If You Missed Lady Gaga’s Message, You Weren’t Paying Attention
With 262 awards under her belt, Lady Gaga has proven herself to be an American legend. However, as the halftime performer of the 51st NFL Super Bowl, her talents and relevancy was questioned. As I was enjoying the football game, I heard someone say, “Migos should be performing.” Despite the impact Migos has made with their last album, Lady Gaga was the perfect choice because of the state our country is in currently.
Lady Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, is an Italian-American, which defies the outbreak of immigration prejudice that has arisen since the election of President Trump. She is also a woman who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community. Despite that, she opens her performance with “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, an ode to America. She then teases the audience with her hit song “Edge of Glory,” arguably describing America is on the cusp of honor, yet the façade of “Making America Great Again” or “the American Dream” is hindering the growth of this country. The audience experiences this with her abrupt transition into “Poker Face.”
But before her performance begins, her costume sets the tone for the show. She was clad in a blue diamond studded body suit and boots, which was custom made from Versace, an Italian brand. Her body suit is accentuated with a backdrop of red and white lights. This specific color story mirrors the American flag. Her ensemble represents 1/4th of the flag that has the 50 stars demonstrating the union of each state. While the lights signify the red and white stripes. Therefore, she opens this story by recognizing the country; however, she embodies all of Americans through her outfit, or herself.
Gaga then beings to perform “Born This Way” which is the most controversial yet necessary song she showcased that night. It was powerful for her to sing, “Whether you’re broke or evergreen/ you’re black, white, beige, chola descent . . . no matter gay, straight, or bi/ lesbian, transgendered life/ I’m on the right track, baby/ I was born to survive.” She becomes the voice of the people who are constantly put down because they do not fit the mold of the patriarchal Christian ideology that America uses to define who someone should be. America’s newly inaugurated president and administration is working against the people that she supports and sings about. It was crucial that she sing such compelling lyrics at such a widely viewed and respected event.
Interestingly, she sang “Telephone” which is about a man that will not leave her alone. The choreography includes her being picked up by a white male dancer and being visibly constrained. Which leaves the audience to ponder, is she describing the feminist movement and rights of women? I think yes.
Despite any judgment or question about Lady Gaga’s right to perform, she embodied exactly what the American people needed to hear. This was revolutionary performance by an iconic woman.
