"Breaking new ground?" I'm abnormally aware of the underground gay club playlist for a straight white male steeped in christian tradition- partially because I like electronic music and partially because I have a ton of gay friends. The subject matter has been done, and done, and done. Has it been done by somebody with Lady Gaga's reach? Probably not.
Lady Gaga's reach: http://www.google.com/trends?q=Lady+Gaga%2C+Barack+Obama&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0
"Ploy?" First of all, Lady Gaga needs to wake up in the morning to "be played more or less constantly in every gay bar in America". Okay, this is an oversimplification of gay bar playlists (and honestly this won't get her in "constantly"). Still, looking at her fan base (GLBT/pro-tolerance fans), there's everything okay with her making a song blatantly about gay advocacy.

"Or is this a strategic ploy to be played more or less constantly in every gay bar in America?"

So it's impossible to have any legitimacy after a certain point of popularity? Are you implying that Lady Gaga "sold out?" I didn't realize we were all hipsters here.

"Gay", like any group, is a major consumer group. Targeting ones fan base through redundant and hollow cliche is certainly far from high art. This song is simply dollar signs, touting itself as a tool of liberation to a world Gaga has only become active in since the antics of her poufed up publicity stunts were beginning to serrade on the nerves of onlookers unenthralled by superficial attention seeking. Gaga was never an activist, an advocate, or even a provocative dresser until the marketing machine took her into its arms. No different from any other creation and marketing machine which has cranked out niche specific products since Bernay's applied Freud's insights to product promotion with one ultimate intention: consume.

I wish queer identifying people would put a little more critique into what is actually being sold here. They are being exploited for profit, overlooking content in favor of clever packaging.

I'm surprised you aren't commenting on the fairly racist lyric
"You're black, white, beige, chola descent"
Or the rather callous way that she claims everybody is born perfect because it's her god's will. The idea that everyone is born equal, an interpretation of that ideology, is disingenuous at best and dangerous at worst. She might be quite happy for being born "perfect", but someone born with a disadvantage (either physical or social) being told that it's just their place (since god makes no mistakes) is quite ignorant and perpetuates the status-quo: ironically, while Gaga claims to be challenging it.

She needs to study her references, become an expert at something. She is entertaining, but the mishmash of cultural references and metaphors in every song limits what she can include in her "message." I was totally confused by the mix of music from a Hitchcock movie playing while watching her ripoff Dante's hell before the music even started. It's fun, it's calculated, and I'd like to see her make real music someday soon. It is disingenuous in 2011 to watch a straight white women tell everyone else how to behave. Born this (which?) way or not, we all deserve better.

I'm a fan of this song and, thus, can give little objective commentary on it.

I'll tell you how it makes me feel: optimistic that something this upbeat and kind--though perhaps not very thoughtful or deep--is popular. It's lack of pessimism is a relief even if its message is simplistic.

Ooh! Forgot to mention.

How do people feel about the horns on her shoulders and face?

Is it shock value? An attempt to re-define what people find physically pleasing and jump start radical body modification as a mainstream fad?

The lyrics of this song can kind of come off as a huge "fuck you" to the trans community...

Over at The New Gay, they had a commentary on the song, stating that it was "incredibly gay", in that the melody and text seems to include a huge number of gay male stereotypes. I'll have to agree on that, seeing as I found it almost inextinguishable from Express Yourself the first times that I hears it, but it's kind of interesting;

Lady Gaga har a sound that, while not that original, can be easily pinpointed to the late 00's, and she's out at bisexual too. But in making the song that is supposed to be THE gay anthem, she goes back to an extremely generic melody, and on top of thatone that smacks of stereotypical male gay culture. It's an incredibly narrow appeal for a community that is supposed to stretch to trans people, polyamorous, s/M fetishists, or at least women. I live in a town where most of the gay clubs are run by women, and they at least have a very distinctive godawful techno music, and the same could probably be said for any indie queer clubs. But there's none of that or enything else here, not even of Gaga's own sound.

It's as if she's going out of her way to really do this for someone else rather than for herself, which is really sad because it paints her as a fag har or ally rather than as a relatable person who is doiing this for herself, thus proving that gay/bi people exist in our immediate reality.

Well, it's definitely not one of her catchiest tunes. And speaking of being a bit behind the times, I'm pretty sure I've already seen several much more insightful discussions of it around the webz.

