1. A feminist identity consists of wanting equal social, political, and economic rights for all women.
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Core feminist beliefs do not include the inherent hatred of men. Contrary to popular belief, males can identify as feminists as well. In his essay "Other Men," John Stoltenberg reflects on his feelings of masculine inadequacy and subsequent isolation, due to his association with the radical feminist movement. For Stoltenberg, feminism allowed him to understand the need for a “gender-just future,” where assisting in the liberation of woman kind would assist in the deliverance of men from stifling assumptions about how masculinity should be experienced (167). Under a patriarchal system, a brotherhood is rampant that embraces men “on account of their being men” that completely ignores the interests and autonomy of women. Stoltenberg calls more men to cast aside what they know about feminism, and most importantly to shed the illusion of “masculine complacency.” Despite her anger at the double standards found in pop music’s representation of women, Lady Gaga outright denounces being a feminist in the interview above. Perhaps at that moment in time Gaga misunderstood that feminism does not necessarily require man hate, and works to defend all women, even the “strong women that speak their minds” that she so admires. For true feminism to succeed, males and individuals of all identities must be included.
Stoltenberg, John. "Other Men"
http://www.xyonline.net/sites/default/files/Stoltenberg,%20Refusing%20to%20Be%20a%20Man.pdf
2. Feminine does not equal non-feminist!
Janet Wesselius deconstructs the eternal conflict of the feminist movement in "Gender Identity Without Gender Prescriptions." In order to rally behind a common cause and incite sociopolitical change, feminists must buy into the essentialist idea that a singular gender identity (denoted as “woman”) exists. In other words, this would mean certain “fixed characteristics… and given attributes” are found in all women. This concept is problematic and contradictory because feminism ultimately seeks to redefine gender politics and existing identities. More importantly, this concept of the “universal woman” excludes women that do not fit these ideals and experience femininity differently. It may be better to unite women in a sisterhood of experiencing “otherness,” due to their place in the patriarchy. Gaga’s track ScheiBe is a rage fueled electropop manifesto, almost written as a realization of her feminist beliefs. She states “love is objectified/by what men say is right” and calls her fellow women to “express your womankind/fight for your right.” Like Wesselius suggests, Gaga observes that all women share a frustration in not seeing themselves and their interests fully actualized. The line “blonde high-heeled feminists/enlisting femmes for this” is a direct reference to herself and other women that may experience femininity traditionally, and asserts that these aspects of the self don’t need to be abandoned in the pursuit of liberation.
Wesselius, Janet. “Gender Identity without Gender Prescriptions: Dealing with Essentialism and Constructionism in Feminist Politics.”
3. Notions of femininity are heavily constructed and are allowed to be monstrous.
4. The feminine is also allowed to fight back.
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In the Bad Romance music video, Gaga is forcibly taken and sold into what is insinuated as sexual slavery. She is placed on display in front of a male audience and is decorated in various jeweled outfits to acquire the highest bidder. Towards the video’s end we see the man who has purchased her in ashes, while Gaga lays next to him with a pyrotechnic bra. Gaga uses her feminine wiles to free herself from male constraints, one that in antiquity used “women as a medium of exchange” and still commodifies the female body. In the second chapter of The Freudian Mystique, titled "Magic, the Fear of Women and the Patriarchy," Samuel Slipp identifies the origins of the patriarchy, and the male fear of untapped female power. As aforementioned, the association of the female with the destructive and creative powers of nature is what largely caused the fear of women and their sexuality. Slipp describes early goddess cultures, where women were simultaneously controlled and feared for their magical capabilities and denied access to social power. In their eyes, to sublimate women was to guarantee social stability. Gaga’s use of femme fatale imagery is an update of these notions, where femininity can ultimate defend itself if need be.
Slipp, Samuel. "Magic, the Fear of Women and the Patriarchy." 1993
5. Gender is performative, AKA something you can "put on" and exaggerate.
6. "Real men" don't exist.
