Lady Gaga: the culture icon

[Bebe 16,562]

Your kind of missing my point. You cant just go around bringing up receipts proclaiming that they will definitely be remembered 20-30 years down the line. That's not for us to decide. Being a cultural icon is something that has to be earned with time. Saying this as a stan, I can clearly see that Gagas influence on mainstream trends and culture has already significantly waned. I hope that gaga can overcome this and become and icon for her time, but It is still much to early judge.

 

Just as a side note, I think being an "icon" is not even that great. I've noticed that once artists become these solidified, respected icons they become complacent and stop striving for greatness. Thats why we see some of the best popstars of 80's and 90's releasing complete crap now. I would hate for gaga to get this mentality that she is already an icon, because it would kind of imply that shes got nothing left to prove. I honestly want to see gaga push herself to heights even further, and not just rely or be defined by that massive early success and recognition.

I'm not missing the point at all, infact I think you are kinda missing the point. I remember when Britney blew up. We all knew she would be a cultural icon because of the incredible impact she had at the time.

Gaga is the same. Koons is going to be remembered in 20-30 years. He is a world famous artist and his works fetch millions of dollars. Gaga is a part of his legacy and therefore she will be remembered. Gaga plays a large role in the Versace legacy and in the legacy of MTV and others to just be ignored.

Like I previously mentioned, ARTPOP is still a #1 album. She is on a very successful world tour. You don't need to be the top selling artist every year to be a cultural icon and force. It's unrealistic. 

Gaga's influence is only growing and she is quite obviously an icon of our generation. TIME has said it, MTV has said it, Vogue has said it and recently Harpers Bazaar has said it.

This is more than just stan nonsense, if you can't see the influence she has had in fashion, music, art and performance then you must be blind.

[LilVenusian 579]

I'm not missing the point at all, infact I think you are kinda missing the point. I remember when Britney blew up. We all knew she would be a cultural icon because of the incredible impact she had at the time.

Gaga is the same. Koons is going to be remembered in 20-30 years. He is a world famous artist and his works fetch millions of dollars. Gaga is a part of his legacy and therefore she will be remembered. Gaga plays a large role in the Versace legacy and in the legacy of MTV and others to just be ignored.

Like I previously mentioned, ARTPOP is still a #1 album. She is on a very successful world tour. You don't need to be the top selling artist every year to be a cultural icon and force. It's unrealistic. 

Gaga's influence is only growing and she is quite obviously an icon of our generation. TIME has said it, MTV has said it, Vogue has said it and recently Harpers Bazaar has said it.

This is more than just stan nonsense, if you can't see the influence she has had in fashion, music, art and performance then you must be blind.

We clearly differ on our definitions of what entails being a cultural icon. For me its releasing monumental and influential  works that stand the test of time, not who made your album cover or what brands you are associated with. These are mainly external, trivial things that can be easily forgotten (who the hell besides us stans even knows her association with Versace, Koons etc?.). Gagas cultural significance should be measured on her output alone not by her connections in the art/fashion world. Regardless of how commercially successful it is , will The Artrave even be remembered as an influential and iconic moment in pop music or even gaga's legacy for that matter? We cant possibly know yet cause you need to  let something age before you can call it iconic or culturally significant.  You have to admit, the word "iconic" is losing its meaning, especially since stan culture has been magnified by the internet. Nobody would be calling "Like A Virgin" or "Thriller" iconic when they just came out because It took a good 10-15 years for them to really seep into culture, and influence a new generation of pop music. When you get every Tom, Dick and Harry popstar still trying to imitate Michael Jackson+ Madonnas shtick 15-30 years after their peaks, then its obvious a real and lasting cultural nerve has been hit.

[Bebe 16,562]

We clearly differ on our definitions of what entails being a cultural icon. For me its releasing monumental and influential  works that stand the test of time, not who made your album cover or what brands you are associated with. These are mainly external, trivial things that can be easily forgotten (who the hell besides us stans even knows her association with Versace, Koons etc?.). Gagas cultural significance should be measured on her output alone: her albums, her singles, her tours, her videos. Regardless of how commercially successful it is , will The Artrave even be remembered as an influential and iconic moment in pop music? We cant possibly know yet cause you need to  let something age before you can call it iconic or culturally significant.  The word "iconic" is losing its meaning, especially since stan culture has been magnified by the internet. Nobody would be calling "Like A Virgin" or "Thriller" iconic when they just came out because It took a good 10-15 years for them to really seep into culture, and influence an entirely new generation of pop music. When you get every Tom, Dick and Harry popstar trying to imitate Michael Jacksons shtick 15-30 after Thriller, then its obvious a real and lasting cultural nerve has been hit...

Being a pop or cultural icon entails encompassing and influencing pop culture over an extended period of time. I think at this point Gaga has proven to be an icon that not only has some very recognisable works but has also heavily influenced culture.

I'm not saying her work with Koons is iconic or that her work with Versace is iconic, but her work with such legendary artists, designers and musicians speak volumes about her influence on the current state of art, music and fashion. Her influence is so wide reaching that she has had works of hers exhibited in The Louvre, she has been the face of a massive fashion campaign and she is creating music and performing with a wide range of musical icons.

