What’s up?
I’m just sitting here, being 50% bored and 50% annoyed with Lady Gaga.
I was down at first. Poker Face, Bad Romance, Telephone…love it. Super fun.
But, sigh…really? Why does all my blond haired avant guarde pop music have to come with a side of Catholic hate?
I get it. You went to Catholic school and it stifled your apparent need to dress like meth addict. ME TOO.
But, if you are going to preach and demand tolerance, you need to be tolerant. Like…of all things. That’s how that word works. Races, sexual orientation, religion. All those things.
I usually judge how offensive things are by how hard I laugh at them.
I’m not laughing, and mostly just eye rolling.
Let’s poke some new bears. Taunt some fresh social norms.
Because as it stands right now, the only thing I want to do when I hear your music is give you a bath, feed you cake, put you in a warm pair of sweats, and let you talk to me about your childhood.
I’ll totally pretend to be listening, but really, I’ll be drawing pictures of naked people holding cats.
couldnt agree more….the girl bothers me
Give you a bath? Hahaha! Awesome. She needs one for sure.
But there would be *so* much good material going to waste if she wasn’t picking on Catholics. Duh. ;-)
Interestingly enough the Catholic thing isn’t bothering me nearly as much since I read this yesterday…
“Lady Gaga Calls Maddona Plagerism “Retarded””
Apparently the tolerance only is extended to homosexuals and transgenders, not Catholics and those with mental disabilities.
Yeah, I read that also. I was pretty disgusted.
The thing is, everyone makes mistakes. A slip of the tongue happens.
But, when you set yourself up as this force, attacking others for intolerance, you have to be extra careful not to contradict yourself. Which she does. Pretty much constantly.
Agree, 100%. Anyone who uses the r-word (or any other word that is just plain hurtful) makes me angry, but I was so much more angry because of the fact that she presents herself to be an advocate for those who are discriminated against.
I can forgive the slip of the tongue, but seeing her contradict herself twice right in a row like that, I think I’m still done.
Seriously, you need to get out of my head!
Two days in a row now I feel like you are reading my thoughts! I was just talking to my husband about this yesterday. What’s really annoying is that she actually has talent; she can sing like nobody’s business, yet, it seems like all she is about now is selling out for shock value.
Over it.
Yeah I don’t quite get it. I mean, is it a joke? Is it all a facade? I don’t know. I just wish the radio stations would stop blaring the SAME songs over and over, she is melting my brain.
Gaga’s 15 mins are fast running out. I’ve gotten to where I change the channel on the radio whenever her music comes on.
I am TOTALLY guilty….
My M.I.L. is psycho-catholic… As in, used to sneak my kids off to church without my permission, and in fact despite being specifically forbidden to…
“I’m just trying to save them…”
Fuck you mom, the implication is that you feel like we’re lost causes…
I’m EXTREMELY tolerant of other beliefs, right up until they start telling me that mine are invalid… And yes, I believe that Lady Gaga has *WAY* crossed that line.
“I’m extremely tolerant of other beliefs, right up until they start telling me that mine are invalid…”
YES THIS. Dude, I don’t care WHAT religion you are, truly. Assuming you don’t tell me you need to do a human sacrifice and then eye me up and down.
But, I just feel like, this is just one more person trying to walk in the footsteps of vocal women before her who have spoken out about religion, and it’s getting to be tiresome.
I can’t tell if I am offended or bored.
Exaaaactly. Great post for Holy Week ; )
Exactly. EXACTLY.
For me it’s Speechless. That song is the cat’s meow. Some of her other music is catchy, but as far as Lady Gaga goes, I just don’t get it. Okay, okay. You’re edgy. You’re avant garde. Whatev.
I am waiting for her English accent to appear.
I’m literally nodding in agreement while reading. She took me from curiosity to admiration to eye rolling in the last year. It’s been fun. Make way for the next one.
I love GaGa…and I’m ok with the Catholic hate, because the Catholics (as an institution, not as individuals,natch) spend a lot of time hating on everyone else. You know they still wish they could get away with setting people on fire.
Seriously, this is not about a particular religion for me, and I am tolerant of all of them.
It’s about her need to preach tolerance, then in a very hypocritical way, repeatedly slam a religion.
For some (not always me, obviously) faith is very important and personal.
It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And it’s also redundant. Say something NEW, and then maybe I’ll listen.
True enough. I’m with ya. Hypocrisy is nastier than quiet intolerance. It’s a draw as to whether hypocrisy is better or worse than loud intolerance…I hope you know I didn’t mean offense. You’re my favorite blogger!
None taken, I love the debate!
to quote Lady Gaga, you’ve left me speechless, so speechless.
