Cynical And Southern: Why Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” is a Colossal Failure
Baby, I was born this way. At least Lady Gaga thinks so. Admittedly I was up at six a.m. drawn in by the hype of what was supposedly going to be the “gay anthem for this generation”. Like many of my friends I was interested in hearing it as soon as it came out.
I had no idea what to expect but I was secretly hoping the song would suck. After the song “Speechless” from Gaga’s last album, part of me was expecting a grandiose epic only to be rivaled by Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” Or I thought perhaps we would have another “Bad Romance” with queer-friendly lyrics. I must confess that Gaga defied every single one of my expectations. The last thing I expected “Born This Way” to be was the GAY ole song that it is.
Love her or hate her the appeal of Gaga to the younger generation may be that she puts a trendy, hipper face to the queer movement. Whether you like Gaga’s songs or not you have to admit that they are a pretty far cry from Diana Ross, Donna Summer, or Liza Minnelli. Even when Gaga drew from Madonna it was more from artsy dark Madonna than Junior Vasquez remix Madonna. Immediately when “Born This Way” hit the airwaves a furor ran through my gay friend’s Facebook status about how much the song sucked and how disappointed they were.
Perhaps people were disappointed that when Gaga addressed “Gay” she dressed it up in a song that sounded pretty damn stereotypically gay. And not in the cool way. If ever there was a gay anthem 101 prototype it most certainly could be “Express Yourself (Shep Pettibone Single Mix)” meets Bronski Beat meets “Waterfalls” meets Donna Summer. The most insulting thing about “Born This Way” was the miscalculation Lady Gaga made in not realizing the “gay” that she’s presenting is exactly the gay we’re moving away from. It’s no wonder Elton John loved the song. He would. The world wanted a gay anthem that sounded like Lady Gaga, not Lady Gaga sounding like a stereotypical gay anthem.
As a gay songwriter that was actually “born this way” I reviewed my own output to see what song most described my take on being gay. Although it is not an anthem, my song “Do Me A Favor” from 2004 perfectly summed up my disillusionment and uncertainty with my own gay life. These were the lyrics:
Don’t treat me special ’cause I’m gay
Do me a favor
Don’t even notice
And if I’m holding hands with a guy
Do me a favor
Let us walk by
I fight with myself sometimes
Stupid faggots put your shirts on
Stupid idiot
How can I force you to like me?
Mr. XY spells boy with an “i”
He is spoon-fed
Generically flamboyant
Bad house – discoteque
Water bottle – tina head
I’m so frustrated
I fight with myself sometimes
Am I natural? Okay?
Since three I felt this way
I’m always sub-catagorized
I want a normal and simple life
So don’t treat me special cause I’m gay
Do me a favor – don’t even notice
Instead of ready-made sounding pseudo-gay anthems like “Born This Way” getting hyped I’d love to see more support for true queer artists expressing their own struggles. The song I wrote certainly would never burn up the charts. It was from an album I wrote in a week as a final project for a psychology class. As a gay man I am not comfortable with a rich, straight, white woman being my spokesperson and telling me what my anthem is going to be. I will write my own anthems. And my queer brothers and sisters will write my anthems too. In the words of one commenter I give “Born This Way” two paws down.
If anyone is interested in a free copy of the The Orange Songs, the CD containing my “Do Me A Favor” email me at deargloffy@gmail.com. It was a very personal acoustic album I made for myself and I have a lot of copies left. I’ll be happy to share them.
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My gay anthem is Cassidy’s “I’m A Hustler” or Jay-Z’s “Dirt off Your Shoulder” or Gang Starr’s “Work.”
I like most of her work, but “Born This Way” is simply not good. And I seriously wonder if she wrote it like this on purpose. Just to fuck with us.
The most popular song in the world right now is an explicitly pro-gay ass-shaker. It’s never happened before. It shocks me that people are finding ways to complain about this. Instead of complaining that someone who is avowedly in your corner – who is, whether you like it or not, doing more to garner mainstream tolerance, acceptance, and progressiveness than you could even hope to achieve in your lifetime – write about something that’s actually a problem.
