Why We Are No Longer Goo-Goo For Lady Gaga
Some say she’s a genius; others say she’s contrived, but generally nobody is saying much anymore...
On top of that, her popularity amongst the gay club culture offered a loyal and passionate fan base to be exploited. It was after she realized this that she was suddenly an outsider, imploring her fans, whom she dubbed Little Monsters, to be themselves and never let the oppressive mainstream culture keep them down. The idea that Lady Gaga could pass herself off as an outsider is laughable, especially considering that at the very beginning of her career, a pudgier, brunette Germanotta played soulful piano ballads akin to Vanessa Carlton. All of which were completely abandoned in order to become a dance music sensation. Even the earliest incarnations of the fully realized Gaga gave no indication that any of these ideas were anywhere on her radar. Just Dance is a song about being too drunk in a club to do anything else but move rhythmically, with lyrics like Ive had a little bit too much and Cant find my drink or man/Where are my keys? I lost my phone. The song Telephone is almost exactly the same, but adds intrusive phone calls from a man at home to the equation. Yet, judging from the complexity of the video, one would assume that we're missing something, but nobody is missing anything; its all being shoved right in our faces. Like the special effects of yesteryear, Lady Gaga resonated much more emotionally before she became explicit. She no longer provides the audience with the opportunity to fill in the blanks for ourselves. I spent much more time interpreting her choice to wear big sunglasses on the cover for her first album than I did the now infamous meat dress. I wondered if the succession of the word papa in Paparazzi actually held some hidden psychological meaning about her father. The lyrics of Poker Face brought to mind a spiteful woman who doesnt want her lover to know she actually enjoys their sexual escapades. But lately, theres nothing elusive to grab on to. Theres no question as to what a song like Born This Way is about, just as the video for the song offers nothing but soulless special affects that have nothing to do with the lyrics. After its over, you find yourself thinking sure I saw some crazy stuff, but I cant say I felt anything, which is exactly how youll feel after watching the new Conan movie or playing Final Fantasy XIII. Lady Gaga gives us the ostentatious outfits and bizarre headgear, but she no longer engages the audience. She has become a special effect, empty and meaningless, providing no nutritional value for the mind. Yes, she is wearing an eye patch, but now we know the truth: just like Jar Jar Binks, its only there because it CAN be there. No thought has been put into making us actually care anymore. And just like most movies, we will move on from Lady Gaga as soon as the next shiny object catches our attention.