Gaga: 'Being a woman is secondary to my existence"

[OMonster 14,675]

I posted this video in another of my thread's today, and it really got me thinking:

In the video, Gaga explains that to her, "a canvas has no gender" and that "being a woman is a secondary part" of her existence. Instead, she adds that she is more concerned about her "consciousness" and how, beyond gender or any other sexual variable, "all people are connected, and if one person is sick... then the whole world is sick" - it isn't about the social construction of "femininity" or anything of the like that matters... it's how, as humans, we are all inherently united. 

Personally, I find this view - particularly in today's age - incredibly refreshing. Political correctness in the media has created such a toxic fixation on division and categories - on gender, on race, on political disposition... on identity. The truth is, and as Gaga says here, we are all one.

And as an artist, how powerful is it that Gaga, at least here, felt that her gender was unimportant. She was an artist for all; her audience undefined and herself defined as nothing more - in an artistic context, of course - than a canvas of artful expression. 

Today, I wonder if Gaga would stand by this statement? I wonder if she now feels that her womanhood is a defining characteristic of her music? Truthfully, I think it naturally is not important to Gaga... but because of our current culture, she may feel obliged to take a more 'female-first' stance, which we have seen recently.

And whilst this is of course important, it is not necessarily always right. Her inner-approach of 'artist' over 'person', I think, is really rather beautiful in it's rejection of politicised-constructions - and something starkly missing from music today. 

What do you guys think?

[Sweet Dreams 85]

When someone blames "political correctness" for a given problem they always give me the geebie jeebies, because PC is just a way to include people from all backgrounds and types into one single united group, fighting for inclusivity and not for thoughtless comments that may inadvertedly hurt someone forever. That said, I agree with you on all other parts. It's nice what she said.

[OMonster 14,675]

1 hour ago, Sweet Dreams said:

When someone blames "political correctness" for a given problem they always give me the geebie jeebies, because PC is just a way to include people from all backgrounds and types into one single united group, fighting for inclusivity and not for thoughtless comments that may inadvertedly hurt someone forever. That said, I agree with you on all other parts. It's nice what she said.

I agree, and I'm certainly not demonising PC-Politics for the voice it gives to the marginalised. But I question how the movement can be hijacked to only further accentuate divisions and difference.

And what's refreshing about what Gaga is saying here, is how the artist - in this climate - is able to play the unique role of a neutral canvas that serves to only unite, not differentiate. I think that's a running theme through all of Gaga's work, to be honest. BTW may have been a very LGBT-focused album, but at it's core, is about freeing yourself - whoever you are and whatever you need freeing from. 

[Supersonic 49,376]

9 minutes ago, Sweet Dreams said:

When someone blames "political correctness" for a given problem they always give me the geebie jeebies, because PC is just a way to include people from all backgrounds and types into one single united group, fighting for inclusivity and not for thoughtless comments that may inadvertedly hurt someone forever. That said, I agree with you on all other parts. It's nice what she said.

I agree with you. A viewpoint like Gaga has described here is only possible because of "political correctness" in the first place. Like you said, political correctness is just a firm reminder that despite of what makes us individuals and different, we all deserve to be treated with same the amount of respect.

[Sneaky Oliver 22,216]

I love this quote so much. I think this is one of the smartest things she has said! And I can totally relate to that feeling. Even though I am and perceive myself as a “male”, I don’t expect to feel things through a certain way that makes me distinctive from “female”. Being human is above all of this. And if you are an artist, the art belongs to no gender either. 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

Goddess of love 

Queen of art 

Princess of pop 

Darling of Hollywood 

Master of philosophy 

[crisTEAne 21,059]

nicely put.

i tend to feel a bit concerned when she only uses the term "sexual identity," like she did in some of her interviews and speeches, and somehow, at times, "forgetting" to explicitly use the term gender. i'm sure she's more than aware of the whole issue, as she is very smart and intelligent, so there's nothing that i should be concerned about, really; it's just that gender, just like feminism, is not a dirty word. yes, they are heavily politicized, but that's good because tangible change can only happen if legislation changes. for that, political momentum, however messy, is very much needed.

anyway, i fully agree with her stance on the issue and with your beautiful explanation (thank you, btw). i guess, i can only refer to that quote by judith butler in which she said that she's not really interested in having an identity (a gendered one, she meant, i guess), but, rather, having affiliations because life is less lonely that way. and i can only agree with that, too. 

edit: mess, i'm realizing just now that she actually uttered the word gender in the video that you linked. mess.  

[ARTBOP 7,433]

My favourite interview of hers ever. And complete with one of my favourite looks of hers and a piano rendition of my favourite AP song. This clip is a treasure. 

[Twitter 14]

Oh yes I remember this interview. 

[StrawberryBlond 14,869]

I do think we should look at art in a more gender neutral way. I really don't like when we're made to believe that men should write in a different way to women and you should write in the viewpoint of your gender identity. I may be a woman and feminist but that doesn't mean I see my entire existence through the lens of being a woman. I think about it when I absolutely have to so I couldn't even write an entire album about being a woman, I wouldn't have enough ideas for more than 2 or 3 songs if I did that. I don't get why anyone wants to bring everything back to their gender identity and think about it constantly. I think that's why I'm so lost in this era of new forms of address to suit gender identity. I couldn't imagine living a life where my gender is something I think about 24/7 that overwhelms everything I do, nor would I think that physical concept of sex and the mental concept of gender identity to be the same thing. My body may be female but what's going in my head has so gender. I don't define myself by my gender, I've always just thought of myself as me.

[OMonster 14,675]

20 hours ago, StrawberryBlond said:

I do think we should look at art in a more gender neutral way. I really don't like when we're made to believe that men should write in a different way to women and you should write in the viewpoint of your gender identity. I may be a woman and feminist but that doesn't mean I see my entire existence through the lens of being a woman. I think about it when I absolutely have to so I couldn't even write an entire album about being a woman, I wouldn't have enough ideas for more than 2 or 3 songs if I did that. I don't get why anyone wants to bring everything back to their gender identity and think about it constantly. I think that's why I'm so lost in this era of new forms of address to suit gender identity. I couldn't imagine living a life where my gender is something I think about 24/7 that overwhelms everything I do, nor would I think that physical concept of sex and the mental concept of gender identity to be the same thing. My body may be female but what's going in my head has so gender. I don't define myself by my gender, I've always just thought of myself as me.

Really enjoyed reading this  thanks for posting!

[StrawberryBlond 14,869]

8 minutes ago, OMonster said:

Really enjoyed reading this  thanks for posting!

I didn't know if anyone would understand what I was going on about or if it just made sense in my own head. I also thought it was a bit ambiguous what side of the debate I was on. To be clear, I think it's ok to identify as anything you like but I'm confused as to why this is viewed as a part of your personality to the point where you must be referred to as something other than male or female. Those terms are biological descriptions, they have nothing to do with personality, just so many people are thinking they're one and the same lately. I think, if you're happy in the body you were born in and don't desire to change it physically, then you should have no problems being called male or female as your physical description. A lot of gender identity is actually just about personality. Personality and gender are two different things and I think when we start saying that certain behaviours make us more female or male, we're only going to advance gender roles, instead of end them. Knowing whether we're biologically male or female is sometimes imperative to know and shouldn't be seen as offensive. Your body and your mind are not the same.