Laura I. Conty Nieves
INGL 4057-0U1
Communication and Sexuality
Prof. Zenaida Sanjurjo
Final Presentation
Lyrics: “You were born this way/There’s nothing wrong in loving
who you are because he made you perfect/I’m beautiful in my
way because God makes no mistakes/I am on the right track
baby I was born this way/Don’t hide yourself in regret/there
ain’t no other way I was born this way/Don’t be a drag just be a
queen/In the religion of the insecure/A different lover is not a
sin believe capital HIM/no matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian,
transgender, bi, you were born to survive.
»
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw&ob=av2n
» In the music video, Lady Gaga verbalized a
message before the song actually began: “ And
thus began the beginning of the new race, a
race within the race of humanity, a race which
bears no prejudice no judgment but boundless
freedom.”
» Lady Gaga’s video is an example of essentialist
theory. Weeks argues that “biological
determinism insists on the fixity of our
sexualities.” This is evident in Lady Gaga’s title
of the song “Born this way.”
» Religion’s discourse on sexuality, and the sexual act itself
revolves around chastity and abstinence. We are told
what behaviors not to engage in, and the devastating
consequences for those who are “promiscuous,
adulterers, homosexuals,” etc.
» Lady Gaga makes reference to HIM, which I interpret as
being God, also a three letter word. She sings “You are
beautiful in your way because God makes no mistakes.
We have seen in the media, in newspapers and on
television how religions advocate that the possibility of
converting to being a heterosexual exists. There is even a
verse in the bible that says adulterant fornicators and
homosexuals will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Being
heterosexuality the norm, we do not question the
evident injustices and prejudices. We judge others and
their lifestyle.
» Lady Gaga also sings “In the religion of the insecure a
different lover is not a sin believe capital HIM. No
matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender, bi,
you were born to survive.”
» Lady Gaga is taking a stand for equality and
advocating for gay rights.
» An interesting element is that the very being that is
commonly used in the arguments against gay rights is
the one Lady Gaga is using (HIM-GOD) to
communicate that God made you who you are and
what you are. That sexual preference should not
matter, that you should love yourself as you are.
» These powerful words Lady Gaga sings have the
potential of making you re-think the label drag
queen. Drag queens refer to themselves as drag
queens, as do non-drag queen persons. It does
not seem to carry the negative or detrimental
connotation of words such as “dyke” or “fag.”
» Smith & Windes argue “The extent to which particular
appeals are produced, emphasized and connected to
specific policy issues, varies significantly, depending upon
which advocacy is directed, the institutional setting in
which discussion occurs, the ideological position…”
» I would like to take this idea and relate it to Lady Gaga’s
role in popular media such as the Music Industry. She is a
controversial but recognized and famous pop star. As a
public figure she has delivered through her songs pro-gay
messages as she self identifies as bi-sexual. She has
made the issue personal, because she lives it as a person
and also an artist. She is an American performer who
travels throughout the world and uses her voice as a
weapon to fight injustices the homosexual population
suffer.
» This particular video and form of media interested me
because it is accessible on the web and television. In
addition, millions of people have viewed it on
youtube.com.
» In her videos you can observe she has backup dancers
of all races, sexual orientations, and gender. This
conveys a message in itself. Often, music videos do not
really make sense with the lyrics, but in “Born this Way”
the message is evident via her dancers’ gestures and
moves that make up the dance performance. What is
feminine, what is masculine? In the dances, elements of
social construction can be seen. The walk, the jumps,
the hands, the arm movements, the interactions with
the other dancers.
» “A communicate ethic asserts that sex acts are given
moral meaning by their communication context. In other
words, the ethic shifts moral judgments about the
character of sexual desires and acts to the qualities of the
social exchange and communication encounter, such as
the mutual consent, responsibility, consent, respect and
reciprocity.”
» The power of language goes to show that if could change
the way we refer to people(labels), we could reduce
prejudice and hate. Why do some people find the word
homosexual more detrimental and prefer the label gay?
This is due to the connotation and the implications words
carry with them.
» Lady Gaga is a controversial artist, especially among the
religious community. She can be in a music video or
attending an awards show and there will always be
something she does to call attention and make her stand
out in a way that everyone knows her name. The media
loves her and also criticizes her. The public loves her,
which is why she has received various music awards such
as Grammys and MTV movie awards. Lady Gaga is an
advocate for the LGBT community. She has made
speeches at pro-gay rights events.