I couldn't help myself, my thoughts on Lady Gaga's Meat Dress...
My response to Lady Gaga's Meat Dress:
This is America. You can do whatever you want with a slab of meat. Eat it. Toss it. Protest against it. Wear it. Make your choice and live with the consequences.
Lady Gaga chose to wear it.
Her explanation for shrouding herself in slabs of blood-red meat were stated on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I'm sure you've seen the quote by now, but here it is:
"Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian. As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. However, it has many interpretations, but for me this evening ... If we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat."
I love Lady Gaga because she is an artist. An interesting, creative, think-outside-the-box, make-you-think, crazy exhibitionist artist. When I saw her live at the VMA's last year, I was cheering her on as an 'artist'.
However, this "statement" and "art" was truly pathetic.
Rule #1 in art: if your piece of work is too literal, it usually fails. Gaga wanted her outfit to symbolize the statement that she is "not a piece of meat"..
..wearing a coat of meat is just about as literal a translation as you can get. Bottom Line: *sing to the tune of "Bad Romance"* It's Bad Art. Bad, bad, bad, art.
..and realistically, she didn't have to use real meat to get her 'message' across. Bjork's swan wasn't real.. more on that below.
Gaga's usually/mostly interesting, modern and creative public art statements and performances in comparison, make this latest "show" a #fail in all areas except one: PRESS. She certainly got the press she craved with this one.
Why I am Not Grossed Out. Sort've. I do find the dress "gross" but not because it is meat. I would find a slimy "tofu dress" just as gag-inducing. Pun intended, gaga. The act of wearing raw, slimy, "please keep refrigerated" food is pretty gross. So I am actually with everyone when they say "Ew, gross!" It is gross. Tofu, meat, broccoli, fish, leftover eggshells - wearing perishable food is gross...Do we really need to go over this America? Lets keep the perishables in the fridge where they are happy.
Why I Am Not an Offended Vegan. Millions of meat and animal products are wasted every second of every day. Sad fact, but it's true. Lady Gaga's 50 lbs of meat waste is annoying, but it really didn't "offend" me. If I was offended every time I saw wasted meat, I'd never leave the house.
Why I WOULD be Offended: Really, the main reason I would be upset is because of the fact that 100%...
Lady Gaga is powerful role model to millions.
And if there were "Meat Dresses" for sale down at H&M, a nice chunk of fans would be down there with money in their hands, fighting over the best cut of "Meat Dress". OK, maybe I'm not giving Gaga fans enough credit. But you get my point...
If Gaga had worn FUR (an animal product that is readily available to buy) it would have been worse because the once-popular trend of cruelty, (wearing fur) would be re-invigorated via Gaga.
..I honestly don't think we will be seeing "Meat Dresses" on the sales rack at Macy's any time soon. (fingers crossed)
The last point I want to make is how Lady Gaga's dress proves how desensitized people are about where their food comes from.
Imagine: What if Bjork's infamous "Swan Dress" had been a real, dead swan wrapped around her body? She would've never made it past the front gate! People would've been disgusted AND outraged. A dead swan hits people harder than a few slabs of slimy red meat. But you know what - it's really the same thing. Dead animal flesh.
Last thing, I want you all to know, I am "Not a piece of tofu." And to further my statement I will be wearing "Tofu Sneakers" to the Walk for Farm Animals on Oct 24th in NYC this year. They may be a little slimy, but I'm hoping for a dry, cool day. I will be perishable.
...sounds silly, doesn't it. (And yes I'm joking..)
OK, That's my soapbox on Gaga's Meat Dress. Now what do YOU think??
~K
