It's okay to criticize Gaga.

[Nino 12]

With some of the stuff floating around the forums with regards to her voice, LG6, A Star Is Born, and the path of her career in general, some people get really heated about criticisms of Gaga. I think some of us have forgot where the line lies between critical fan and hater, as well as the line between fandom and worship.

If Gaga's choices, career or otherwise, bring you absolutely no joy, then just let go. She's the most simultaneously successful, talented, and acclaimed pop star probably ever. This isn't 2013 where everybody is bashing her and she has to react to save face. Her career's arguably on an all-time high, she's not going to switch it up just for your  perception of who she is an artist. HOWEVER, her work encompasses all different genres and mediums of expression, Cheek To Cheek, ARTPOP, and A Star Is Born all have very different target audiences. While a majority of us are here for GAGA above everything else, we're always going to have our favorite songs and eras and talk about her through that lens. That diversity is what makes our community so special.That diversity is also going to mean that people within this fanbase want to see different sides of her, which is totally okay.  The music kids she's picked up along the way are going to technically appraise her work as a musician first. The  more general fanbase might just be looking for digestible entertainment that demands your attention. The fans who live for the constant reinvention might get frustrated when she takes time to look back and draws inspiration from the earliest days of her career.

I've been reading this website through my entire youth, much longer than this account has been around. With the exception of some extra deluded holdouts who honestly can't stand modern Gaga and stay on here because their real lives are boring/sad and they've grown to rely on our community or some trolls, we ALL love Gaga in our own way. Saying that an outfit wasn't doing it for us or that a song didn't meet our expectations or that a performance wasn't up to her standard isn't the same as hating on her. It comes from a place of absolute love for the Gaga we've come to know. Something I've noticed is that some of you want to pretend that kind of criticism is coming from a place of not being a "real fan".  The people who use this kind of logic tend to be the actual fake fans from my experience. They care more about Gaga's place in their life than whatever it is she's actually doing, and will even lie to themselves and others about what's going on. For example, when one of her albums underperformed, the forum was ruled by a mob of little monsters pretending it was a runaway success while they listened to their ratchet pirated copies. I've also noticed specific members here with that kind of attitude spread illegal leaks during multiple album release cycles or even brag about how they don't attend her concerts and blame it on GAGA that they're not willing to cough up the money the rest of us are.   It's the pop culture equivalent of a fake friend who feeds you equally fake compliments.

WOW that was a novel and a half

TL;DR: Most the people criticizing Gaga on here love her work and just want more of what makes it special to them, and that's ok, as long as they're not crossing any lines.

[BOMSHELL 2,708]

Burn the dissident!

[Nino 12]

1 minute ago, BOMSHELL said:

Burn the dissident!

If it was only that easy to get rid of me.

[Erich Johnson 2,920]

[Monster7 5,697]

You couldn't say it any better than this

We can criticize constructively and be respectful. And most here are that way

But yes I'm a bit tired of this minority which spreads hate in the fan base every two days. If you don't enjoy Gaga's choices and path, just don't ruin it for us

[SEXODUS 5,927]

Thank you for this.

Just because you’re criticising an artist, doesn’t mean you hate said artist or that you’ve stopped being a fan of them.

It’s okay to speak your voice if something doesn’t satisfy you or meet your expectations.

Here’s something GGD should grow up on some of these days.

[Linus Gaga 8,201]

Some people think a true fan SHOULD support everything their idol do.

However, imo a really true fan would think and consider before they show their support. And  at some point they would express their opinion even is negative. This is a forum, supposed to discuss and express our own mind here, but for sure we should never force someone to accept your opinion, it just like  a casual discussion but respect and listen to each other. Some of us may not like her costume, makeup or songs, but at the end of the day, we still love gaga as a person. Those costumes and makeup is just an outer layer, her inner soul is what we stan

[REALITY 76,588]

I think the problem is a lot of the time it's not really "criticism" that people engage in when they talk about something they disliked that Gaga did. I agree with you in the sense that it is okay to critcize Gaga's work, after all, that's just called having an opinion, but a lot of the time that's not what people do here. 

"Criticism" usually implies that whoever is critcizing that person offers at least something better than the product that was delivered; however, a lot of the time people here just go "what is this mess???" or something like that. 

