there was something rather startling about it. In response to question 3, there IS a compelling social response that she draws upon when you watch her show. In between songs, she would refer to the audience as her "little monsters." She yelled to the audience that is was OK to be different and claimed that they would be as successful as she was if they are. Clearly she was doing more than trying to motivate people; she was also trying to make members of the audience feel warm and fuzzy on the inside (because who hasn't been in some scenario where they've felt different -- like an outsider). When she does this, she is playing on the rhetorical concept of pathos. When she triggers an emotional response in the audience, they might be conditioned to believe that that response (the warm fuzzy feeling) goes hand-in-hand with her music (since it is a concert after all), thus, Lady Gaga has created for herself a wider fan base and has the potential to make more money. This is all because of social influence. :)
ReplyDeleteAll the mega stars that were talked about in question one were geniuses. I don't think it was about the money for them and it clearly isin't about the money for Lady Gaga as she states that she hates money in the teeth video posted above. Artists like this come few and far between. I'm sure to an extent she wants the attention but it's much more then that. She raises the bar with her creativity and I think she just loves to perform. I also have seen her in concert and no other concert can compare to her, you aren't just going for the music but for the amazing performance she gives as well. She isn't afraid to show the world who she is and i think that quite an admirable quality, she may be monstrous in a sense but its not just to attract crowds. I think its her creativity and imagination coming through her shows. She is constantly pushing the envelope and thats why she is in a league of her own. I'm excited to see how she can top her self in the future. I think it's going to be tough though because its hard to top her flaming bra. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwpLKpbHprM (6:00 to 6:37)
ReplyDeleteTo be the mega celebrity that Lady Gaga is, the performer needs to be special. As far as pop music, she is better than a lot of what is produced. However, most of her fame comes from her appearance and the way she acts. If she had normal clothes and didn't have the wacky performances, her success would be a small fraction of what is now. In response to question 3, there is absolutely a social factor coming in to play. She is trying to show people that being different is important and can lead to great success. It gives a good portion of the audience something to connect with other than the actual music. Lady GaGa has the game mastered and I can see her continuing to be a prominent player in US pop culture for years to come.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question two, I do like Gaga's current style. I believe that what she has done as an artist is very unique and distinct from other artists. In fact, it seems that many artists are now trying to copy the same styles that Gaga introduced to the music industry, specifically, the synth beats she uses as a base for most of her songs have been replicated by others such as Ke$ha and Katie Perry. This is not to say that they copy her music, but they do use the idea of a steady synth beat throughout the song. In the future, I can see Lady Gaga continuing to introduce new and unique styles of music that put her a step ahead of other artist in her genre and make her the "trend setter" for artists with similar styles.
ReplyDeleteGaga's clothing style and performance is one of the most unique ones I have ever seen. Through her black clothes and with blood on her chest, I think she tries to show how sexy and monstrous she is at the same time. She tries to show that evil is sexy, and I believe that her style is what makes her attractive to many people and makes them want to do like her because it is something unique. Actually, I like Lady Gaga's style and I believe that, besides her singing, her way of dressing and her songs' videos are an art. In my opinion, Lady Gaga is an artist more than a singer.
ReplyDeleteStars like Michael Jackson, Elvis and Lady Gaga are/were so popular because their styles or shows can be crazy and unusual, which distinguishes them from other artists and cause their work to leave a more significant impression in a viewer’s memory. These shows are meant to make people notice the artist and leave them thinking about the artist. Lady Gaga’s style of performance may or may not show her imagination as an artist, but it has the same purpose either way. I think that Gaga is using the shock value of her performances, songs and actions to make people remember her.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous genres of art, and I really like to believe that this is a part of Lady Gaga's performance. Not only is she a pop singer, but she is an artist from a visual standpoint. Most of her songs relate to the term 'Monster', and her performances on stage assist her lyrical ideas. Let's just say, it puts an image to her music. Then again she might just be crazy, but at least people enjoy what she's doing.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question 2, I think Lady Gaga's style is over the top, in a good way and sometimes in a bad way. Her fashion sense is unique and inspiring to some. However, the message she sends with her clothing in public or in videos can be vulgar. I'm all for bold choices but when blasphemy is used I think it needs to be toned down. Her monstrous style is always getting her in the news. But I think any press is good press, especially for Lady Gaga. Even if they hate her style, people are always waiting to see what she'll wear next. She reminds me of Madonna in many ways. People were shocked by her daring fashion and actions, and that drew them in. Madonna is still trying new looks and pushing the limit and I think Lady Gaga will too. Her career exploded because of her originality so I think she will continue to wear dresses made of meat.
ReplyDeletei dont like lady gaga at all. her performance is definitely just trying to attract attention and her music is just catchy. to me, it isnt good music and she covers this up with a computer generated voice and stupid props. of course, todays teens dont see this because she is a fad.
ReplyDelete2. Do you like Gaga’s monstrous style at present? Give some predictions on her career assuming that she continues to be even more horrible.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga's style is by no means appealing to me. I believe she is mostly talentless and nothing more than a fad. At this rate I do not believe her career can last much more than a few years at best. Her music lacks both lyrical value and is nothing more than a few catchy syllables that are easy to sing along with. Now while I may not be a fan of Lady Gaga's music, I must say that she deserves respect. She has created a lot of success for herself and is certainly owed credit for such.
Lady Gaga has her own unique style that has made her the famous singer that she is today. She has alot of “swagger” and knows how to capture a crowd. Even though she seems like she is living in the clouds, she is secretly a great business woman. She realizes that sex sells and that she should embrace her erotic side. She also has the scary monstrous side to her that makes her a sort of dangerous commodity. I think that this character that she plays help her brand enormously and that she should continue to act this way. When she comes to award ceremonies in 12 inch heels and dresses that drag 10 feet behind her, she is drawing huge amounts of attention that only help her image. Lady Gaga is as original is they come and whether she wants to wear blood on stage or pretend to be a monster, she should embrace her role as an erotic psycho singer.
ReplyDeletePersonally I am not interested in Lady Gaga’s music or her style but I can see how others are drawn by it. She wears elaborate and attention grabbing costumes to match her eccentric personality. Gaga is clearly trying to reveal who she is through her very unique style and I feel that this gives her a very genuine image. I do not like Lady Gaga’s genre of music or the twist she puts on it. I don’t know how the image that she chose to portray will stay with her as she ages or whether her style will be popular in years to come. I feel like her extreme individuality will keep pretty popular as nobody in the music industry comes close to who she represents. Lady Gaga’s crazy outfits are very appealing and shocking to her fans and that makes them want to be like her. In doing so, these fans accept her eccentric ways and idolize who Gaga has become.
ReplyDeleteI personally love Lady Gaga. She represents the empowerment of social outcasts. Her outrageousness is just to push people's envelopes and make them realize, one: how normal everyone really is, and two: how being abnormal is a thing to be celebrated and not shunned. Whether or not you like her music is a different discussion, but I think she's a great social icon. It's not often an artist can make society look at itself in a mirror the way Lady Gaga does.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga's music is very catchy, but she is a little ridiculous when it comes to her music videos and fashion. I personally think she's going for shock value, because that is what make the headlines. So she is a little bit of a fame monster, in the sense that she likes it and desires fame.
ReplyDelete