Of Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has arrived in the Philippines and the controversy about her just became louder.

It’s already a given fact that her lyrics are not really of sweet nature. We already know that because we hear it everywhere. Her words are direct, candid, and maybe, a little careless. They may not be exactly the words you want your 10-year old kid to sing. If you ask me if I will allow my kid to see her concert, I’d probably say No. I will say no and explain my reasons as a parent. If my child is of her right age, I would hope she doesn't go but I would let her decide on her own.

See, I have a good understanding of why kids may not receive a song the way adults can because I was once a kid. As an adult, I look at songs as pieces of art. They tell stories. Stories of joy, life, pain, anger, death, suffering or peace; they are merely stories. The songs that I get to listen to don’t necessarily convey my beliefs or feelings; it’s like watching a movie and seeing that part where the protagonist loses his way and eventually finds the right path. You look at it objectively.  Of course there are songs to which I get attached deeply and that is where decision-making comes in. Which songs do I let in?

That’s where my fear comes in. If I had probably trained my child to think of songs this way, it’ll probably be easier for both my child and I to resolve the issue. Kids can be vulnerable. They, most of the time, learn like a sponge – absorb everything. This is the only reason why, if I had a kid, I’d probably not allow him to go to the said concert.  It is NOT because I think that Lady Gaga is a devil.

This is what I don’t like about these critics. They crucify Lady Gaga as if she is the cause of our youth's rebellion and twisted values while nobody complains about Whitney Houston’s Saving All My Love for You. Critics get attracted to visual explosives. Lady Gaga is loud in the way she dresses up so obviously she gets noticed. Just because a song sounds sweet doesn't mean it talks about good things. 

I am not a fan of Gaga. I will not attend her concert. I don’t listen to her songs either. But I will treat her just the same. If her songs speak of anger, betrayal and pain, then I will never invalidate these feelings which can also be the felt by a lot I personally know. I will not condemn her just because her standards are different from mine. She is, for crying out loud, a human being like me and you who has a family and a name. If her choices in life doesn't jive with ours, it doesn't make her less human. 

I'm not trying to be the devil's advocate here and I think I am very clear that I am not a fan. But my point here is - 

As you all condemn, accuse and judge Lady Gaga as a devil and a sinner, please bear in mind that self-righteousness is a also a sin of equal nature.