I also think that it's kind of dangerous to keep looking at Gaga's work through one particular era/time in her career. Sure, it's absolutely your right to do that, and as a fan I can completely understanding wanting to have music, performances, and visuals similar to a particular era, but that's just not who Gaga is. Gaga is a forever evolving and changing artist and for someone to constantly look through the lens of "Oh, but it doesn't match this era" is unhealthy for a fan. If you think one particular era is her best era, and you can't let go of the fact that she probably won't do anything to "top" that era in your eyes, then you need to re-evaluate yourself as a Gaga fan. 

[Nino 12]

4 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

I think the problem is a lot of the time it's not really "criticism" that people engage in when they talk about something they disliked that Gaga did. I agree with you in the sense that it is okay to critcize Gaga's work, after all, that's just called having an opinion, but a lot of the time that's not what people do here. 

"Criticism" usually implies that whoever is critcizing that person offers at least something better than the product that was delivered; however, a lot of the time people here just go "what is this mess???" or something like that. 

I also think that it's kind of dangerous to keep looking at Gaga's work through one particular era/time in her career. Sure, it's absolutely your right to do that, and as a fan I can completely understanding wanting to have music, performances, and visuals similar to a particular era, but that's just not who Gaga is. Gaga is a forever evolving and changing artist and for someone to constantly look through the lens of "Oh, but it doesn't match this era" is unhealthy for a fan. If you think one particular era is her best era, and you can't let go of the fact that she probably won't do anything to "top" that era in your eyes, then you need to re-evaluate yourself as a Gaga fan. 

I agree and disagree. I think people who are still clinging on to dead versions of Gaga that she's put to rest need to move on, however I think it's totally okay for somebody who stans Gaga the rock star lady to come into a thread about a song like Why Did You Do That and just say they don't like it and why, because it just makes sense they wouldn't, and they just want to express their feelings.  When it crosses the line imo is when it's all a person does. 

[Magui 2,628]

I think it's completely ok to criticize Gaga, i read criticism here regarding her, her team, her choices, etc everyday. At the end of the day i just separate what i think it's valid constructive criticism from the rest and make my own opinions. 

[nodandsmile 10,592]

This is probably one of the best post I've read here.

1- No you don't have to like everything she does and most of us won't since she changes all the time.

2- If you don't like what she's doing, you have the right to say it but there's a way of doing it. You look at the situation, you criticize it in a constructive way without sounding rude or like a hater. It is possible to disagree respectfully if we are willing to!

[ChromaticPrincess 1,346]

I really love this post.  Some people on this website act as if people are attaking Gaga, just by criticising her/her team. Saying Gaga's plastic doesn't look great on her or it's too much is not attaking her. Saying she looks ugly with it and that they hate how she uses it or something like that is. But at least from what I've seen, most normal sane users on this site (which is like 80% if this site contrary to "popular" belief) don't say things like that. 

And then there's the whole debacle on her team. While calling her team "incompetent" may be crossing the line a little, it's not too far fetched to say that. People on this site critisize her team because sometimes, well they haveb't made good choices. Not realeasing anything after the Oscars was, well a bit dumb, seeing as they could've rided on her hype. Now whetehr or not they actually had something planned for then or if she barely started working on the album, is an arguement for another time, because, at least in my perspective, there's evidence to both sides. The point is, simply critisizing her team, isn't attacking them.

I really really hate using this term but it sorta applies to the situation, sometimes these fans can be snowflakes. I get it, a lot of users on this site can be vile and have in the past done and said hoprrible things about Gaga, which is why she stays away from us now, so these users always rush to defend her and her team. And thats totally fair. Whats not fair is accusing (and quite frankly sometimes trashing) users who critisize her outfits or her teams choices, as attacking them, and then, procede to do the exact thing they just accused the other users of doing. They attack them. There are things and opinions that I have of Gaga, that I would never ever even dream about posting here because of the sheer hatred and backlash I'd get. If i made a thread right now saying how I think that Joanne at times comes off as inauthentiuc because she was trying to market herself as more GP friendly and less provocative all so that she could get an Oscar for ASIB, you know damn well that people would drag me to hell and back, saying that I'm stupid and delusional for even thinking about the slightest possibilty that even 1% of Joanne wasn't completely authentic, and that I don't get her, and that I'm stupid and delusional (there'd be at least 3 post calling me those insults) , and that I am one of those deluded and mentally unstable LM's still living in 2010 who doesn't have a life and who hates modern Gaga, or to do my homework, because anyone who critisizes Gaga is immediately 15 years old, and 15 year olds are idiots and GGD hates them,  because they're stupid and every single one of them only live for bops, and can't appreciate Gaga for who she is.  Okay so I defintely overexaggerated there but the amount of hate I would get is real, and there would definitely be people who would actually attack me. 