Adam you said it for me. This site and its anti-GaGa posing is so lame. Bunch of little indie boys stomping their over-privledged feet.
Adam – I agree completely. Obviously lots of folks aren’t going to like the song and even I’ll admit that a few of the lyrics are problematic (Gaga’s use of the words ‘chola’ and ‘orient’). However it is pretty damned amazing that, as you noted, the most popular song in the country is a pro-LGBT anthem. I think we need to recognize that. And I give Gaga props for not forgetting about the T, which is more than I can say for a large part of our own community (ahem).
Oh and one more thing: Don’t identify for other people. It’s rude. Gaga has stated on multiple occasions that she is bi, not straight.
thats why the WHOLE GAY COMMUNITY needs to get behind this new up and coming artist REINA WILLIAMS. She is the epitome of what we are moving INTO. not AWAY FROM. her music is fresh, different and just plain great. she touches on social issues, and openly talks about her sexuality and appreciation of women without being trashy, stereotypical or “offensive”. and her diversity is un-mached by any artist you have heard. besides the fact that she is so friggin sexy. :)
Support Reina Williams!!!
reinawilliams.com
Well, if Gaga has taught you anything, it’s the power of self-promotion. Only, she has never once had to tear someone else down in doing so.
All of this reminds me of being in middle school and high school and how every clique thought their style of dress, taste in music, and general life choices were superior to others. It’s petty, it’s shameless, and it’s divisive. First, she’s not bisexual enough, then she’s not gay enough, then she’s too gay. What’s the worst is that it’s over someone who is trying, in her own way, to be unifying.
I must agree with Wes. Gaga might be Queen of Self-Promotion, but isn’t that what Gloff is too? Every chance he gets, his attempts to promote a non-existent music career falters with seeping acrimony. Fine – self-promotion is never a negative, especially in this era of instant fame. But it IS a monumental conflict of interest if you’re a struggling ‘artiste’ yourself whose bitterness results in the incessant bashing of actual successful, and infinitely more talented, artists than yourself, e.g. his Gaga, Pink or various other diatribes (and, lest I be accused of being a “little monster”- I’m not a Gaga-lover or hater. I simply don’t care for her music). Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinions (hell, I got mine!) but unless you’re an amazing songwriter and singer (my opinion, of course, but Gloff fails on both counts), one shouldn’t easily incur such a wrath on anyone else (another disclosure – I’ve listened to many tracks of Gloff’s over the years, many from his YouTube page).
If this article merely stated his opinion about “Born This Way”, fine. But by adding the addendum with his own terrible “Do Me A Favour” (school project or not), it negates his “Born This Way-as-colossal-failure” opine, and smacks of insidious self-aggrandizement. Better he make a point by quoting something actually worth listening to by his mentioned “queer brothers and sisters.”
My music and my essay writing are very intertwined — it all stems from my thoughts and feelings. Multi media.
In the age of blatant self promotion it would definitely be frowned upon to include one’s own work in a post. But I’m unapologetic. If Lady Gaga can sing about being gay and I’m writing a piece questioning her motivations I’m comfortable including in this post my own music take on being gay.
Do I want to share my musical thought on the same topic, as long as we’re on the topic? Of course. Do I want to make any money or have a Jeremy Gloff lunch box made? Fuck no. I make my money serving fried chicken. I just sing and write songs because I love to.
When people say mean things of course it gets to me. But what bothers me most is when people get my motivations wrong. Lady Gaga can have the fame. Im totally cool with a small handful of people who are into what I’m doing.
And I will continue to share what I’m doing, music and text being mixed.
And for the record, being a homosexual myself, I’m not even certain that I was BORN this way.
“Baby, I was born this way. At least Lady Gaga thinks so.”
“As a gay songwriter that was actually “born this way” I reviewed my own output to see what song most described my take on being gay.”
“I’m not even certain that I was BORN this way.”
