Rhiannon Freel

English 108

Lady Gaga: Love, Life and Art

2010 is the beginning of a new decade—a new ten years for some select few to have an
undeniable impact on the people and take their place in pop culture history. Thus far, most of these
important figures seem to be rollover from 2000-2009. Any of those people have the potential to have
even greater impact in this decade than the last. However, in the last two years of the Y2K decade, one
star skyrocketed to fame and shows no sign of slowing down soon. Blatantly tearing influences from
the past and spinning them into a unique blend never done before, Lady Gaga has caught the attention
of the masses since her major debut in 2008. Having accomplished more in two years than some artists
do in an entire career, and with far more in store for her “little monsters”, Gaga looks to be possibly
one of the most influential stars of our generation. Many are glad for this due to Lady Gaga’s crusades
for the betterment of the gay community. Others are just glad to see a rising pop star that’s not just
another ex-Mouseketeer with repetitive songs and cute dance routines. Lady Gaga seems to be bringing
art back into music, a refreshing change our generation especially needs to keep American creativity
alive.

DJ Ruby Rhod (played by Chris Tucker) from The Fifth Element (1997) and Lady Gaga (from the “Poker Face” music video)

From a mere first glance one can spot Lady Gaga as a unique individual. Nearly every outfit she
wears looks like something from an old-school futuristic movie a-la-The Fifth Element 2, such as the
disco ball mask from the “Poker Face”. Another recent addition to her armoire of oddities is the
infamous meat dress from the MTV Video-Music Awards 2010. Her hairstyles frequently match her
clothes in terms of being outlandish and over-the-top; on several occasions, she has styled her own hair
into a bow, among other things such as a gigantic button and a telephone. Her make-up tends to vary.
Sometimes she limits it to some dark eyeliner and smoky shadow; other times she blings out her eyes
with red sequins. However, she's never spotted without her false eyelashes.6 Gaga admits that she’s
“very into fashion”, citing Donatella Versace as an idol of hers.1 It seems as though clothing is just
another method of expression for Lady Gaga, as it is for many. After all, fashion design is just another
art form for her to utilize to spread her ideas. Whatever her reasons for being so fashion-conscious, no
matter the occasion, Gaga never fails to grab attention and make an entrance.
Despite her eye-catching fashions, Lady Gaga argues that the most common misconception
about her is “that I am artificial and attention-seeking… when the truth is, every bit of me is devoted to
love and art.” 3 The sheer amount of effort she puts into her work seems to support her claim; Gaga
writes all of her own lyrics and music, and did most of the synthesizer tunes on The Fame.6 Instead of
relying on new stylists, directors and tech crews every week, Lady Gaga runs her own collaborative
team called the Haus of Gaga; together, she and the Haus work to design her clothing, create her sets,
and even conceive the core of all her work: the music.1 Modeled after Andy Warhol's studio, “The
Factory”, Gaga finds this close collaboration important to achieving her goal of creating art that is as
entertaining as it is cause for consideration.1 The collaborative effort is not the only reason Gaga’s stage
sets and outfits are so lavish and impressive. Reportedly, she even spends most of the money she makes
on the Haus's projects: “I don’t give a f*** about money. What am I going to do with a condo and a
car? I can’t drive.” 2 This seems rather interesting, as most Hollywood celebrities do exactly that—
spend their millions on fancy mansions and expensive cars.

“If we don't stand up for what we believe in, we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're gonna have as much rights as the
meat on our bones.” 5

Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta on March 28, 1986.3 Growing up in
New York, Gaga was always a creatively inclined, expressive child. She learned how to play the piano
by age four—by ear, of course, because being able to play at such a young age just is not impressive
enough. The biographical page on her official website describes a young Gaga singing to Cyndi Lauper
tracks, dancing to the Rolling Stones with her father, and “[dancing] around the table at fancy upper-
west side restaurants using the breadsticks as a baton.” 6 Gaga completed her first composition at age
thirteen and within a year moved on to performing at various New York clubs. Before early acceptance
into Tisch at NYU, Gaga went to a private school, where she admits she “felt like a freak” due to her
offbeat tendencies and passion for music.3 After becoming one of the only twenty youth in the entire
world to be accepted into Tisch early, her artistic career could become the primary focus of her life.6
After NYU, Gaga moved on to an apartment on the lower-east side of New York to continue
working on a professional performance career. To kick off her career, she took to performing “shock
art” neo-burlesque shows in her area with fellow artist Lady Starlight7, which usually consisted of
“[stripping] down to her hand-crafted hot pants and bikini top, [lighting] cans of hairspray on fire, and
[striking] a pose as a disco ball lowered from the ceiling to the orchestral sounds of A Clockwork
Orange.” 6 It was around this time that Gaga had her heavy partying phase, complete with drugs and
drag queens. That scene quickly ended, however, when Lady Gaga “had a scary experience one night”
that caused her to fear for her life if she continued in such ways. She does value these times as a
formative experience, however: “…it helped me become the person I am… I decided it was more
important to become a centered, critical thinker.” 1 It may even be safe to say that these experiences
form the basis of Gaga’s music, or parallel it at the very least. Most of her songs initially sound like
basic pop anthems and club tunes—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as they are catchy and well-
composed. However, upon more careful consideration of the lyrics (and in some cases, the video), one
is likely to find much deeper meaning behind her techno dance tracks.

“When I make love, they say Gaga.”

Though Lady Gaga insists that her style is “the future of pop music,” much of her material
draws heavily on influences from the past.1 Her name itself actually was created by a typo of Queen’s
hit “Radio Ga Ga,” which producer Rob Fusari used to sing as Lady Gaga’s entrance song back when
they worked together.7 Once Lady Gaga had her stage name, she left her real name behind, insisting
that people refer to her as Gaga, even friends and family. “When I make love, they say Gaga,” she
remarks.1 Other influences include Andy Warhol, Madonna, Versace, and David Bowie, among
countless others. On her gigantic mash-up of influences, Lady Gaga comments, “Pop culture is art. It
doesn't make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced it...” 6 The results are fairly clear. Though
Gaga draws heavily on the pop culture of generations passed—even parodying it at times, such as her
track “Boys Boys Boys,” the ladies’ response to Motley Crue’s “Girls Girls Girls”6—what she creates
from these by-gone icons is something new and unique, yet enjoyable by the masses.
This method of appealing to the general public while still keeping her work one-of-a-kind is a
key factor in Lady Gaga’s accomplishment her goals. “I almost want to trick people into hanging with
something that is really cool with a pop song,” she explains on her official website’s biographical page.
Gaga has never been afraid to shock people to make her point either. In an interview with gay magazine
fab, Gaga recalls: “I was 19 and I was playing a show where I was supposed to debut all this new
material. When I sat down to play I couldn’t get everyone to stop talking so I took off all my clothes.
Works every time.” 4 So it seems, because it’s still working. By mixing generic appeals with off-the-
wall packaging, Gaga has managed to grab the attention of the world since 2008, as recently evidenced
by her eight wins at the 2010 MTV Video-Music Awards.5 It’s an effective method. She shocks her
audience, makes us wonder, “What the hell just happened?”, then stops and says, “Oh, you’re paying
attention now? Well then, let me tell you what I was trying to in the first place…”
Although the glitz and glamour of Gaga’s style is mostly genuine self-expression, at times it
seems to be as much of an attention-grabber as a mockery of Hollywood itself. Frequently, when
people do something in an entirely over-the-top manner, it’s to parody or satirize. It’s not just showing
off; it’s symbolism. Many find it sad that the primary focus of American pop culture is on our
celebrities. Journalist Hattie Collins seemed to be on my same train of thought back in 2008 when she
wrote, “[The Fame is] a fantastic mix of Bowie-esque ballads, dramatic, Queen-inspired midtempo
numbers and synth-based dance tracks that poke fun at celebrity-chasing rich kids. It’s entertaining,
incredibly witty and, above all, captivating.” 1

One of Gaga’s crazy hairstyles from—guess which video?—“Telephone”