In a 2011 VMA performance Gaga unveiled her alter-ego Jo Calderone, her supposed ex-boyfriend, to the confusion of many. Sporting a greaser getup reminiscent of the muscle car culture she loves, she gave a monologue that in classic meta fashion identified the performative nature of what she was doing. By stating “I’m one of the guys” and “I’m not real, just theatre,” Calderone showed viewers that masculinity can be worn and is what is perceived as expected at any point in time. Christopher Kilmartin’s "The Masculine Self" states that masculinity is a set of roles and behaviors that men are expected to perform. These norms cause a conflict within the self when one fails to add up to societal expectations, but exist to categorize human beings. Kilmartin observes that the outward behavior a person projects isn’t always indicative of their inner reality. This makes it possible for Gaga to temporarily take up the mantle of masculinity, because gender roles are oversimplifications of how individuals actually operate.
Kilmartin, Christopher. "The Masculine Self." 2010.
https://ares.uflib.ufl.edu/ares/ares.dll?SessionID=L161637843I&Action=10&Type=10&Value=138094
7. The sexual double standard still exists.
Fed up with a barrage of public scrutiny over her changing appearance, gender, and personal relationships, Gaga wrote the track “Do What U Want.” The lyrics have a devil may care attitude, with a chorus that consists of “you can’t have my heart/but you won’t use my mind but/do what you want with my body.” The track can be interpreted as another feminist anthem, one that calls women to observe their bodies free from the male gaze and to pursue autonomy. In "The Sexual Double Standard and Adolescent Peer Acceptance," Kreager and Staff observe the persistence of a double standard that rewards males for their sexual behavior, but punishes the female body. The female body can never win under these confines, and individuals are labeled as “sluts” or “prudes,” both disempowering terms delegated by fellow peers. “Do What U Want” presents the idea that the only way to combat these standards is to ignore them altogether.
Kreager, Derek A. and Staff, Jeremy. "The Sexual Double Standard and Adolescent Peer Acceptance." 2009.
8. Does this double standard have religious origins?
9. Bisexuality is not a myth.
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“Poker Face” was originally written from the perspective of a person dealing with their bisexuality. The lyrics alternate between addressing a male and female lover, he can’t read my poker face/she’s got me like nobody. The speaker is with a male, but fantasizing about a female. A poker face consists of having a blank facial expression to preserve one’s true emotions. Gaga’s real life experiences as a bisexual have unsurprisingly been met with denial, causing her to speak publicly on the matter: “anyone that wants to twist this into 'she says she's bisexual for marketing,' this is a…lie. This is who I am and who I have always been." Alarie and Gaudet explain why similar accounts of bi-erasure occurs in “I Don't Know If She Is Bisexual or If She Just Wants to Get Attention.” According to their findings, bisexuality is treated as a myth, an impossible sexual identity that is utilized by individuals as a ploy for controversy and attention from others. Bisexuals are associated with ideas of promiscuity, as individuals who refuse to “pick a side,” or monosexual identity. Through “Poker Face” Gaga discusses the suppression of her bisexuality and placed the orientation in the realm of discussion.
Alarie, Milaine and Gaudet, Stéphanie. “I Don't Know If She Is Bisexual or If She Just Wants to Get Attention.” 2013.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15299716.2013.780004#.U-LURfldWbQ
10. Female liberation goes hand in hand with LGBTQ acceptance.
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Even as an openly bisexual woman, many were surprised when Lady Gaga decided to speak at the National Equality March in 2009. She directly addressed President Obama and promised to fight against inflammatory homophobic and misogyny behavior in the music industry. By pledging this, Gaga reinforces that notions of gender are heavily tied to how we perceive sexuality. For liberation to progress in society, true solidarity must be achieved. In "Transgender Liberation," Leslie Feinberg documents how the transgender movement has been perceived historically, and what steps can be taken to take the movement further. Feinberg states that solidarity entails understanding how and why oppression is rampant and who exactly benefits from it. This also means comprehending opposing points of view and individual experiences and applying intersectionality when possible. As Gaga suggests, feminism and LGBTQ liberation would benefit by working towards similar goals.
Feinberg, Leslie. "Transgender Liberation." 2006.
https://ares.uflib.ufl.edu/ares/ares.dll?SessionID=L161637843I&Action=10&Type=10&Value=138284
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