Themes of religion and sexuality, and gender issues in Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” Music Video

Laura I. Conty NievesINGL 4057-0U1

Communication and SexualityProf. Zenaida Sanjurjo

Final Presentation

“Born this Way” VideoLyrics: “You were born this way/There’s nothing wrong in loving who you are because he made you perfect/I’m beautiful in my way because God makes no mistakes/I am on the right track baby I was born this way/Don’t hide yourself in regret/there ain’t no other way I was born this way/Don’t be a drag just be a queen/In the religion of the insecure/A different lover is not a sin believe capital HIM/no matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender, bi, you were born to survive.»

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV1FrqwZyKw&ob=av2n

Message

» In the music video, Lady Gaga verbalized a message before the song actually began: “ And thus began the beginning of the new race, a race within the race of humanity, a race which bears no prejudice no judgment but boundless freedom.”

Essentialism

» Lady Gaga’s video is an example of essentialist theory. Weeks argues that “biological determinism insists on the fixity of our sexualities.” This is evident in Lady Gaga’s title of the song “Born this way.”

Religion and Sexuality in “Born this Way”» Religion’s discourse on sexuality, and the sexual act itself

revolves around chastity and abstinence. We are told what behaviors not to engage in, and the devastating consequences for those who are “promiscuous, adulterers, homosexuals,” etc.

» Lady Gaga makes reference to HIM, which I interpret as being God, also a three letter word. She sings “You are beautiful in your way because God makes no mistakes. We have seen in the media, in newspapers and on television how religions advocate that the possibility of converting to being a heterosexual exists. There is even a verse in the bible that says adulterant fornicators and homosexuals will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Being heterosexuality the norm, we do not question the evident injustices and prejudices. We judge others and their lifestyle.

» Lady Gaga also sings “In the religion of the insecure a different lover is not a sin believe capital HIM. No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender, bi, you were born to survive.”

» Lady Gaga is taking a stand for equality and advocating for gay rights.

» An interesting element is that the very being that is commonly used in the arguments against gay rights is the one Lady Gaga is using (HIM-GOD) to communicate that God made you who you are and what you are. That sexual preference should not matter, that you should love yourself as you are.

“Don’t be a drag, just be a queen”

» These powerful words Lady Gaga sings have the potential of making you re-think the label drag queen. Drag queens refer to themselves as drag queens, as do non-drag queen persons. It does not seem to carry the negative or detrimental connotation of words such as “dyke” or “fag.”

» Smith & Windes argue “The extent to which particular appeals are produced, emphasized and connected to specific policy issues, varies significantly, depending upon which advocacy is directed, the institutional setting in which discussion occurs, the ideological position…”

» I would like to take this idea and relate it to Lady Gaga’s role in popular media such as the Music Industry. She is a controversial but recognized and famous pop star. As a public figure she has delivered through her songs pro-gay messages as she self identifies as bi-sexual. She has made the issue personal, because she lives it as a person and also an artist. She is an American performer who travels throughout the world and uses her voice as a weapon to fight injustices the homosexual population suffer.

“Born this way” Video

» This particular video and form of media interested me because it is accessible on the web and television. In addition, millions of people have viewed it on youtube.com.

» In her videos you can observe she has backup dancers of all races, sexual orientations, and gender. This conveys a message in itself. Often, music videos do not really make sense with the lyrics, but in “Born this Way” the message is evident via her dancers’ gestures and moves that make up the dance performance. What is feminine, what is masculine? In the dances, elements of social construction can be seen. The walk, the jumps, the hands, the arm movements, the interactions with the other dancers.

“The Violence of Heteronormativity”-Yep

» “A communicate ethic asserts that sex acts are given moral meaning by their communication context. In other words, the ethic shifts moral judgments about the character of sexual desires and acts to the qualities of the social exchange and communication encounter, such as the mutual consent, responsibility, consent, respect and reciprocity.”

» The power of language goes to show that if could change the way we refer to people(labels), we could reduce prejudice and hate. Why do some people find the word homosexual more detrimental and prefer the label gay? This is due to the connotation and the implications words carry with them.

Gross argues that “we’re all born into families that expect, and enforce adherence to the heteronormative values of our society.” This is why Lady Gaga’s “I’m on the right track, I was born to survive,.” is a message not only of empowerment to the gay community, but a strong message towards the anti-gay community that the fight for equality will continue.

» Lady Gaga is a controversial artist, especially among the religious community. She can be in a music video or attending an awards show and there will always be something she does to call attention and make her stand out in a way that everyone knows her name. The media loves her and also criticizes her. The public loves her, which is why she has received various music awards such as Grammys and MTV movie awards. Lady Gaga is an advocate for the LGBT community. She has made speeches at pro-gay rights events.