I couldn't help but to comment on the recent Grammy Awards, and don't get me wrong I throughly enjoyed them, and I thought the performances were great. Although their were upsets with Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga going home with virtually no awards, it still satisfied my junkie award show viewing.
I wanted to focus on Lady Gaga. The above picture is "Gaga," arriving in an egg, carried by her strange entourage. I like Lady Gaga, her music, and I am also a person that is watching for what is she going to wear next. However, while watching the red carpet pre-show, the buzz was all about what "Gaga," was going to be wearing, what she was going to say, and the way Ryan Seacrest referred to her was almost like she was from the Royal family. We all know she was going to show up in something outrageous. My question though, is her outrageous wardrobe really "art," like so many call it, or is it just a publicity stunt to keep us talking in the office break room the next day? Well whatever it is, "art," or mayhem, Lady Gaga sure knows how to draw attention to herself. Especially in the above picture. Quite honestly it didn't shock me, and I felt a little strange, due to the fact that she was being carried like an ancient Egyptian princess, almost as if the people carrying her were slave-like, and the crazy part about this is this was probably a goal of hers just to create more controversy.
The egg made sense when she came out of it performing her new single, "Born This Way," and the performance was Ok, but was highly criticized the next day for the song being so similar to Madonna's song, "Express Yourself." I thought the performance was good, not her best but none of the less good. Every time I watch Lady Gaga so many questions arise in my head? Is she a total idiot or a shear genius by drawing the max amount of attention to herself, and is this her ultimate goal? I am not sure, but I sure would like to interview her to find out.
Another question I have is how will she top this performance? How will she continue pushing the envelope over and over again, and will we pay attention to her in 20 years when she decides to settle down and adopt children from all over the world, like Madonna or Angelina? I think all of these questions are valid. What I do know is if she continues pushing the envelope, America will pay attention, as a nation, we love watching train wrecks, you can't help but just to stop and watch. Lady Gaga is talented, but I guess the bottom line is, is her obscure behavior really art, and will it last or will she just fade away? I guess I will leave that for you to decide.
I feel as though questioning whether or not Lady Gaga’s actions are artistic relates to what we discussed in class on Thursday. Whether or not something is considered art seems to be directly related to someone’s personal perspective. Even if her style is her way of gaining publicity, it does not mean that her performances or wardrobes cannot be considered artistic. Her style and creativity have inspired people, which lead me to believe that what she does and how she presents herself can be considered art at least by some people. In McLuhan’s book The Medium is the Massage, he says that “Art is anything you can get away with.” His definition of art relates to Lady Gaga’s continually pushing the envelope of her own creativity and breaking the boundaries of social normality.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE that you blogged about this. I was extremely shocked when I saw her enter the Grammy's in an egg as well, but I think that part of it was to draw attention away from her crazy outfits (not saying that she was trying to draw attention away from herself because clearly that is not the cause when you arrive on a red carpet in an egg!). Everyone was so disappointed, however, that they could not SEE her and see what she was wearing and I think that this was part of her plan. It is crazy, but in my opinion, she really is a theatrical genius.
ReplyDeleteIn so many of her interviews she says that she is a master of fame and knows the art of what it takes to be famous. I think that she has hit the nail on the head. Lady Gaga is honest with her fans but does not over indulge them with the nitty-gritty details of her personal life like most celebrities do; she keeps it all about her music and self expression. To me, she has indeed mastered the idea of fame because she has caused many conversations to be centered on her, even around something as crazy as what she is going to be wearing.
I have to admit, the egg was pretty weird but I admire her for being different and putting in the extra effort to surprise people and always give them a good show. Of course it would be so much easier for her to show up in a simple ball gown like all of the other celebrities do, but where is the fun in that? She is incredibly artistic to me no matter how you view art and although I am not a huge fan of her songs, I am a big fan of her as an artist and appreciate what she is doing for music.