Honestly, do you even proofread this stuff?
First of all, I find it disconcerting that you were “secretly hoping the song would suck.” What is the point in hoping someone else will fail? Also, can’t people just not like this song without referring to it as “a colossal failure.” So, it’s not many people’s favorite, but why be so quick to rip so hard on a woman who has done more for gay rights in the mainstream than most people with her platform are doing? l feel bad that so many of her fans, whom she works so hard to please and give voice to, are acting like total assholes just because they feel like a single song is too gay or just not as perfect as they wanted it to be.
so we all agree that the song sucks, right?
Wrong.
I think James St. James nailed it when he explained why this song is incredibly disappointing:
http://worldofwonder.net/2011/01/28/Gag/
If anyone should understand both the culture of over-the-top self promotion and gay parties, it’s Mr. St. James.
Topher,
Bad example. It seems you’ve misunderstood that article. It was a reaction to the pre-release hype, most specifically on it being declared a ‘gay anthem’ before it was released– that article is not a comment on the song itself, in fact, while not gushing, he was rather more positive than that about the song after its’ actual release.
He also refers to ‘Bad Romance’ as a ‘gay anthem’ in the article you link, which made me do a double take. I like Bad Romance, but I wouldn’t say it is a gay anthem– it’s just *way* too soon to say yet.
Anyway, I certainly agree that it is a big no-no declaring something a ‘gay anthem’ before it is even released, or intentionally trying to write a ‘gay anthem’. Though, I think her heart is in the right place, and like it or not– she’s rather indisputably doing more for the LGBT community than anyone else in the music business, right now.
Nothing is more cliche these days than the self-consciously hip, blindly contrarian anti-Gaga bleating. It really is tiresome.
so many queen moaning how much they hated born this way and yet it went straight to number 1
thats not what id call a fail by any stretch of the imagination
pop music like art or anything for that matter is subjective
for every homo that hates it i can find 10 that love it
Gaga has stated on multiple occasions that she is bisexual. You have no business saying that she isn’t a part of the GLBT community.
This article is a trainwreck for a number of other reasons, but that’s the biggest one for me.
That song was.. horrible. The one that you wrote. I would never buy that. It is DEFINITELY NOT A GAY ANTHEM because it only addresses those who are in the closet.
Like her or hate her, everyone will agree Gaga has done more for the LGBT community than you have.
And that is why this article is a Colossal Failure.
I’d like to publicly state that I too just decided I am bisexual. Ok I just said it so it must be true.
Jeremy, do you have any idea how offensive that is? You are trivializing the experiences of so many people in the queer community who regularly have their identities and place within our community questioned. Who are you to decide someone else’s sexuality?!? No one ever has to prove themselves to be queer.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Hype really hurt this song. Hearing it with fewer expectations could have made a difference.
Comparisons to the kickass “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” are bound to doom it. (& I prefer the orginal mix of Express Yourself to that cheesy gym workout-sounding remix). The exhilarating thing about Express Yourself is its exhortation to action.
Whereas “Born This Way” seems like the perfect forgettable anthem for an instant-gratification generation. It’s lazy & defensive. “Well, I was born this way, so there.”It’s not about doing, or earning any self-respect — more like a self-help affirmation. Very spoon-fed.
I can’t stand the song, musically or conceptualy. Other criticisms about your article aside, I agree with the main point. Flaunting one’s body and specific personal view of sexuality in a desperate cry for attention… nobody was born that way.
Wow, New Gay. Publishing somebody who bemoans how mainstream gay culture marginalizes his underprivileged hipsterity while he simultaneously marginalizes a whole community of queer people is very decidedly old gay.
A straight guy here. I agree with the writer that Born This Way is horrible. I successfully avoided any leaked mp3s of it until the official video came out on YouTube & there I was thinking.. “WTF is this crap?” I was hoping for something of a “Bad Romance” caliber but instead received this abomination. Gay tunes for me would be Kylie’s Fever era/ Scissor Sisters / Little Boots material.
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