Lady Gaga- A Feminist?

Pop sensation Lady Gaga has recently sat down to do an interview with a Norwegian TV outlet. Footage of this video has been making the rounds online.

In this interview, she was asked about something that is often questioned, something she is infamous for: the way that she expresses her sexuality in her work. The journalist goes as far as to imply that her disregard to modesty can result in an audience’s disrespect or lack of consideration of her as a serious artist.

To which she replies, “You see, if I was a guy, and I was sitting her with a cigarette in my hand, grabbing my crotch and talking about how I make music ’cause I love fast cars and f—— girls, you’d call me a rock star. But when I do it in my music and in my videos, because I’m a female, because I make pop music, you’re judgmental, and you say that it is distracting. I’m just a rock star.”

Does she have a point? Is this a sexist remark on the part of the journalist?

I believe it was not consciously done. This question has been posed to her numerous amounts of times. She does have a reputation of being known for as a very sexual artist.

However, her sexuality should not be controversial. She is not an artist that caters to the same audience that artists like the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus cater to. She has not radically shifted her image to sell sex.

As Lady Gaga, she has always pushed the envelope. This is part of her attraction. To some, she represents a strong female who is comfortable expressing her sexuality the same way some men do. (Although whether she does adequately embody that persona, is questionable.)

After this remark by Gaga, the interviewer asks her whether she is a feminist. She responds, “I hail men, I love men. I celebrate American male culture, and beer, and bars and muscle cars.”

I admit that I had a problem with her response. Being a feminist has nothing to do with hating men. Why does the word ‘feminism’ have such a harsh connotation?

Surprisingly, she has gotten a lot of backlash as a result of this. Many in the blogospehere have lashed out at what they perceive to be ridiculous comments. .

However, I still do believe that she has a point. There are plenty of artists that do make similar work without being questioned. We should not hold her to a higher standard than we do any other artist. I doubt that her male peers get half the criticisms that she does when they pull the same shenanigans.

Sure, she is over the top, but, again, it is part of her charm. I’m sure that she humors herself by saying that she is just a reflection of the state of pop culture at the moment. This does have shades of truth to it.

Obsession with fame and sex is something that dominates mainstream culture and she is a reflection of that fixation.

But, let’s be reasonable, with lyrics like, “Love it when you call me legs/In the morning buy me eggs/ Watch your heart when we’re together/ Boys like you love me forever”, she’s an entertainer, not a philosopher.