Gaga and Race

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

Hey so after years of reading Beyonce threads on this site and getting a noticeable anti-Beyonce vibe, I also notice that on these threads GGD users in general are more centrist when it comes to discussions on race and people of color (poc).

Why is that the case on a site where I would expect, in my opinion, to see a more staunchly progressive approach to racial issues?

 

 My answer to that question, which is just my opinion and accordingly definitely not the correct answer, is that because Gaga doesn't explicitly mention race or discuss racial topics that often either through her music and imagery or in the press, she doesn't evoke the same sort of discussion among her fans about these issues nor does she bring in AS MANY fans into her fanbase who are directly impacted by this issue as she does with those in the LGBTQ community. As a result, our fanbase might not be so attuned to the issues regarding race as say from those artists who address such issues in their music and artists that have poc backgrounds (Rihanna, Beyonce, etc.)  that have the tendency to attract fans who are also poc. This isn't to say that there aren't numerous poc fans in the Gaga fanbase  (hers is extremely racially diverse from what I've seen) and that there aren't numerous poc on this site, but the ignorance and lack of education and attention surrounding racial issues on this site could be a result from what I stated above or could not be. idk.

 

ALSO, I see so many users loving to come for Beyonce because of her lack of proper activism for the LGBTQ community and our issues. Despite that, I would argue that Gaga is the same way when it comes to racial issues and yet she's rarely faulted for that, especially by us (which again could be because of the general background of GGD users and that we aren't as attuned to racial issues as we are LGBTQ issues in general). In a time where racial issues such as the Black Lives Matter social movement,  police brutality, mass incarceration, cultural appropriation discussions, oppression of poorer poc communities in developing nations for cheap labor, etc. are all dominating cultural discussion, why does Gaga still not address such issues as often as she could the way Beyonce doesn't address LGBTQ issues as often as she could?  

My answer to that is that it obviously wouldn't make sense for Gaga to talk about it that often since she is a white woman after all who is also an ally for poc communities, so she could never fully advocate for racial issues, in my opinion, to the same degree that poc artists like Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, etc. could. Also she can't evoke that same feeling among poc communities of representation and pride in racial identity like Rihanna or Cardi B could since again she's white. Furthermore, Gaga is LGBTQ and has chosen to champion our issues and she's also a sexual assault survivor and mental health/trauma survivor and advocate for those issues too so she's "busier" doing all of that to some extent. After all, you can't do everything (@ all the Beyonce haters on this site, who are generally white males, who dislike her for caring about black women all the time).

With that in mind, would you all, particularly other poc users, like to see Gaga address race more often, be it in her art or in the media?    

Discuss.

 

 

(as a side note this isn't to discount the few number of Gaga's candid discussions previously on race and her song Angel Down, since that will probably be brought up as her main example for caring about minority racial issues in her work. still that song doesn't explicitly mention police brutality or Trayvon Martin by name and it isn't as obvious.) 

[Lippoutou 4,569]

Nobody should care about race..

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

33 minutes ago, Lippoutou said:

Nobody should care about race..

Thoughtful response....  

Spoiler

no duh if you think about it ideally

should people still care though now in order to undo racism? if we stopped caring about it right now then those problems would continue.

 

[LOVEDRUG 10,659]

1 minute ago, Gov Hooka said:

Thoughtful response.

and telling coming from a white twink such as yourself...  

 

I think he means that it shouldn't affect people's decisions, they shouldn't make decisions based on someone's race

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

Just now, WarriorPhoenix said:

I think he means that it shouldn't affect people's decisions, they shouldn't make decisions based on someone's race

it reads as "race isn't an issue, let's not care about it at all"... 

[LOVEDRUG 10,659]

Just now, Gov Hooka said:

it reads as "race isn't an issue, let's not care about it at all"... 

I read it as "Nobody should be influenced by race"

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

1 minute ago, WarriorPhoenix said:

I read it as "Nobody should be influenced by race"

ideally yes, but realistically what a stupid thing to say when race still matters. 

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

people who advocate for colorblindness in today's society have delusionally convinced themselves that racism is no longer a thing or that the legacy of racism doesn't impact people of color today, when it really does. 

[Phaye Monster 8,741]

Voted for no because, no matter what she does or says, there will always be that one person who makes it out that she’s being racist or something. It’s too much of a sensitive topic to sing about considering Gaga is white. I’d like it but it’s a bit risky. 

[Dominic 11,922]

1 minute ago, Gov Hooka said:

ideally yes, but realistically what a stupid thing to say when race still matters. 

Why are you asking for opinions and then calling people white twinks and stupid when you misinterpret them? Sounds like you dont want a respectful debate but you just wish to argue.  

[Gov Hooka 8,008]

Just now, Dominic said:

Why are you asking for opinions and then calling people white twinks and stupid when you misinterpret them? Sounds like you dont want a respectful debate but you just wish to argue.  

oh yay, triggered mods at it again. his quote reads that way and his lack of explanation of such a mundane sentence coupled with his identity suggests that flawed notion of "race doesn't matter anymore, we shouldn't care about it." until he responds with clarification, I will continue to think I called that statement for what it was. 

[SEANGT 5,294]

On one hand, she should stay in her lane as a white woman. 

On the other hand, she has white privilege she should be using. 

It's a balancing act. I think it would be out of place and misguided to base an entire album on the topic when her activism on racism and race issues hasn't been her main focus in the past. She would have to start being a louder advocate for minorities and their voices long before she put out a big statement piece on the topic.

I also don't think she is very educated on the topic. Not a dig on her at all, she just hasn't been exposed to it that much and it doesn't seem like her thing. I'm not sure she should be trying to educate others before she's an expert herself. 

[Hurem 17,800]

No. We know what kind of person she is and what she stands for. She’s been vocal enough throughout her career.

Also, how do you expect to explore racial issues? She’d just get dragged since she’s white and privileged, yet she’s making coins on the back of POC.

[Gardevoir 9,822]

She doesn't care for any race anymore. Cause she doesn't have to be the first one. There is a lot of space for different female artists.

Spoiler

 

[StarstruckIllusion 52,752]

That poll... Do you want her career to end? If BLM didn’t appreciate Angel Down, what is the point of going more specific to her message of loving all people again?