{"id":1449,"date":"2011-02-23T01:37:06","date_gmt":"2011-02-23T01:37:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/the-controversial-anthropology-of-lady-gaga.html"},"modified":"2011-02-23T01:37:06","modified_gmt":"2011-02-23T01:37:06","slug":"the-controversial-anthropology-of-lady-gaga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/the-controversial-anthropology-of-lady-gaga.html","title":{"rendered":"The Controversial Anthropology of Lady Gaga"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"lady-gaga-5.jpg\"<\/form>\n

Yes, rock star Lady Gaga has an anthropology. No, I don’t mean that she’s been digging around in the dirt, looking for remnants of ancient societies, or studying tribes in far away jungles. I’m not implying that Lady Gaga is an anthropologist, in these senses. Rather, I’m saying that she has an anthropology, that is, a philosophical\/theological understanding of what it means to be a human being. (The English word anthropology<\/i> comes from the Greek that means “an understanding of man.”) <\/p>\n

Of course Lady Gaga doesn’t write philosophical treatises. Rather, she writes and performs music, and with considerable success. Her most recent single, “Born This Way,” for example, is the fastest selling single in iTunes history<\/a>. Given the relative newness of iTunes, I would assume that this might make “Born This Way” the fastest selling single in history . . . period. Has any other single in human history sold more than a million copies in its first five days of release? <\/p>\n

“Born This Way” is not only popular, but also controversial. Sir Elton John has proclaimed it to be the new “gay anthem.”<\/a> He’s not just reading between the lines here. Consider this passage from the song:<\/p>\n

Whether you’re broke or evergreen
You’re black, white, beige, chola descent
You’re Lebanese, you’re orient
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
‘Cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life
I’m on the right track baby
I was born to survive<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As you can well imagine, lines like this don’t sit well with religious and\/or social conservatives.<\/p>\n

Beginning with today’s blog post, I want to examine the anthropology of Lady Gaga. (And, yes, give what I’ve been able to discover online, she did write the lyrics of “Born This Way.”) I want to think seriously about the claims she’s making about human nature. You’d be right to imagine that I’m not fully in agreement with her views. But you might be surprised to discover that I think she is not entirely out to lunch, either. <\/p>\n

Before I analyze the lyrics of “Born This Way,” I’ll print them here so you can think about them for yourself. (You don’t really need a transcript for this song, however, because Lady Gaga is unusually clear in her enunciation. You can actually understand what she’s singing when you listen to the song, the sound of which reminds me of disco tunes that once invited me to dance.)<\/p>\n

It doesn’t matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
‘Cause you were born this way, baby<\/p>\n

My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir
“There’s nothin wrong with lovin who you are”
She said, “’cause he made you perfect, babe”
“So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far,
Listen to me when I say”<\/p>\n

I’m beautiful in my way
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way
Don’t hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you’re set
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way<\/p>\n

Ooo there ain’t no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Ooo there ain’t no other way
Baby, I was born this way
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way<\/p>\n

Don’t be a drag – just be a queen
Don’t be a drag – just be a queen
Don’t be a drag – just be a queen
Don’t be!<\/p>\n

Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth
A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M (hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah [Italian for: My love needs faith, yeah! At least I think so.]<\/p>\n

Don’t be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you’re broke or evergreen
You’re black, white, beige, chola descent
You’re Lebanese, you’re orient
Whether life’s disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
‘Cause baby you were born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Lesbian, transgendered life
I’m on the right track baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made
I’m on the right track baby
I was born to be brave<\/p>\n

I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!<\/p>\n

I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tomorrow, I’ll do some thinking about the anthropology of this song. Meanwhile, I want to thank Cathy Lynn Grossman of USA Today<\/i>, whose Faith and Reason blog<\/a> brought this song to my attention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, rock star Lady Gaga has an anthropology. No, I don’t mean that she’s been digging around in the dirt, looking for remnants of ancient societies, or studying tribes in far away jungles. I’m not implying that Lady Gaga is an anthropologist, in these senses. Rather, I’m saying that she has an anthropology, that is,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[181,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-cultural-commentary"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Controversial Anthropology of Lady Gaga - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1449\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}