Underlying the shock value and satire, however, is where the real point of her music lies. Once
you get past all the pop/techno melodies and sex-driven music videos, you can actually see the real
point of her songs. Many of her songs are actually referring to past experiences of her own, such as
“Beautiful, Dirty, Rich”, which seems like a clear reference to the hard-partying days at the beginning
of her career. Another example of these deeper meanings is the wildly popular “Poker Face”. Though
viewed by many as nothing more than another catchy, sexually-charged club tune, it is actually about
Lady Gaga’s bisexuality—about “…why, when I was with my boyfriend, was I fantasizing about
women?” 3
Lady Gaga’s involvement in the gay community is another large part of both her fame and the
goals she is using her fame to achieve. “I’m always gonna be the most supportive chick on the planet of
the gay community,” Gaga said in her interview with fab.4 When first starting out, Gaga claims to have
had extensive trouble trying to get her music out there until it got popular with America’s gay
population. "I've got so many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and they really lifted me up. They'll
always stand by me and I'll always stand by them. It's not an easy thing to create a fanbase.” 8 Gaga has
worked on returning the favor by serving as an advocate for gay rights and equality. One of her most
recent battles has been the fight to get the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy of the American military
repealed, including taking part in the 2009 National Equality March in D.C., where she marched the
streets of the capitol city alongside fans and fellow protestors alike. Many are thankful for her attempts
to help liberate Americans of the LGBT community; Daniel Campbell, an attendee at the pre-March
Human Rights Campaign dinner, says gladly, “We finally have a voice.” 9
A creative genius, dominating fashionista, deep thinker, and equality activist, Lady Gaga has
become one of my personal favorite artists over the last few months. I started off with the same view as
most: “Oh yay, another club tune-vomiting sex icon.” Five months ago, “Poker Face” would start
playing in the car and I’d beg for different radio station; I’d rage whenever I heard that “pa-pa-pa-poker
face, pa-pa-poker face”. Finally, however, I got sick of getting annoyed. I stopped being close-minded,
pulled my fingers out of my ears, and gave the songs a chance like I should have in the first place. Now
“Poker Face” is one of my favorite songs (I love the wordplay—it’s sheer brilliance). Gaga is not “in it
for the fame” like many believe. She is a rising star that actually has something to say, a message she
wants the world to hear. “I aspire to be a teacher to my young fans,” she says3; she wants “to change the
world one sequin at a time.” 6 She is no one-trick pony like most modern artists. She sings, dances,
designs and directs, all conveying her ideas of love and pain, struggles and acceptance. “I eat, sleep,
breathe and bleed every inch of my work. I’d absolutely die if I couldn’t be an artist.” 1 I argue that she
is not a mere artist, but living, breathing art in and of her own existence.

“I’d absolutely die if I couldn’t be an artist.”

Sources

1
Collins, Hattie. “Lady GaGa: the future of pop?” The Sunday Times. Times Online. 14 Dec 2008.
Web. 7 Sept 2010.
2
Fifth Element, The. Dir. Luc Besson. Perf. Chris Tucker. 1997. DVD.
DJ Ruby Rhod screenshot: <http://www.celsius1414.com/2009/03/17/it-must-be-green>
3
Gaga, Lady. Interview by Barbara Walters. “I Love Androgeny.” ABC News. 22 Jan 2010. Web. 7 Sept
2010.
4
Gaga, Lady. Interview by Matt Thomas. Going Gaga. fab, The Gay Scene Magazine. Web. 27 Sept
2010.
5
Ganz, Caryn. “Meet the Mystery Meat Dress: Lady Gaga Explains Rare VMAs Outfit.” Stop the
Presses! Yahoo! Music Blogs. Yahoo! Inc., 13 Sept 2010. Web. 2 Oct 2010.
6
Lady Gaga : Official Site. Streamline Records, Interscope Records, and konlive.com. Web. 5 Sept
2010.
7
Rose, Lisa. “Lady Gaga’s outrageous persona born in Parsippany, New Jersey.” nj.com. New Jersey
On-Line LLC, 21 Jan 2010. Web. 1 Oct 2010.
8
Vena, Jocelyn. “Lady Gaga On Success: ‘The Turning Point For Me Was The Gay Community.”
MTV.com. MTV Networks. 7 May 2009. Web. 27 Sept 2010.
9
Zak, Dan. “For Gay Activists, the Lady Is a Champ: Fans Go Gaga As Singer Joins the March.” The
Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. 12 Oct 2009. Web. 26 Sept 2010.