Gaga's pretty rad yo

Kim · 09-25-2010, 04:53 AM

So, I really only started listening to Gaga yesterday. I'd kinda avoided her because she gets a bad rap as being awful pop online, and I'm kinda weird with my tastes so just didn't bother. Well, then I did, and I have to say she's pretty awesome.

The first music video I watched was Alejandro, which I had been told was a criticism of the military's DADT policy. There are homosexual overtones present in a military setting. Gaga, the lone female, is at times clearly representative of religion. Other times, she is engaged in sexual activity with these men, but during those times it's clear that those homosexual overtones are still present. All you need to do is look at the positions to see that.

The male-centric homosexuality present in the music video is a necessary bit of shock. Pop culture always treats lesbianism as okay so long they're hot, so the best way to avoid coming off as just more of that is to have it be primarily male. There are a couple other details that I've noticed, but some of them, like the cross on the front of Gaga's underwear being extremely phallic, might just be me reading too much into the song.

Next was Bad Romance. Bad Romance is, as the title implies, about an abusive relationship, or so I gather. The symbolism in this music video is a bit more impenetrable for me, but I get the distinct impression the whole bit where the men are sitting around and one purchases Gaga is sort of a commentary on the similarities between being a pop icon like Gaga and whoring yourself out. There's a better way to put it, I think, but that's the best I've got right now. I may come back to this one later, and analyze it some more.

The last one I'm going to talk about is Paparazzi, which is easily the best of the ones I've seen. Obviously about how pop culture works. Gaga is at the top, she falls (Literally!), and then she murders her boyfriend at the end of the video to get her attention and popularity back. It works. This is pretty much exactly how things are. Keep in mind that the only time anyone pays attention to Britney Spears anymore is when she's being a crazy person. There are also some definite parallels between Gaga when she's dying on the ground and the paparazzi are just standing there taking pictures for their magazines and the whole Princess Diana incident over a decade ago. It's hard to believe those are unintentional.

I also just gotta love the complaints people throw at her. "She's just stupid pop!" She clearly isn't. "She's a Satanist!" She's Christian. "She's a slut." This last one is especially hilarious because the people who use it are pretty much outing themselves as misogynists in the process. I also gotta love, in the loosest sense of the word, the absurd number of homophobic comments under her Youtube videos.

Plus, I mean, all her music is really damn catchy, the dances are beautifully choreographed, and her costumes, bizarre as they are, work well within the context of her music videos.

So yeah. Gaga is pretty rad, yo.

Krylo · 09-25-2010, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NonCon

ut I get the distinct impression the whole bit where the men are sitting around and one purchases Gaga is sort of a commentary on the similarities between being a pop icon like Gaga and whoring yourself out. There's a better way to put it, I think, but that's the best I've got right now. I may come back to this one later, and analyze it some more.

The last one I'm going to talk about is Paparazzi, which is easily the best of the ones I've seen. Obviously about how pop culture works. Gaga is at the top, she falls (Literally!), and then she murders her boyfriend at the end of the video to get her attention and popularity back. It works. This is pretty much exactly how things are. Keep in mind that the only time anyone pays attention to Britney Spears anymore is when she's being a crazy person.

From what I've seen of her stuff a lot of it has to do with these themes: which is to say the themes of pop culture and it's various amounts of awfulness and the dehumanizing effect it has on the artists.

They become more poignant when you look at some of her pre-Gaga stuff.

The sound and whatnot isn't really to my tastes, but I can definitely respect her as an artist, which is more than I can say about most stuff that comes out of the mainstream.

A Zarkin' Frood · 09-25-2010, 05:26 AM

I never cared for videos and all, but I think Lady Gaga is just about the best pop you can find right now. I'm not a fan of her and I don't listen to her or the radio much. But it's good at least. It's still pop, though (by which I mean vocalist-centric, catchy and likely repetitive stuff. More than half the buzz isn't even related to the music), so it's nothing I can listen to over and over. The occasional radio listen I get when at other places is really enough.

Regulus Tera · 09-25-2010, 11:30 AM

What I like about Gaga's music is that it sounds like Persona music.

Shoji Meguro + Lady Gaga collaboration = eternal bliss

Token · 09-25-2010, 11:44 AM

If you liked Paparazzi, check out Telephone as well, it's the next part of that story.

Regulus Tera · 09-25-2010, 11:44 AM

Paparazzi is crap.

CelesJessa · 09-25-2010, 11:52 AM

I agree with everything here, except I really love her music and listen to it... quite frequently really. She somehow manages to bring the insanity that is fine art into her videos.

I just have a lot of respect for what she does and I love her commentary in her videos, and just what she does outside of her songs too. (like defacing a $5000 purse with a sharpie marker declaring her love for her fans (which some people were just flabbergasted about her "ruining" her purse like that).)

And her music is catchy, I can't help it.

Julford Hajime · 09-25-2010, 11:53 AM

Man, see, I really really really don't like the sound of her music. Like, at all. However, I have a great respect for her in just about every other aspect of her career. Her political stuff, the design of her music videos, and the point of the music itself.