I'm glad to see that this video is up for discussion here. I watched it a couple days ago, doing my due diligence in keeping up with pop culture, and was confused. The song itself isn't interesting to me at all. It just seemed (to me) to be a standard, bland pop song. It kind of reminded me of Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" from years ago (2002).

But the video before the song is really really aesthetically and, for lack of a better word, "mythically" fascinating. What exactly is she trying to do with it? And what does it have to do with the really bland song? Is it commercial? What's being sold? Is it artistic? What sort of meaning is it conveying?

I like it more than hearing about a girl who does not know her name and asks about it (seriously, who writes that crap? are we two years olds?) but at the same time, I am not seeing this as real work towards equality more of surface use. Because there is no real activism done from her besides that one phonecall.

No, sorry, I am not buying this.

She boasts of spending 10 minutes on it.

Which pretty much tells me all I want to know - with that "black white beige chola..." and "orient" line? She doesn't give half a damn about certain PoC and how they feel about the terms used to describe them.

Congratulations on your effective marketing, Lady Gaga. No love for peddling the same recycled offhand, dismissive "f*** you" at certain disempowered groups because well, we're supporting GAY and LESBIAN and FEMALE and ...

She couldn't be bothered to write it in a more inclusive way.

I can't be bothered to play it again.

Is it even "breaking new ground"? YouTube David Bowie - he (and others) did the bisexual genderfuck years ago (even if he renounced his bisexuality later), and the whole psychedelic imagery too. Maybe she's the first woman to do it, but other than that, I felt like I'd seen it before. (And the sexy dance is standard these days in music videos.)

this is the worst music video i have ever seen. lady gaga, i had such faith in you, now i must turn away in horror. no- not because the lyrics are clearly aimed at the gays, but because the music sucks and innovation has come to halt.
i'm gonna go curl my hair now.

Its a positive message.

Musically, it's a blatant rip-off of Madonna's "Express Yourself" - when it was released, Stefani Germanotta was already three years old. Perhaps she should have stolen "Live To Tell", which was released March 26, 1986, two days before her birthday, or perhaps, from June of '86, "Papa Don't Preach", for a bit of ironic lyric juxtaposition.

Just because she sold a lot of copies doesn't mean anyone who bought it actually listened to it, or listened to it a 2nd time. Last time I checked it wasn't very high up on Billboard's dance club play ranking.

When the song was first released I really hated it. The Christian biological essentialism message, the racial insensitivity, the undanceable beat, the clunky lyrics; they all turned me off. And they still do.

I like the intro of the music video though. She kinda fucked the message of the song by having herself be this alien mother goddess. She literally gives birth to herself, her offspring are 'made in her image.' This narrative says to me that instead of Gaga's life being predetermined she get to create her own existence (and we can too). The only problem I have with it is that she says "this race harbors no prejudice" because that is complete bullshit.

After the narrative though I could care less, it wasn't very exciting. So either I should be glad that I get to choose my own future or offended that Lady Gaga thinks she is the goddess of gays and has determined our future.

Um...guys? I know this is a bit off-topic, but could y'all stop referring to Lady Gaga as "straight"? She identifies as bisexual; call her bisexual.

Yes, there is a widespread perception that tons of straight women are pretending to be bisexual because it's cool and trendy. Yes, some women do this, and yes, it's obnoxious.

But you know what? As a queer girl, I'm a lot less bothered by the existence of a few "party bi" chicks than I am by the blanket assumption that a woman who identifies as queer should automatically be viewed with suspicion. That's just gross.

"don't be a drag, just be a queen"

hahaha, thats great. Just because it's market-motivated doesn't mean it's not hilarious and fun.

If anything becoming a marketing demographic is the best way to have sway in the US.

Hmm, is it ironic that she wasn't born with that nose?

It's like Madonna (the dance and costumes), Bowie (space glitter narrative and gender ambiguity), Marilyn Manson (the beautiful grotesque) and Cher (vocals and face makeup) had a baby...

I don't feel entitled to comment on potential race issues, but as a radical thinker who is both gay and trans, I did not feel exploited nor negated by this at all and found it largely positive and inspirational, if a bit corny in parts. The alien/unicorn creation mythology seemed a direct reference to many cultural gay, trans, and Queer themes. I also believe that being both gay and trans is a part of who I am -inherent and irrevocable- and that who I am (including my transition) is valuable and beautiful (even though I haven't always been treated that way). Just think if people's sexual orientations, gender identities and transitions were actually celebrated this way! They should be, and I celebrate you. Here is the party you were never given. Here is the mother that never loved you. That's the message I got from the song and video. It looks like a gift.

