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[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Lady Gaga is the only person who immediately comes to mind. Unfortunately though, I think she's here to stay. She seems to be this generation's Madonna. However, unlike Madonna, Lady Gaga came out of the gate controversial and outrageous. She didn't gain fame on her music and then use that platform to make a social statement. And exactly what statement is Lady Gaga pushing with her antics? Insane clothing? Banal, egotistical interviews? At least Madonna had a message, and issues she wanted to conquer: sexuality, women's rights, religion, etc. Madonna's songs and media stunts were always about bolstering the underdog: gays, women, those who were repressed by religion, etc. Lady Gaga seems intent on only bolstering Lady Gaga. It irks me to no end.

Actually, I don't think that's fair. Let the record reflect that Gaga is one of the most outspoken, and if I should dare say, influential people of her generation in the fight for civil rights for GLBT. No, she is not haunting the doorways of Capitol Hill, but through her press releases, Tweets, interviews and stage banter, she gets her point across and in some ways the message is getting across to the mainstream. She is also an unlikely role model in the sense that she advocates celibacy and does not appear to be an abuser of illicit substances. Also, nobody can deny that she works hard and she inspires young women by writing her own songs, playing her own instruments and defining her own public image. One does not get the sense that she has tons of producers, managers, handlers and stylists trying to create the Gaga image. No, her music is not the greatest stuff ever composed, but I think it's refreshing to see such a young person who is so self-assured and well-spoken yet graceful and humble at the same time. People twice her age could take a lesson from her.