The meat dress, Grammy "egg", Paparazzi performance as well as Poker Face, Bad Romance and Born This Way are still associated and referenced by the media today. 3-4-5 years after the fact. That isn't something you see with a lot of artists. They are iconic parts of her career, and as long as she has a successful pop career they are things that will continue to be talked about up until and far after her death.

 

People knew Thriller was groundbreaking as soon as it was released. I guarantee people were calling the Thriller video iconic because people could see it's reaching influence. Nowadays with social media and the internet in general it is far easier to measure the impact of certain songs. Bad Romance has been called the video of the decade by Billboard and has been in the "best of" lists from everyone from TIME magazine to Rolling Stone.

Gaga is in a better position now than she ever has been before. She is influencing the spheres of art, fashion, music and technology like none of her peers and has achieved so much in the past six years alone that it will be very hard for her to disappear into irrelevancy. She was one of the first, if not the first superstars of the digital age.

As OP pointed out, she not only changed the game with her outlandish fashion and music videos

 

But she also helped launch the dance-pop trend of this decade which is still continuing. 

People won't be able to talk about celebrity culture, fashion, music, art of this decade and the 00's without mentioning Gaga

[LilVenusian 579]

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[LilVenusian 579]

6 years is still way too premature. I don’t see how you cant get passed this. You could be the biggest thing on the planet, and set a million trends, but if not remembered 15-20 years down the line than it technically hasn’t made a lasting cultural impact. Im sure some of gaga’s output will definitely be remembered but it’s entirely presumptuous to just assume it will as if its some fact. People might have “thought†Thriller was iconic when it first came out but it still doesn’t make it so. How could you possibly see the full scope of its “reaching influence†in the first few years of its release? That sh*t took time and people are still referencing and discovering it today. Just because something has an immediate connection to the public doesn’t immediately make it some monumental influential work, that comes with time. I think you do bring up an interesting point about the internet which I thinks is also big part of the problem. Sure, it can measure “popularity†but it dosent measure any lasting impact. There have literally been dozens of videos that have exceeded or come close to Bad Romance in views and popularity since its release? Does that mean they are as culturally significant and impactful? I do agree that she has outdone many of her peers in her achievements but that doesn’t mean I automatically give her the “icon†stamp of approval. People like Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson toiled for their positions as icons, sure they had huge moments of commercial success but you cant really appreciate their cultural impact or significance until you actually see their influence, long after their peaks of trendiness. I still think she has plenty left to prove. I would personally like her to be remembered for more than her early hits or for wearing a meat dress 20 years down the line. That’s what I dislike about the “icon†label so early on, it puts this complacency on her, like her work is done, and she's  already exceeded her potential. Eff that, I hold gaga up to a very high standard, and like to think she hasn’t even released her best, most influential work yet. She still has heaps of slaying left to do imo...

[RBLGHP 252]

[Tropico 4,145]

Some of you are so uneducated it's a bit scary. The century began in 2000... So bad romance could easily be the most iconic song of the century.

OT: OMG YES! I've always said Gaga is a true cultural icon! She has slayed anything that could be slayed! From fashion, sales, pop music all the way to religion and art. :applause:

[Tropico 4,145]

Bad Romance is FAR from the most iconic song of the century

Examples of more iconic songs released after Jan 1 2000? :manicure:

[Bleachella 2,932]

Examples of more iconic songs released after Jan 1 2000?

I said century, the century is far from over, so calling it the most iconic song of the CENTUEY is really inaccurate

Poker face was 3rd most iconic song of the decade by Fuse

Edit: Wrecking Ball, BTW, Blurred Lines, and We can't Stop are all in this century too

[Tropico 4,145]

I said century, the century is far from over, so calling it the most iconic song of the CENTUEY is really inaccurate

Poker face was 3rd most iconic song of the decade by Fuse

Edit: Wrecking Ball, BTW, Blurred Lines, and We can't Stop are all in this century too

TO DATE is clearly what the OP meant and TO DATE in THIS CENTURY Bad Romance is ONE OF if not IS the most iconic song of the century.

And you'd be crazy to think that We Can't Stop is close to being truly iconic. Wrecking Ball yeah sure but still not as big as Bad Romance.

So it's inaccurate to say Bad Romance is from being the most iconic song on the century. :later:

[Bleachella 2,932]

TO DATE is clearly what the OP meant and TO DATE in THIS CENTURY Bad Romance is ONE OF if not IS the most iconic song of the century.

And you'd be crazy to think that We Can't Stop is close to being truly iconic. Wrecking Ball yeah sure but still not as big as Bad Romance.

So it's inaccurate to say Bad Romance is from being the most iconic song on the century.

Wrecking Ball went #1 :awesome:

[PopBitch 1,218]

Love this picture !

But Britney was the one who made pink wigs famous, let's not forget this :

Madonna begs to differ.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XI4w1S5tUMI/hqdefault.jpg

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

what do you mean by what a read tho

 

That's A LOT to read

[Ronk 14,081]

Cheers!

I've always said, even if Gaga hasn't typically made the most popular choices, she does what she believes in. And that is why her legacy is secure.

Exactly this.

[Ronk 14,081]

Wrecking Ball went #1

Sex sells.  Quality takes a back seat to s-x and media hype.