Comments on: Lady Gaga — not buying it

By: Lady Gaga, Balls-Out: Recuperating Queer PerformativityAlexander Cho / FLOW Staff | Flow

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:30:18 +0000

[...] This column owes a huge debt to an excellent, thought-provoking blog post by my friend and colleague Alyx Vesey at [...]

By: Alyx Vesey

Alyx Vesey — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:15:54 +0000

On what grounds do you find the video for “Paparazzi” feminist?

By: vaguelyhumanoid

vaguelyhumanoid — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:17:13 +0000

I’m sorry, but I disagree rather strongly.
Sure, Poker Face wasn’t very feminist, but I don’t see her as appropriating Asian culture at all. While the arguments against Gaga as feminist are there, the validity of them ultimately comes down to what part of her image you’re examining. Regardless of your viewpoints on her in general, however, I’d have to say that Paparazzi’s video was very feminist.

By: ‘Glee’ and the Prom King Say it’s What’s Inside that Counts | GlobalShift

Thu, 27 May 2010 22:07:13 +0000

[...] homage to Lady Gaga, a woman infamous for taking gender lines and exploding them. And while many feminists have an admitted to a love-hate relationship with Lady Gaga, just about all of them admire how her sheer presence has reinvigorated the dialogue about gender [...]

By: My thoughts on Chloe Angyal’s Miley Cyrus post for Tiger Beatdown, or why I fight « Feminist Music Geek

Tue, 18 May 2010 23:20:38 +0000

[...] minds about these detractors’ comments. On the one hand, I still agree. In the year since I first posted about Gaga, I’ve essentially gathered greater nuance for the pop star while still arriving to [...]

By: Alyx Vesey

Alyx Vesey — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:37:10 +0000

Thanks for your comments, as well as the link to your post. I enjoyed reading it.

By: xiaomaomao

xiaomaomao — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:18:20 +0000

I just feel like she’s the new eminem/marilyn manson. It’s all about controversy and as a poster said above, her blond locks and good figure help her carry of these weird avant garde styles. Bjork is less accepted because she’s not conventionally attractive, doesn’t care about being popular and genuinely avant garde. GaGa is outspoken, but in a really naff, ‘women should like cook for there men then f*ck em!’ way and it’s so embarrassing. It’s like the spice girls and Girl Power. Stripping off and claiming it’s empowering, doesn’t suddenly make it empowering.

I watched this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkzxwrdyRw0
and you can see how painfully she tries to come off as avant garde, yet she unable to elaborate when the interviewer asks her to talk about her inspiration – something an artist like Natasha Khan or Bjork can do at the drop of a hat, because it comes from the heart. This was an interview where she said she is not a feminists because she doesn’t hate men, she hails men. Scary use of the word, hail, aside. She is reinforcing the male hating feminist stereotype that people love to stamp on feminists. And then she is failing to support a movement which promotes female empowerment – which is something she claims she promotes.

GaGa also puts out this, ‘I hate consumerism but I’m a victim of it, so will succumb, but it’s ok, because I’ll succumb to it knowing I’m a capitalistic money loving whore’ and that seems to be something that people will accept.
Never willing to truly address anything. Like you said, not actually willing to question it, but to give in and embrace it.

Her telephone video was meant to be a vague commentary on this, but what the commentary actually says is …
I have no idea, and t’s not because I’m an idiot but it’s because neither did Lady GaGa.

Anyway, good blog post. I’m not buying it either. I wrote a ranty type piece myself
http://tabbysmusings.blogspot.com/2010/03/go-go-gaga-world-vision.html
in a bid to try and explain what is so irksome about her.

peace and love
=^..^=

By: Alyx Vesey

Alyx Vesey — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:08:10 +0000

Thanks for reading, Libby. Also, here here. Keep fighting that good fight. I’ll be fighting it right along with you.

By: Libby Oh

Libby Oh — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:58:22 +0000

Thank you for writing not only about women’s issues, but issues concerning all of humanity in general. Even just after two years of graduating with a degree in Women’s Studies and entering the ‘real’ world, I really miss discussing feminist ideals and exposing the daily bombardment of a hetero-normative patriarchy today. Thank you for reminding me of my true feminist beliefs and showing me that I’m not alone and therefore encouraging me throughout my job search to do something for the better – even if nothing else, to bring awareness. Thank you!!

By: Alyx Vesey

Alyx Vesey — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:43:16 +0000

Here here! That’s a great fantasy bill. Also, Gaga obviously is indebted to Jones, but people don’t tend to make that comparison. Thanks for your comment!