The Lady Gaga Empire - Case Study Example

Lina Borsellino 1965948 28 March The Lady Gaga Empire The success of Lady Gaga1 is multidimensional; from her nearly 9 million followers on Twitter and more than 1.3 million combined views on YouTube, to her multitude of television interviews and sold-out concerts. The countless favorable posts on fan sites and forums circulating the Internet unanimously credit her with being a true artist who is innovative, unique, talented, and passionate (Colbert). Thus, many factors contribute to the success of the Lady Gaga Empire. She recognizes that fruit is born from hard work and determination, and empathizes with those facing hardship, discrimination, and struggle, which makes her relatable to so many of her “Little Monsters.”2 In an interview for the Lady Gaga Website, she exemplifies this statement in the following quotation, regarding her entrance into, and sustainment within, the music industry: I did this the way you are supposed to. I played every club in New York City and I bombed in every club and then killed it in every club and I found myself as an artist. I learned how to survive as an artist, get real, and how to fail and then figure out who I was as singer and performer. And, I worked hard […] and, now I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time. (qtd. in “Lady Gaga”) Although many celebrities allow fame and money to consume them, Lady Gaga uses her status in the media to share and support equality. RESEARCH AIMS In exploring the social responsibility and equal opportunity of the Lady Gaga Empire, many primary and secondary sources were consulted. Primary sources researched include news media coverage, video, and secondhand interviews; secondary sources include Websites, magazines, and journals. The goal is to present an unbiased perspective of Lady Gaga’s unique communication strategy for utilizing media and fame to change controversial opinions of the masses. MASS COMMUNICATION APPROACH Mass communication is a term that refers, loosely, to the distribution of arts, entertainment, and information. It also includes mediums through which messages can be spread, such as radio, television, magazines, recorded music, associated media, newspapers, and movies (Rothenbuhler). It can be said that Lady Gaga’s mass communication approach is unique in the sense she seemingly uses her status to initiate and propel positive ideals. Rarely do celebrities act with virtuous motive in the interest of those who put them on their pedestals. However, a perfect example of another artist who does illustrate similar characteristics is actor, Academy-Award winning director, philanthropist, and “supporter of uncompromised creative expression,” Robert Redford (qtd. in Saunders).3 While true, selfless actions by few other public figures have been promoted in the media, it is difficult to recognize authenticity and sincerity comparable to those of Lady Gaga’s. USING MEDIA FOR GOOD The Look to the Stars Website identifies several of Lady Gaga’s public recognitions of her work with various organizations. The author states, “Lady Gaga is a creative ‘win-win’ philanthropist, who throws the weight of her popularity behind donation projects” (“Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving”). Teaming with Virgin Mobile, Gaga gave free VIP tickets to Little Monsters who dedicated a specific amount of time and/or offered monetary donations to help homeless youth, which raised more than $80,000 and produced upwards of 30,000 community service hours. Her idea to have a “Gaga for Haiti” day on January 24, 2010, in the midst of the devastating earthquake, generated more than $500,000 for the small country of Haiti.4 By joining forces with former pop culture icon, Cyndi Lauper, and MAC Cosmetics, for the VIVA Glam Campaign,5 the group raised more than 160 million dollars to globally spread information and awareness about HIV/AIDS to women (“Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving”). In addition to Gaga’s many charitable projects, she was also at the forefront of the controversial battle to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). DADT required homosexuals to quietly serve in the United States military, without revealing their sexual orientation. Punishment for a gay individual serving the country was expulsion. Until December 2010, when the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the policy, gay service members were openly discriminated against by their own country’s government. CELEBRITY POLITICS However, Lady Gaga partnered with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) to bring exposure to the long-standing policy, which culminated in an attention-getting performance at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), where she attended wearing a dress literally made of meat (“Lady Gaga Honored for LGBT Work”), and a trip to Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Maine to deliver a powerful speech to gay rights supporters (Zezima). Without fancy, over-the-top costumes and makeup, Lady Gaga made use of her Empire to get her message across, fighting for repeal of discriminatory practices. The Gaga quote that resounded with attendees of the Maine speech was, “Equality is the prime rib of America, but because I am gay, I don’t get to enjoy the greatest cut of meat my country has to offer,” (qtd. in Zezima). While gay rights are at the top of Lady Gaga’s equality agenda, she has fought for women, and homeless youth as well, as previously mentioned. In October 2009, Gaga gave a heartfelt, inspirational speech at the National Equality March Rally held in Washington, D.C. There, she claimed she would continue to refuse to stand for misogynous, discriminatory, or homophobic actions, behavior, or lyrics in the music industry. Once again, she praised the audience, specifically her fans, for giving her the platform to voice her opinions and have them heard by so many (Laville). CONCLUSION Gaga’s consistent, vocal appreciation and dedication to her fans has helped catapult her into the stardom she enjoys today. Her unique media-usage strategy, willingness, and ability to use her status and mobilize her “army” of Little Monsters to successfully make global changes astounds all who benefit from her humanitarian efforts. She has been criticized for being too outrageous, but it may be she is trying to remain relevant so that she can continue to her work as arguably one of history’s greatest change agents. For some it is obvious; Lady Gaga is innovative, unique, talented and passionate (Colbert), after all, she was Born This Way.6 For others, it is argued that Lady Gaga’s theatrical ways and inappropriate use of androgyny are played up for the media in order to be of any interest to the public. It is clear that there are many elements that make up the Lady Gaga Empire. However, it can be disputed that the cult-like status of the pop star can be compared to that of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Those who enjoyed the film often attended multiple screenings whereas those who disliked the film felt one time was too many. This black-and-white concept can also be said for Lady Gaga; she leaves a bad taste in the mouths of some, with her liberal perspectives and pushes for total equality, and leaves many others, namely the mass of Little Monsters, wanting more. Works Cited "Biography." Lady Gaga. LadyGaga.com, n.d. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Colbert, Whitney. "Why Do You Love Lady Gaga?" 30 Dec 2009. Online Posting to Lady Gaga. Web. 28 Mar 2011. "Lady Gaga Biography." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2011. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . "Lady Gaga Honored for LGBT Work." Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving. Look to the Stars, 23 Mar 2011. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . "Lady Gagas Charity Work, Events and Causes." Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving. Look to the Stars, 2011. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Laville, Dyle. "Lady Gaga Speaks at National Equality March Rally." Hark. Hark, Inc., 2011. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Rothenbuhler, Eric. "Mass Communication." MBC. The Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC), 2011. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Saunders, Tim. "Robert Redford Honored For Social Responsibility." Look to the Stars: The World of Celebrity Giving. Look to the Stars, 12 Feb 2010. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . United States. International Travel. Washington D.C.: Bureau of Public Affairs, 2009. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Vena, Jocelyn. "Lady Gagas Perfume to Be Called Monster." MTV News. MTV Networks, 11 Oct 2010. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Zezima, Katie. "Lady Gaga Goes Political in Maine." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 22 Sep 2010. Web. 28 Mar 2011. . Read More