So yeah. I'm a Gaga fan who hates her music. Go figure.

Kim · 09-25-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Token

If you liked Paparazzi, check out Telephone as well, it's the next part of that story.

Yeah, I watched that, but it's not nearly as catchy as the other songs to me. *shrug*

Archbio · 09-25-2010, 02:07 PM

The meaning behind Lady Gaga's music videos is that she likes music videos from the 1990s.

09-25-2010, 04:53 AM	#1
Kim adorable Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 12,950	Gaga's pretty rad yo So, I really only started listening to Gaga yesterday. I'd kinda avoided her because she gets a bad rap as being awful pop online, and I'm kinda weird with my tastes so just didn't bother. Well, then I did, and I have to say she's pretty awesome. The first music video I watched was Alejandro, which I had been told was a criticism of the military's DADT policy. There are homosexual overtones present in a military setting. Gaga, the lone female, is at times clearly representative of religion. Other times, she is engaged in sexual activity with these men, but during those times it's clear that those homosexual overtones are still present. All you need to do is look at the positions to see that. The male-centric homosexuality present in the music video is a necessary bit of shock. Pop culture always treats lesbianism as okay so long they're hot, so the best way to avoid coming off as just more of that is to have it be primarily male. There are a couple other details that I've noticed, but some of them, like the cross on the front of Gaga's underwear being extremely phallic, might just be me reading too much into the song. Next was Bad Romance. Bad Romance is, as the title implies, about an abusive relationship, or so I gather. The symbolism in this music video is a bit more impenetrable for me, but I get the distinct impression the whole bit where the men are sitting around and one purchases Gaga is sort of a commentary on the similarities between being a pop icon like Gaga and whoring yourself out. There's a better way to put it, I think, but that's the best I've got right now. I may come back to this one later, and analyze it some more. The last one I'm going to talk about is Paparazzi, which is easily the best of the ones I've seen. Obviously about how pop culture works. Gaga is at the top, she falls (Literally!), and then she murders her boyfriend at the end of the video to get her attention and popularity back. It works. This is pretty much exactly how things are. Keep in mind that the only time anyone pays attention to Britney Spears anymore is when she's being a crazy person. There are also some definite parallels between Gaga when she's dying on the ground and the paparazzi are just standing there taking pictures for their magazines and the whole Princess Diana incident over a decade ago. It's hard to believe those are unintentional. I also just gotta love the complaints people throw at her. "She's just stupid pop!" She clearly isn't. "She's a Satanist!" She's Christian. "She's a slut." This last one is especially hilarious because the people who use it are pretty much outing themselves as misogynists in the process. I also gotta love, in the loosest sense of the word, the absurd number of homophobic comments under her Youtube videos. Plus, I mean, all her music is really damn catchy, the dances are beautifully choreographed, and her costumes, bizarre as they are, work well within the context of her music videos. So yeah. Gaga is pretty rad, yo. __________________ this post is about how to successfully H the Kimmy Last edited by Kim; 09-25-2010 at 04:56 AM.

09-25-2010, 05:26 AM	#3
A Zarkin' Frood formerly known as Prince. Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Right here, with you >:) Posts: 2,395	I never cared for videos and all, but I think Lady Gaga is just about the best pop you can find right now. I'm not a fan of her and I don't listen to her or the radio much. But it's good at least. It's still pop, though (by which I mean vocalist-centric, catchy and likely repetitive stuff. More than half the buzz isn't even related to the music), so it's nothing I can listen to over and over. The occasional radio listen I get when at other places is really enough. __________________ >:( C-:

09-25-2010, 11:52 AM	#7
CelesJessa DA-DA-DA-DAA DAA DAA DA DA-DAAAAAA! Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Zanzibar Land Posts: 6,531	I agree with everything here, except I really love her music and listen to it... quite frequently really. She somehow manages to bring the insanity that is fine art into her videos. I just have a lot of respect for what she does and I love her commentary in her videos, and just what she does outside of her songs too. (like defacing a $5000 purse with a sharpie marker declaring her love for her fans (which some people were just flabbergasted about her "ruining" her purse like that).) And her music is catchy, I can't help it. __________________

09-25-2010, 02:07 PM	#10
Archbio Data is Turned On Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,980	The meaning behind Lady Gaga's music videos is that she likes music videos from the 1990s. __________________ 6201 Reasons to Support Electoral Reform.

09-25-2010, 11:30 AM	#4
Regulus Tera lol i dont even know Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 7,271	What I like about Gaga's music is that it sounds like Persona music. Shoji Meguro + Lady Gaga collaboration = eternal bliss

09-25-2010, 11:44 AM	#5
Token Magikoopa Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,789	If you liked Paparazzi, check out Telephone as well, it's the next part of that story.

09-25-2010, 11:53 AM	#8
Julford Hajime Monty Mole Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 744	Man, see, I really really really don't like the sound of her music. Like, at all. However, I have a great respect for her in just about every other aspect of her career. Her political stuff, the design of her music videos, and the point of the music itself. So yeah. I'm a Gaga fan who hates her music. Go figure.