Perspective: Five Ways in which “Bad Romance” is Good Feminism.

Lady Gaga is, above all else, an artist. After all, art is interpretive, representative of specific cultural contexts, and idiosyncratically constructed (at least, from my perspective – another aspect of the way in which art operates).


And because Lady Gaga, an enigmatic, fashionably conscious, and considerably intimidating performer of the most sexualized, individualized, and glamorized power known to the world of pop culture, it is no surprise that her recent video for “Bad Romance” (the first single  off her widely anticipated album of only eight new songs, The Fame Monster), was dramatically unique.

However, what I found most interesting in Gaga’s video – perhaps a conclusion inspired by my recent studies in the field of socially constructed and influenced genders, sexes, and desires – was the frequent incorporation of feminist-related concepts used to tell a compelling narrative in which females are submissive unless able to destroy the dominance of men.

As an advocate for gender equality and self-declared feminist, I rather enjoyed this potential foundation for her theatrical display of music. Here are the five ways from which I determined Lady Gaga’s own brand of feminist theory:

1.     The differentiation in colors and clothing. Throughout the video, Lady Gaga’s wardrobe – ranging from practically nothing to a full piece body suite that leaves almost everything to the imagination – provides insight to feminine traits. At the beginning, when she is the most submissive toward males (performing for them, blind to the world) she wears white, a symbolic color of weddings, marriages, and the ultimate form of historical female subservience: the adjoining of man and property. When discussing her desires or avoiding such matters, she wears black, red, or sexualized outfits that do not hide her, blind her, or color her married. 
   
2.    The narrative itself. One could argue that women (and men) are often born with this lack of true vision - an ability to see what they are really being set up to achieve (for females, typically male pleasure), as illustrated through the emergence of the blinded, white-covered women in the beginning. Then, Lady Gaga is kidnapped by two females, both of whom are wearing fairly but less so than previously conservative, white clothing, to perform for a group of highly masculinized, often shirtless men. She appears weary at first, but is forced into the performance, for which she submits to male pleasure and attempts to arouse them. 
   
3.  The song is called “Bad Romance.” Lady Gaga repeats her desires, which often contradict on an astronomical level: she needs his ugly and disease, his fire; she needs all that is bad and good from him, yet this contributes the fact that any the relationship is a “bad romance.” This could be interpreted as the pervasive types of relationships infecting mostly heterosexuals today – one in which males dominate and females accept all that is male, or forgivable, accepting a bad romance, without which, they would not be able to survive in the patriarchal society controlling relationships globally. 
4. The death scene. Lady Gaga kills the man with fire that spurts from her breasts – a symbolic representation of femininity and women. Breasts are used to make women attractive in many societies, represent one of the key difference in reproductive capacities that separate women from men, and in general, are the most desired, socially encouraged physical manifestation of chauvinistic lust. It makes sense that this ultimate metaphor for the treatment of women transforms into a weapon against the masculine regime.
5.    “I’m a free bitch, baby” This line, often repeated explicitly and subtly throughout the song, is another way to comprehend feminist-based ideas. Bitch is one of the most common terms for a woman who fails to succumb to “weak” feminine behavior and carries herself in a masculine manner.  By saying she’s a free bitch, which is originally muffled in the beginning and directly loud and clear later, allows Lady Gaga to access the language and empower herself. She is free from the world of patriarchy - she is different, eventually resistant to oppressive powers. 

In essence, am I overanalyzing and giving Lady Gaga too much credit for which Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Andrea Dworkin would have my head? Possibly. But I see real potential here for a critique on masculinity, patriarchal society, and the absence of a feminist voice. And whether or not you believe I've reached my capacity for over-the-top-and-beyond thoughts, at least remember this:

Songs, no matter how dense, ridiculous, brilliant, or old, should never be taken only at face-value. Music, whether solely an extension of capitalism or locally charged entertainment, is an important element of culture and should always be explored, debated, and interpreted.