Lady Gaga: Gender in "Love Game"
Justine Burke
Professor Adigweme
Rhetoric 10:03:145
9/24/10
Lady Gaga: Gender in “Love Game” Many artists today are always trying to be somebody they are not. Their costumes are getting bigger and crazier than ever. One artist that exceptionally stands out in the crowd of performing artists is Lady Gaga. Every costume she wears, every move she makes becomes more epic every time she is seen. Most of the costumes she wears hide her identity and it is unknown who she is really trying to be. In “Love Game,” Lady Gaga’s gender is being questioned by the lyrics and image of the frame, by the subjectiveness in the video, by tweaking others’ work into hers, how the clothing and lighting give symbols to her gender, and who she is ultimately trying to be. Gender is a huge question in the text of this song. According to the lyrics and image of this frame, Lady Gaga is playing her love game with her candidates. They are in a dirty subway station with the lights of two trains behind them illuminating the frame. Gaga is clearly the center of attention where everyone wants to win her over. She wants to know if the “subject” who could be male or female, will actually like her for her, or if the subject just wants the fame. When it is said “Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick,” the energized dancing and the careless crotch grabbing in the choreography shows that Lady Gaga and her subjects are simply having fun dancing to the beat. With the words “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick,” would normatively be seen as a woman’s line, but if Lady Gaga is playing the gender game in her video, like she is in the middle of the video by kissing both a male and a female, then she could ultimately be a male speaking that line to another male. Gaga indicates her subject to be a male with the line “guess he wants to play.” She doesn’t want to get too emotionally close with this man because she’s still not sure if he’s going for her love or with her game of touching and kissing
Professor Adigweme
Rhetoric 10:03:145
9/24/10
Lady Gaga: Gender in “Love Game” Many artists today are always trying to be somebody they are not. Their costumes are getting bigger and crazier than ever. One artist that exceptionally stands out in the crowd of performing artists is Lady Gaga. Every costume she wears, every move she makes becomes more epic every time she is seen. Most of the costumes she wears hide her identity and it is unknown who she is really trying to be. In “Love Game,” Lady Gaga’s gender is being questioned by the lyrics and image of the frame, by the subjectiveness in the video, by tweaking others’ work into hers, how the clothing and lighting give symbols to her gender, and who she is ultimately trying to be. Gender is a huge question in the text of this song. According to the lyrics and image of this frame, Lady Gaga is playing her love game with her candidates. They are in a dirty subway station with the lights of two trains behind them illuminating the frame. Gaga is clearly the center of attention where everyone wants to win her over. She wants to know if the “subject” who could be male or female, will actually like her for her, or if the subject just wants the fame. When it is said “Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick,” the energized dancing and the careless crotch grabbing in the choreography shows that Lady Gaga and her subjects are simply having fun dancing to the beat. With the words “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick,” would normatively be seen as a woman’s line, but if Lady Gaga is playing the gender game in her video, like she is in the middle of the video by kissing both a male and a female, then she could ultimately be a male speaking that line to another male. Gaga indicates her subject to be a male with the line “guess he wants to play.” She doesn’t want to get too emotionally close with this man because she’s still not sure if he’s going for her love or with her game of touching and kissing
Cited: * Hattenstone, Simon “Grace Jones: ‘God I’m scary. I’m scaring myself’” The Guardian (2010) * Vicks, Meghan “The Icon and the Monster: Lady Gaga is a Trickster of American Pop Culture” Gaga Stigma: Critical Writings and Art About Lady Gaga (2010)