Aghast at Gaga: Every generation has one -- musician who says really, nothing

With all this talk about job loss, politics and the economy, sometimes you need to set all that serious stuff aside and pause to comment on the state of the rest of the world.

And, this time, it is the rise -- and what will likely be the eventual fall -- of the pop artist Lady Gaga.

For those who do not know, she is the one with the controversial videos and the weird outfits -- and she was the darling of this weekend's MTV Video Music Awards.

You have likely seen this model before -- the tortured pop artist who uses outrageous outfits and off-the-wall videos to make what he or she considers a point, but in reality, that "statement" is nothing but more celebrity prattle.

The sad thing is that every generation has a Lady Gaga -- and funny thing is that we do not remember that we, too, were in awe of some other pop star when we were also of the age when videos -- or records -- mattered.

So there are going to be some who will be upset by the songs this year's version of teenage rebellion sings and the outfits she wears.

And there will be parents everywhere concerned that their child will be somehow sucked into this vortex of narcissism and bad fashion sense.

And, of course, all those who make their living commenting on celebrities will still continue to laud Gaga as a fashion icon and a brave and individual voice.

But we should remember that analysis is as inconsequential as it was for all those renegades we worshipped when we were young.

So let Lady Gaga claim a bunch of awards.

In the end, she will have as much influence as all the others who enjoyed their short-lived careers.

Published in Editorials on September 13, 2010 10:41 AM