<p>Lady Gaga is obviously talented. Her material is a comment on the state of the music industry, however. To have commercial success, she produces electronically enhanced dance music with repetitive and often nonsensical lyrics (e.g, "take a ride on your “disco stick”). This is apparently what it takes to get out from under the rock of obscurity. And her music and performances seem to make the space between fame and achievement even larger than is typical. </p>
<p>I don’t begrudge her - however - she is a smart marketer. She of course encourages adults to label her “art” perversion - this is exactly what will draw even more to watch it (a unintended consequence of moral sanctimony). </p>
<p>I will say this - I do now understand why many follow country music. Of course, that doesn’t fit in with the myopic upper West Side worldview, but at least country music is, well music, with a marked absence of over produced autotuned vocals.</p>
<p>Country music is full of auto tune. The studios use it generously so the singers can just show up, sing through a couple of times and they fix the rest. They use auto tune in concert too. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw use it generously in live concerts - as does Rascal Flatts. The “flat” in Rascal Flatts is meaningful. People who have, on rare occasion, heard them without auto tune assume the lead singer is sick. He just can’t hit about 50% of the notes. The only really popular singer who is so off key that she can’t be auto tuned is Taylor Swift but that “off” sound seems to be part of her appeal.</p>
<p>Autotune has been ubiquitous in all forms of popular music for at least a decade (sometimes under the brand name “Pro Tools”). What’s different now is the post-modern vogue in hip-hop and dance music for using it in a way that calls attention to itself and makes it obvious rather than disguising it. Like dying your hair purple instead of honey-blonde. In country music, they’re still all dying their hair honey-blonde.</p>
<p>H says that Lady Gaga has stolen the “Madonna Machine.” </p>
<p>But, honestly, who can blame an artist for wanting to eat. As PT Barnum said, “Nobody ever went broke by underestmating the taste of the American people.”</p>
<p>Lady Gaga is a marketing genius. It will be interesting to see if she has the staying power of Madonna over the long haul. Will she re-invent herself as necessary? We shall see. Who would I rather see live? Madonna, hands down. I wonder if Lady Gaga will get the acting roles? I still love Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan. One of a very few movies I would ever care to watch more than once.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and to be fair soprano mom, that allejandro song is catchy. Nice hooks.</p>
<p>Also, I went to see Madonna’s boy toy tour, and then went twenty years later. If anything, she’d just gotten to be a better entertainer.</p>
<p>Once, I had a friend point out that some singers are artists and some are entertainers, I just put her in the entertainer category and enjoyed her.</p>
<p>The problem with Gaga (which sounds like a children’s book) is that people keep insisting she is an artist. Maybe? Mostly, she’s chosen to be an entertainer. Big difference, imo</p>
Actually, H.L. Mencken said that–you may be thinking of the equally relevant quote, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” widely (but probably erroneously) attributed to Barnum.</p>
<p>Thanks hunt. I have, now, officially been misquoting Mencken as Barnum for about 30 years now! In my defense, I did learn that quote from a professor in college :eek:</p>
<p>Showing soldiers in stockings is unpatriotic and disrespectful of the armed services, whose members put their lives on the line EVERY SINGLE DAY for Lady Gaga’s right to express herself freely! To use that right to belittle and ridicule the very people who…</p>
<p>Hahahaha, I’m sorry, I can’t keep it up any longer. Hoo-boy. Whew. :)</p>
<p>I went to a recent Hill/McGraw concert. The decibel level was such that I could not have been able to discern an on-key note from an off-key note. I actually experimented with putting my fingers in my ears, and discoverd that the lyrics were more understandable. The whole concert was painful, and we left early. I’m no longer young enough to be stupid with my hearing. Fortuntely we didn’t pay for the tickets!</p>
<p>I haven’t read through the entire thread, but I am no less or no more shocked by Lady GaGa than I am by other recording artists, whether they be rap or rock. If you find it offensive, don’t listen. Monitor your kids music if you deem necessary. Freedom of speech is still in place, and I will never be a fan of censorship of any kind.</p>
<p>i find it odd that parents speak uot so much against Lady Gaga. they should think back to when they were kids and when their parents spoke out against Madonna, i bet they were mad when their parents deemed their music inappropriate, just like i imagine kids are upset that parents are calling Lady gaga upset.</p>
<p>needless to say a college website is not the place to vent.</p>