Brilliantly written and I totally agree! I am Catholic, born and bred and all the stuff that comes with it – both from home and school and I think I turned out okay and don’t blame my religion for the stupid things I’ve done or said in my life.
People need to learn that when they accept a word like tolerance in their lives, that they need to OWN it or at least look it up in the dictionary for a more detailed definition of what they think it is.
Yeah, I think that is my biggest issue.
I will be the FIRST to own up to the fact that I am an inconsistent, snarky asshole sometimes.
But, I’m not on a pedestal preaching acceptance (although I am a staunch believer in it. Race, sexual orientation, and even religion, I’m a big fan). But SHE is. And then she releases videos that poke at religions, or says words like retard.
Here’s my take on her…..
If she wants to impress me…. then balance the country’s budget, find jobs for the unemployed, throw the working man a bone by kickin Opec’s ass n lower gas prices, find the cure for cancer, make the weekends longer, bring back groovy fads from the 70’s, and tell me why the hell my bath tub drain stops up since nobody else can.
Or she could just shut up.
And thats how I feel about that…..
K, thanks!
I’m conflicted on tolerance and the idea of it. I think, to some degree, her intolerance for the Catholic faith comes so much from the fact that they don’t tolerate much of what she believes in and stands for. I have a hard time with the notion that refusing to tolerate someone else’s intolerance makes one intolerant. If one represents inclusiveness, it stands to reason that they would rage against an institution that, to them, represents the exact opposite.
I don’t tolerate bigotry, human rights violations and a slew of other things that, in my world view, the Catholic church shits all over. This doesn’t mean I don’t tolerate individual Catholics, or that I judge THEM. But as an institution, I’m mostly disgusted.
Does that make me intolerant? I don’t THINK so. But talk to a hard-core right winger who believes gays are sinners and that Muslims are the root of all evil and yes, I am. They think it’s ironic that I preach tolerance when I don’t tolerate them.
I don’t have an issue with the majority of Catholic beliefs or traditions, and I am typically pretty sensitive to that sort of thing, particularly with the raging amount of insidious anti-Semitism we’re bombarded with on a daily basis.
So I guess what I’m saying is … I don’t know how I feel about this. But typically, I don’t get my knickers in a twist over someone or something mocking a clear, powerful majority (which the Catholic church IS), and I don’t see myself getting bothered by this. We’ll see, however.
I meant to add that I haven’t seen the video in question. Using the word retarded, however is … well, not particularly smart on her part, to put it mildly. But I’m not sure the use of one word makes her intolerant. It just makes her insensitive to many people’s perceptions of the connotation of that particular word.
So with you.
She lost me back at the meat dress.
But yes, show tolerance by example- not by statement after statement.
But she certainly gets everyone talking, and isn’t that really what she is after! As for catholics taking abuse from her, considering what they have done over the ages, I think they can handle a little gaga.
I really enjoy Gaga’s music and I used to love her music videos because she was so fun and interesting to watch. But for now I feel like she’s worn out her welcome in shock-factor land. I’m not only not surprised by anything she does any more, I don’t care. Maybe if the media would stop following her around waiting for her to do or say something crazy, she would normal out a little bit. Maybe. Or she’d be found dead, floating in a pool of cherry Jell-O.
Also, I feel compelled to say I liked her a little better, like, a year and a half ago when she was 10 or 15 pounds heavier. Maybe that’s just me.
Totally agree with you on Gaga… I’m Catholic and have my own conflicts with it and things I completely agree with the Church on but I know that putting anyone on the defensive about their beliefs is the least effective way to get them to listen to you… Open dialogue starts with finding common ground not pointing fingers. Some Catholics need to learn that too…
I’ve always thought of her as nothing more than a marketing machine. I thinks he is now starting to believe her own bullshit.
I actually don’t think she believes it – but she’s certainly doing everything she can to make some money off of it while she can!
This is getting a little off-topic — but she earned points in my book this past Christmas. She’s dating a guy from a small town near us and they were here for the holidays. The local media kept tabs on her — expecting her to do something crazy. But instead she went to a random pizza shop, hung out at a couple of local bars (where people said she was totally approachable and low-key) and even went shopping for some seafood — NORMAL stuff that anyone might do while staying with their boyfriend’s family. But none of the national publications cover anything like that — at least not in regards to her. They only want to see her making a scene or doing something outlandish.
All that said – I’m totally with Mommy Nanni Booboo on this … I checked out as soon as I saw that meat dress.
I think Mary could help her sort this all out.
I guess everyone needs some kind of horse to be up high on…
Yes. Didn’t Sinead already do this?
Yes, but she wasn’t a blonde.