Basically what I'm trying to say is, and I've said this in another thread before, (and the people there either ignored me or said they didn't give a **** and would continue to do what they were doing) is why do us as little monsters constantly feel the need to have to drag eachother down. The woman who we love has been constantly preaching and spreading awareness for online kindness, and just general positivity, and this site is full of negativity. If you were a true Gaga apologist (the ones who always defend every little thing she does), then instead of attacking people and calling them names (which btw counts as bullying, something that totally goes against what Gaga stands for), they would either ignore what you consider negativity, or respectfully disagree with someone and explain to them how they may be unintentionally attacking her. 

Anyway, that was a lot but thanks to the OP for writing this, I really apreciate things like this 

 

[BOMSHELL 2,708]

4 minutes ago, SimplyTheBest said:

This is probably one of the best post I've read here.

1- No you don't have to like everything she does and most of us won't since she changes all the time.

2- If you don't like what she's doing, you have the right to say it but there's a way of doing it. You look at the situation, you criticize it in a constructive way without sounding rude or like a hater. It is possible to disagree respectfully if we are willing to!

Help me alleviate my feet fungus

 

[Nino 12]

7 minutes ago, BOMSHELL said:

Help me alleviate my feet fungus

 

Notice how you were sarcastic and off topic TWICE in one page of a serious thread 

[SEXODUS 5,927]

40 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

"Criticism" usually implies that whoever is critcizing that person offers at least something better than the product that was delivered; however, a lot of the time people here just go "what is this mess???" or something like that. 

I also think that it's kind of dangerous to keep looking at Gaga's work through one particular era/time in her career. Sure, it's absolutely your right to do that, and as a fan I can completely understanding wanting to have music, performances, and visuals similar to a particular era, but that's just not who Gaga is. Gaga is a forever evolving and changing artist and for someone to constantly look through the lens of "Oh, but it doesn't match this era" is unhealthy for a fan. If you think one particular era is her best era, and you can't let go of the fact that she probably won't do anything to "top" that era in your eyes, then you need to re-evaluate yourself as a Gaga fan. 

Through your own words though, a fan reacting like "what is this mess?" to an artist's product already implies that there is a past product of that artist that envisions what a quality product (which we should all agree to be pretty subjective) should be like for that said person. That is per se a criticism: referring to a past product, with all it's strengths and qualities, and saying that they're lost on said new product that they're now criticising. I'm pretty sure all of the people that criticize on something have a "gut" feeling on what's wrong about the new product, but most of the time it's just too difficult to put into words, so it goes without saying... but I assure you the critic is there everytime. Of course, then, it's also completely normal for people who appreciate that newer product to not understand on what grounds that person is basing their criticism on, and instead of trying to have an healthy conversation about it, insults are an easier way to deal with all this.

As for the whole tendecy of some fans to remain "stuck" on specific eras of an artist, I really think it's something they (I might say we even) have a right to do. As a fan, I might shed tears on an album, grow up with the message that's delivered, find joy and awe in a performance or particular aspects of that era, and it's perfectly fine for me to want to have a similar experience again and to be disappointed if, instead, what I get is something I'm not naturally drawn in. That could be because of the message of that era, the looks of that era, the sound of that era, the place one's in their life during that era. It doesn't take anything out of you being a fan of that artist.

Once again, through your own words, it's because Gaga is such a versatile artist that there's more than a chance for her to temporarily evolve into something that doesn't meet everyone's tastes or expectations. And you can't blame this on fans not liking change or accepting that she can "grow" as an artist, because she has been evolving since day one. She evolved from Fame to The Fame Monster, from TFM to BTW, from BTW to ARTPOP, from ARTPOP to C2C and ASIB. I wasn't here for Joanne, but I'm here for ASIB and all of her previous work. It's not that I don't accept her fully as an artist, I just don't accept certain aspects of her or what she's done. 

We just have to accept that things are not that simple and we, as people, aren't either.