GaGa a Gimmick

Last week I had my first article published in the school newspaper. I decided this year to do an opinion's column, except I only remembered this at 2 AM the day of my noon deadline. So sitting in front of a blank screen, I tried desperately to come up with an opinion on something, anything. All of a sudden my friend said, "Everyone has an opinion about Lady GaGa, write about her."

The finished product:

(My column picture!)

Fishnet tights, metallic platforms and pointy shoulder pads finished off my friends’ Friday night outfits. Climbing into a cab, they should have been going to an all night dance party, but really they were just sick.

Not stay at home with the stomach flu sick or 104-degree fever sick; they caught the Gaga fever, and it’s a hard one to shake.

From her days at Tisch School of the Arts in New York in 2003 to releasing her first album in 2008, Lady Gaga has been nothing but weird, and it’s just continued from there. This woman has sold over 15 million albums worldwide by talking about someone’s “Poker Face.” Gaga also sings about “Liking it Rough” and taking off “Our Fancy Pants.” But it’s more than just crude lyrics that have inspired Lady Gaga fans to show up in droves at her concerts.

Lady Gaga’s personality is just as eccentric as her lyrics. Bringing Kermit the Frog as her date to the 2009 Video Music Awards, Gaga made another one of her famously confusing public appearances.

Even when heading to the supermarket, the singer goes out in full costume and makeup. Clearly, she is not one to push that celebrities are real people, too.

Personally, I don’t understand the hype. The costumes and the stunts all seem to be just a ruse to get famous quick and to make people talk, even if it isn’t always positive things being said. However, I have to give it to Gaga, she doesn’t beat around the bush about her desire for fame, naming her first two albums “The Fame” and “Fame Monster.”

She’s even using her fame status to preach abstinence to her young fans. Handing out condoms at all her shows, Gaga told The Huffington Post about her celibacy, and her desire for her fans to hold off on sex and “get to know people.” Sounds pretty hypocritical to me, coming from a woman who sings about “disco sticks.”

What if all of our favorite celebrities survived on gimmicks alone? When I hear Lady Gaga’s name, her singing voice isn’t exactly the first thing on my mind. Whatever happened to the sophistication and culture of the performing arts? What once used to be a nation’s refined taste has now shifted unto gyrating divas like Gaga.

If we want to continue seeing talented people become icons let’s ditch the gimmicks and the pointy shoulder pads, and rely on our art.

Surprisingly, I've gotten quite a bit of email response from this piece, something I didn't even think was worth publishing. So surprise me again! Let me know if you have any opinions.

You Know You have one too...

Every girl has one-the playlist they listen to when some guy is being unbearably idiotic.....so here's mine (for now):

Hot'N'Cold-Katy Perry

Leave the Pieces-The Wreckers

Call Me When You're Sober-Evanescence

Need You Now-Lady Antebellum

Feed Your Ego-Angel Taylor

Shut Up and Kiss Me-Orianthi

Round and Round-Selena Gomez & The Scene

Love the Way You Lie-Eminem ft. Rihanna

Hot Mess-Ashley Tisdale

(No More) What Ifs-Natasha Bedingfield

I Just Want Your Kiss Boy-Kate Nash

The Nicest Thing-Kate Nash

Shit Song-Kate Nash

Living Proof-The Downtown Fiction

Beauty in Walking Away-Marie Digby

Realize-Colbie Cailait

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Beauty in Imperfection

I'm one of those people who could sit in a mall and people watch for hours-partly because I love looking at clothing and what people are wearing, but also because it amazes me how just two people can have thousands of physical differences. What I really find interesting to look at are people's "imperfections". Tyra Banks says it best on America's Next Top Model every season, it's those imperfections that make someone different and beautiful. Taking this into consideration, I realized that those are also the things I most like people complimenting me on as well. Any guy can give me a compliment and I'll brush it off as either-

A) He just picked something random to compliment because he knows it's the right thing to do.

B) He's looking for a compliment back to give him a little ego boost (the worst kind)

or

C) He's just looking to get in my pants (Okay I lied, that's the worst kind of compliment)

But when a guy compliments something subtle like the freckles on the back of my shoulders, or comments on an interesting birthmark I have, that's when I know that-

A) This guy's really been paying attention to every little bit of me

B) He's not superficial

and/or

C) He wants to get to know me even better, enough to know more quirks and little facts that no one else knows.

So in honor of accepting that differences make people beautiful, I decided to make a list of things that make me different and may someday make someone else people watching, look twice.

1) My hair is always a mess, no matter what I do to it. Luckily, I've learned to just go with it.

2) I have a long nose with a big 'ol British bump, but it is the same as my mother's which makes me feel fortunate.

3) I use purple eyeliner instead of black, because I don't like my eyes looking too dark.

4) I pretty much always wear either skirts or dresses. I hate the feeling of pants and I especially hate the feeling of jeans on my body.

5) I may not have a ton of upper body strength but I have some strong legs thanks to 16 years of ballet.

6) Lifeguarding every day of summer gives me a deep tan, but I lose it in about two days if I'm not in the sun.

7) I don't have too many freckles but I am covered in moles, moles that scare the crap out of me thanks to all the safe sun movements I read about in magazines

8)I have four birthmarks: one that looks like the Redwing Shoe Co. logo, one shaped like Hawaii, one that looks just like a bruise, and a normal spotted one

9) My nails are always short, I cannot stand having long nails!

10) I have pretty long eyelashes but I will never touch a lash-curler, they look like torture devices to me!

11) I have a booty, nuff said.

Even though I have not always appreciated the things I listed, I am starting too. Maybe that's just a part of growing up, learning to live with your imperfections, but I think it's more than that. I'm not just learning to live with them, but starting to like them. Gone are the days when I wanted to be just like everyone else.