Lady Gaga is clearly a unique and polarizing individual. Some (like my father) love her music and think she's bold and fascinating. Some (like me) think she should cut out the music videos and focus on singing like a normal person. However, one thing I have learned about Lady Gaga is that she is not all about meat dresses and bloody videos. In fact, I think that if a nation state were to somehow take on the characteristics of Lady Gaga, that country would hold a role in the world much like the one held by Australia.
Now, let me defend that. What do you think of when you think about Lady Gaga? As noted above - meat dresses, ridiculous music videos, bizarre social commentary. When you think of Lady Gaga, you think of her in the context of a caricature of herself - only outlandish actions register and are repeated, because it seems outlandish things are what Gaga sells hardest. Australia also embraces its caricaturial convenience. Australians know that their accent and culture is easy to make fun of, knows that its slight ridiculousness makes the state more endearing, and shamelessly pushes its own image.
However, Gaga has a less weird, more caring side as well. Gaga has no problems using her superpowers for good rather than evil, speaking out against Don't Ask, Don't Tell and throwing her weight behind AIDS awareness and The National Alliance to End Homelessness. She is a gifted pianist and (despite her computer-compounded efforts to convince us all of the contrary) is a talented singer. She was also academically successful in high school and (until she dropped out to pursue music) college. In short, Gaga is a diverse and conscientious actress on the social and intellectual stage. Australia is also diverse in those fields. For example, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called climate change "the greatest moral, economic and social challenge of our time" and was a leading voice in calling for CO2 reduction. Australia's school graduation rates are among the highest in the Oceanic area, and its troops serve proudly around the world (including in Iraq). In short, Australia is more than just kangaroos and funny accents - even if that's what everybody thinks about them.
Of course, Australians also tell their kids Santa Claus delivers gifts on Christmas Day from the back of an Outback Jeep. And Lady Gaga DID wear a meat outfit. So we probably won't stop making fun of either of these proud, forward-looking nation states any time soon - there's just too much material.
I guess I never really answered the question. In conclusion, a Gaga state would play a similar role as Australia in a global order: it would do more good than harm, stay out of armed conflict, be a progressive player on the world stage when it comes to social issues, and always be one of the first nations thought of when people are scrambling to recall nations.
ReplyDeleteAre we truly able to predict anything that this new Gaga state would do? Isn't one of the principle tenets of Lady Gaga's philosophy the idea of unexpectedness and spontaneity? Lady Gaga as a nation would be completely unpredictable, and the only thing the world would know for sure is that they can never expect anything expected from her state. Lady Gaga defies the norms, and when the norm becomes being abnormal, she reverts back to the norm, simply to enforce her point of subverting popular culture. Although I can see the comparisons drawn between Lady Gaga and Australia, this is not the only state you can relate Lady Gaga's unique personality to. There are so many facets of her distinctive personal culture, that you could potentially form links with any number of countries.
ReplyDeleteYes, but as the principles of constructivism show us, such variable behavior would spell nothing but trouble for Gaga and the world. Remember, the only way that nations are able to form bonds (whether peaceful or hostile) is to form a pool of knowledge brought into being over time. Filling this pool requires states to act CONSISTENTLY to other states over a long period, so that a identity can be drawn and acted on accordingly by those other states. A Gaga state that refuses to abide by this "consistent identity" formula will not be able to get away with it the way the Gaga personage can. Other states, to protect themselves, would have to be weary of Gaga - perhaps not treat her with hostility (she is a peace-loving creature, after all), but certainly with mistrust and apprehensiveness. Is that any way for the Gaga state to thrive? Without reciprocal relations with other states, Gaga would wither and - if not die - at least recede into nothing on the WORLD stage. We know Gaga to be an attention-lover as well; calculating, she would rather conform TO A CERTAIN EXTENT in that she draws a consistent identity for others to relate to and trust in, while retaining INDIVIDUALISM and her QUIRKS. This way, the Gaga State would be able to keep a voice on the world stage (and therefore her influence, which is what she really wants) without being pushed out as a global black sheep. Because really, if nobody can predict the Gaga person, it adds to her mystique and influence. If nobody can predict the Gaga state, she will not be trusted - and then what good does she do for anyone?
ReplyDeleteAhem. And now I've written far more about Lady Gaga then any man ever should.