In Section A for group media analysis presentations yesterday one group talked about Lady Gaga. I found it really interesting because I always pictured Lady Gaga as someone who was pushing boundaries (and she is) but I didn't really realize that the reason she can do this without getting harassed for it is because she is white, skinny, sexy, blond, well-educated, and most of all, famous. Obviously she gets a lot of media attention for "pushing boundaries," but she is never really seen in a negative way. I think the group presenting this media analysis did a good job at not just talking about how sexual Lady Gaga is, but focusing on how she sort of contradicts herself. She likes to confuse and shock people by switching gender roles (in the video for Alejandro she is seen imitating anal sex with a man, but she plays the "dominant" role). However, in many other media examples she promotes herself as a sexy woman, depicted in the same ways we saw other women in the media in Codes of Gender--touching her body, acting shy, and off balance.
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