People seem to forget that Madonna was actually very groundbreaking as a woman employing androgyny and sexual aggression in mainstream music in the 80's. I don't see her early influence as a bad or conventional thing, again with the exception of race issues, which I do not feel capable of analyzing in this context.

One thing I will also say though, is that it can be disappointing to some of us to have the most demographically "acceptable" artist (young white bisexual able-bodied non-trans woman) be able to represent Queer/LGBT. What if a POC femme queen was doing this on TV? Or a gay FTM? Or a lesbian with a disability? Would it be as supported by the industry? No. So that can sting a little too.

Gaga never tries to deny that she is appropriating. She is messing with all kinds of elements of culture. She acknowledges that she is playing with what it means to be famous including all of the things that have lead previous artists to be famous. Also, /commenting on she is drawing on fashion and our noitions of sexuality in the way she presents her body- sometimes she is very stereotypically beautiful/sexy then she does something ugly, quirky,kinky or gross. I love that part of her schtick. I don't particularly love this song, but the video was entertaining. As for her relationship to the gay community- she has acknowledged having slept with women and there are pictures of her kissing women out on the web. It is annoying that she has to verify her queerness though. Also, she does give a descent chunk of change to various causes and lends her political voice. I have no problem with her using that to market herself if it also brings about positive change. If she affects the attitudes of a third or her fan base then more power to her. The only thing that does bother me is the way she speaks of her fans as though she owns then (although many of them like it that way and it does play into her s/m theme).

I think the biggest flaw in a lot of the critiques I've seen in these comments is assuming yourselves, or the gay community, or dance halls, to be the target of Gaga's message.
I believe somewhere is a child scared and confused by our society hearing this song and feeling empowered. This song is for the young people who are only ever told, "Listen to your parents, teachers, pastors, TV, movies, other kids...etc." to learn who they are and who they can be. I believe Gaga is trying to say, "Listen to YOURSELF!"
Also I really don't understand how harshly some people are calling her an exploitative money-making machine. Yeah AND? This is AMERICA people. We're capitalists, every aspect of everyday life is about making money.
At least this marketing scheme is self-empowering and /interesting/.
At least my little sister has something better to look up to than the same old Brittany, Christina, Jessica, Ashlee, Hillary, Lindsay, Kelly, Taylor VOMIT!

On the word choice of "chola" and "orient", I'm sure she had people who told her that it was okay to use those words. But I feel it's more a poor choice of judgment than an actual dig at Hispanic or Asian people.

However, I sincerely don't think she's in her studio drumming her fingers together and chuckling maniacally contemplating new ways to exploit the gay community. She has been an advocate for LGBT people since she began, and her main core community is and has been the LGBT and alternative communities. She has lead parades, voiced activism, and given a lot of kids who felt "strange" someone to identify with. And there are much much worse things than a song that says it's okay to be born that way. This song probably has helped quite a few teens feel a little more comfortable with who they are, and that's never a bad thing.

To say that she's just trying to cash in on a community would make sense if she wasn't an advocate for them for pretty much her whole professional career, even before she "made it big". And yes, of course she is going to cater to the LGBT community because they are her main fan base. She's strange and fierce and funny, and she's giving a lot of people hope and pride in a world where so many people are telling them they're freaks.

I'd put my paws up for her any time.

Is this really the only way to hold the public's attention? The song decries xenophobia, which is always positive, but if the goal is to normalize LGBTQs, I don't see this helping.

btw -

Chola probably refers to the Chola Dynasty in India (300 BCE to about 1300 CE).

A civilization that produced some of the finest art and literature in the world.

Talk about ethnocentrism and ignorance and predjudice. Just review most of the comments on this thread and youll see it on clear display.

Shameful.

Do you know the amount of gays who are ashamed of this video!!! Failed Gaga!!!
I work in a gay club and a lot of the gays are worried that gaga's image and messages are making gays look really rebellious, weird and some even said evil.

gaga is trans stupid. its her dark little secret. its cool though, now quit the hatred.