Body Vandalism: Lady Gaga, Disability, and Popular Culture
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Keywords
disability, Lady Gaga, aesthetics
Abstract
This essay investigates the employment of disability by the pop star Lady Gaga. Working through different illustrations of disability in her videos it is argued that Lady Gaga ushers in a new aesthetic and political platform on which disability can be redefined. In particular, the author argues that Lady Gaga unconsciously performs within the space of what Siebers has named a disability aesthetic in which the different bodies reformulate the expectations and desires of the art object. The context of popular culture is explained as a necessary component of this reframing.
References
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Bauer, N. (2010, June 20). Lady Power. The New York Times: Opinionator. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/lady-power/
Cavaluzzo, A. (2011, August 22). Part of Yüyi’s World. Gaga stigmata. Retrieved June 1, 2013 from http://gagajournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/part-of-yuyis-world.html
Fiske, J. (1989). Understanding Popular Culture. Oxford: Routledge
Fogel, C. and Quinlan, A (2011). Lady Gaga and feminism: A Critical Debate. Cross-Cultural Communication, 7, 3, 184-188.
Gaga Mirror Stage: Part 1 of 3 (2011, May 11). Gagability: Lady Gaga and disability. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://gagability.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/gagas-mirror-stage-part-1/
Germanotta, S. (2004, November 1). A Paper Lady Gaga Wrote in U-Grad. Brutish & Short. Retrieved April 30, 2013 from http://brutishandshort.com/a-paper-lady-gaga-wrote-in-u-grad/
Grossberg, J. (2011, July 14). Lady Gaga's Disabled Mermaid Wheelchair Bit Sparks
Controversy...and Egg Attack? E! Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.eonline.com/news/252298/lady-gaga-s-disabled-mermaid-wheelchair-bit-sparks-controversy-and-egg-attack
Hall, S. (1981). Notes on Deconstructing “The Popular”. People’s History and Socialist Theory. London: Rutledge.2
Halberstam, J. J. (2012). Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender, and the End of Normal. Boston: Beacon Press.
Heartney, E. (2004). Postmodern Heretics: The Catholic Imagination in Contemporary Art. New York: Midmarch Arts Press.
Kristeva, J. (1982). Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Trans. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lady Gaga Rolls Out In Wheelchair For Sydney Performance, Gets Egged (2011, September
12). Huffington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/lady-gaga-wheelchair-egged-sydney-concert_n_897200.html
Paglia, C. (2010, September 12). Lady Gaga and the death of sex. The Sunday Times. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/magazine/article389697.ece
Siebers, T. (2010). Disability Aesthetics. Lansing: The University of Michigan Press.
The Transcontinental Disability Choir: Disabililty Chic? (Temporary) Disability in Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" (2009, November 20). bitchmedia. Retrieved April 30, 2013 from http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-disabililty-chic-temporary-disability-in-lady-gagas-papar
Wendell, S. (1989). Feminism and Disability Theory. Hypatia 4, 2, 104-124.
Williams, N. (2010, March 11). Is Lady Gaga a Feminist or Isn’t She? Ms. Blog. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/03/11/is-lady-gaga-a-feminist-or-isnt-she/
Bauer, N. (2010, June 20). Lady Power. The New York Times: Opinionator. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/lady-power/
Cavaluzzo, A. (2011, August 22). Part of Yüyi’s World. Gaga stigmata. Retrieved June 1, 2013 from http://gagajournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/part-of-yuyis-world.html
Fiske, J. (1989). Understanding Popular Culture. Oxford: Routledge
Fogel, C. and Quinlan, A (2011). Lady Gaga and feminism: A Critical Debate. Cross-Cultural Communication, 7, 3, 184-188.
Gaga Mirror Stage: Part 1 of 3 (2011, May 11). Gagability: Lady Gaga and disability. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://gagability.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/gagas-mirror-stage-part-1/
Germanotta, S. (2004, November 1). A Paper Lady Gaga Wrote in U-Grad. Brutish & Short. Retrieved April 30, 2013 from http://brutishandshort.com/a-paper-lady-gaga-wrote-in-u-grad/
Grossberg, J. (2011, July 14). Lady Gaga's Disabled Mermaid Wheelchair Bit Sparks
Controversy...and Egg Attack? E! Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.eonline.com/news/252298/lady-gaga-s-disabled-mermaid-wheelchair-bit-sparks-controversy-and-egg-attack
Hall, S. (1981). Notes on Deconstructing “The Popular”. People’s History and Socialist Theory. London: Rutledge.2
Halberstam, J. J. (2012). Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender, and the End of Normal. Boston: Beacon Press.
Heartney, E. (2004). Postmodern Heretics: The Catholic Imagination in Contemporary Art. New York: Midmarch Arts Press.
Kristeva, J. (1982). Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection. Trans. Leon S. Roudiez. New York: Columbia University Press.
Lady Gaga Rolls Out In Wheelchair For Sydney Performance, Gets Egged (2011, September
12). Huffington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/lady-gaga-wheelchair-egged-sydney-concert_n_897200.html
Paglia, C. (2010, September 12). Lady Gaga and the death of sex. The Sunday Times. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/magazine/article389697.ece
Siebers, T. (2010). Disability Aesthetics. Lansing: The University of Michigan Press.
The Transcontinental Disability Choir: Disabililty Chic? (Temporary) Disability in Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" (2009, November 20). bitchmedia. Retrieved April 30, 2013 from http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-disabililty-chic-temporary-disability-in-lady-gagas-papar
Wendell, S. (1989). Feminism and Disability Theory. Hypatia 4, 2, 104-124.
Williams, N. (2010, March 11). Is Lady Gaga a Feminist or Isn’t She? Ms. Blog. Retrieved June 10, 2013 from http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/03/11/is-lady-gaga-a-feminist-or-isnt-she/
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Aug 18, 2014
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