Gaga is no longer shocking, and the public is only going to find her eclectic outfits interesting and exciting for so long. The scripted character of Gaga also lacks the offstage excitement and spontaneity of a Mick Jagger or even Britney Spears. As Paglia mentions, every move Gaga makes is a specially choreographed maneuver that she completes with the aid of dozens of people. Her recent appearance at the VMAs seemed to reveal a rather hollow Lady Gaga. During a red carpet interview Gaga’s eyes seemed rather empty, and one could tell that the discharged servicemen flanking her were almost like part of an outfit to her. I can’t criticize her for championing social causes such as ending “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but this came across as rather insincere. Gaga’s acceptance speeches at this past Sunday’s VMAs were delivered in a nasally monotone, as she vacuously proclaimed that her Little Monsters were now “the cool kids at the party,” and revealing the name of her next album didn’t illicit much of an audience reaction either (and really why should it?), at least not until she broke into song.
For Gaga, a new transformation is going to be necessary in the coming years if she plans to stay as relevant and cutting edge. Actually to be quite honest, I don’t find anything about Gaga’s character to be cutting edge at all. Unfortunately Paglia was right in that regards. Her character is a mix of glam rock fashion, 80’s synth driven pop, a 1970’s prog-rock stage show, and a cult of personality that challenges royalty. The only real novelty about Gaga is the amount of creative control she is able to exercise over her music, image, shows, etc. The fact that she supposedly writes most of her own material and actually has an excellent singing voice is a breath of fresh air as well. That being said, I’m not confident enough to claim that the Gaga character has reached her climax yet, however it’s coming soon and I think Gaga can feel it.
This is getting to be a bit long winded, so I’ll wrap it up. I hope for her sake that Gaga does reinvent herself in the next few years. It’s not necessary for her to completely kill Gaga in the way that Bowie killed Ziggy because Gaga’s character is human, Ziggy was not. However, if she wants to prove critics like Paglia wrong, she is going to have to become more than a pop singer in wigs and heels that were never meant to be walked in. Gaga, and people like her, eventually have to become comfortable with their true selves rather than continuing to live vicariously through a character. I think Gaga would find a much needed breath of fresh air if she were to allow a little bit more of Germanotta show through before she becomes suffocated under the weight of being Godga. I hope she finds a way to continue staying successful because I truly like Gaga. I wouldn’t consider myself one of her Little Monsters, but I like what she is doing and the fact that she is challenging the current norm of the music industry. The current Gaga character is inevitably destined to die, no matter what Germanotta does. Her future depends on what direction she chooses to take Gaga, and I think the next incarnation of Gaga could be even more exciting if she decides to press forward in new directions. I believe in you Godga.
No comments:
Post a Comment