I was kind of surprised to read the responses here…how is the song about catholic hate? She’s in love witha man who betrays her, so she relates it to the story of Judas betrayal. I was upset about the retarded comment, but she did apologize for it. I get ot liking her music, but ‘catholic hate’? First of all, the Bible is not just for Catholics!!! I went to Catholic school from preschool to senior yr of high school, so I do know a bit about theology. I go through the song, and I don’t see how Catholics are so insulted by it!
The video is heavy with Catholic imagery and is offensive to some — not the song. It’s like Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”-type thing.
Wait do I have to sing an offensive to Catholics song before you give me a bath and give me some cake? BECAUSE I WILL DO THAT.
Did you see the whole Weird Al controversy? From what I’ve read he asked her permission to do a parody of “Born This Way” and she told him she would have to see what the parody would be about, so he sent her over the lyrics, which since it’s her song it would be pretty simple to put to her music, right? No, she then told him to do a demo of it, which meant he would have to go in studio and make the song, which he did. Her people then got back to him and told him NO. And I guess he’s a pretty cool guy, and won’t use the song unless the original artist gives their permission, which he is totally allowed to legally do. So he put it up on youtube. Just because she made him jump through home to ultimately say no. Because she’s kinda a dick.
UPDATE: now that I googled it it seems she has given her permission. It seems her “manager” never gave her the song, and now that he has she’s ok with it.
As a sort-of Catholic who pretty much only practices by giving up meat sporatically on Fridays in Lent, I still identify with the religion because it’s what I grew up with. I may not agree with most of what the religion preaches, but I get irritated when people shit on it. Tolerance definitely goes both ways.
I could not agree with the Catholic bashing thing more…and if you are giving Gaga a bath, could you please throw Ke$ha in there too–she is looking really skanky!
Totally loved her, now I wanna smack her.
Maybe that’s part of her masterplan- to alienate her fans. Haha. I haven’t really been listening to her/analyzing her until recently. I don’t have anything against her really. So she knows gays willl love her, market to that. Next, piss off Catholics. Next, have a baby and believe that you’re the only person who has ever had a baby and discover Buddhism. There’s a formula to all this pop stuff. At least she has more to offer than Britney and Co. Maybe her next video can be about a Priest and a Choirboy, and their love affair. That would be some good social commentary. I grew up Catholic, but I’m now an agnostic. I cannot put faith into something that promises perfection in the “afterworld” or heaven. It isn’t a prize to get backstage (if I’m good, I will get in).
I guess the question I have to ask myself is, How can I be tolerant to all? Even to ignorance. I live in Florida where this is a damn virtue. Hey God, are you paying attention? Or are you drawing pictures of nekkid people again?
Also, why is it that some people just hold on to religion simply because it is something they were brought up with?
Simple enough. She’s a genius. She knows how to make money. She’s in the music business to make money. She’s going to do that however she sees fit. If she needs to write music that she knows will cause controversy, good for her. She knows that controversy will put her in the spotlight. Like she’s done here. Had she not written that song, no one here would be saying a thing about it. She would go much more unnoticed. Any publicity is good publicity, right? She wants attention and you’re giving her the attention she’s after. Good job, you all just fell for it. See what I mean when I say she’s a genius?
Those of you who want her to go away, stop talking about her. Pay her no mind. Because, frankly, I’m sure she doesn’t care what you’re doing with your lives. And that doesn’t bother her. So if someone gets under your skin, just leave them be. Let them do what they want. You’re only helping them get what they’re after if you keep talking about them.
I know this is an old post, but I have string opinions on it. Seriously, if she put out a song or video that did the same thing toward Islam, she’d be basically over as a celebrity. I’m Protestant, and I’d be just as offended by Muslim bashing as I am by the Christian bashing. You’re so right about the hypocrisy. Tolerance means every religion, not every religion except the one that did the most emotional trauma to you as a child. Especially when you market yourself as like the most tolerant and non judgmental celebrities out there right now.
And the “retarded” thing…well, I’m a home health aide for children with developmental disabilities, and its the greatest job ever. Obviously I’m not a fan of her word choice.
I’ve stopped listening to her music. Not because I want to protest her or make some big statement, but just her issues lately…I just can’t. Just like LeeAnn Rimes when she was a married woman, having an affair with a married man, then breaking up their marriage. Gross.
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*strong, not spring. For the love, you damn smartphone.
You all do realize that she constantly references her love for God in her songs, right? Also, as a Catholic I totally see where Lady Gaga is coming from. Both the Bible and Jesus taught us to love EVERYONE. However the Catholic Church has decided to exclude certain groups of people from that love and acceptance that draws me to God. By hating on Lady Gaga and her beliefs, you are disproving your Christianity. God teaches us to love everyone, even those who hate us.