• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Is Lady Gaga a hero?

^ What is in the definition of "star" that precludes one from also being a hero?

Stars, by definition, seek fame. They don't just have it, they WANT it. A hero should not want to be famous.

And what of those who find fame and discover it wasn't all it was cracked up to be--that they feel empty and lacking in its glare and who then seek to accomplish more with their lives and utilize their fame as a vehicle toward the betterment of others?

Further, your premise would pretty much exclude the concept of seeing any political or military figure as a "hero" because in virtually every case they SEEK the position or office. Politicians SEEK public office and actively campaign for it rather than have it thrust upon them and military leaders aspire for advancement and promotion in pursuit of ever greater responsibility and authority.

Who WOULD you classify as a "hero"?
 
Further, your premise would pretty much exclude the concept of seeing any political or military figure as a "hero" because in virtually every case they SEEK the position or office. Politicians SEEK public office and actively campaign for it rather than have it thrust upon them and military leaders aspire for advancement and promotion in pursuit of ever greater responsibility and authority.

Well, nobody really thinks politicians are heroes, do they? As for the military: Most of them join because they want to serve their country. Promotions are simply a means to that end. Or on an even more basic level, people want promotions because it means more pay. In that sense, the military is just like any other job - and the reason people have jobs is to be paid. That's not fame, that's realism.


Stars, by definition, seek fame. They don't just have it, they WANT it. A hero should not want to be famous.

Both assertions are nonsense.

Explain.
 
No, she isn't a hero. But she probably has a significant personal carbon footprint...so she is in fact an environmental villain! :p
 
John Lennon is a hero, Bonno is a hero, Lady Gaga is nobody. I doubt in 10-20 years from now anybody will even remember her. Nobody is going to list her among the greats,"My influences are Zepplin, Nirvana, uh....oh yeah Lady Gaga." I have a feeling that traditional bands or labels and the like will even exist. With youtube and iphones and all the other stuff, everyone will create thier own label in thier home studio. It's already starting, even Eminem can't sell CD's anymore. Everyone's going to be doing thier own thing. Nobody wants to pay for a cd when you can download it or burn it. I personally still believe in paying the artist for thier work and I like to have the album art, but if I don't have the money or don't want the whole cd then I download it. I treat music and movies the same, if it's something I really like and I know i'll watch/listen to it over and over, then i'm willing to purchase it. All the " stars" coming out like Gaga or Bieber are going to go away soon enough and someone else will take thier place. It's going to be hard to find another Beatles or Nirvana because nobody goes looking for talent anymore, they just create them in a factory downtown.
 
John Lennon is a hero, Bonno is a hero, Lady Gaga is nobody. I doubt in 10-20 years from now anybody will even remember her.

For the 5 or 10 years of both Lennon and Bono's career they didn't do much that would label them heroes.

We don't know what will happen with Lady Gaga, she's only been on the scene for about a year or two. However, I bet, she'll still be around in 10 years.

Nobody is going to list her among the greats,"My influences are Zepplin, Nirvana, uh....oh yeah Lady Gaga."

I don't those that are influenced by Zeppelin and Nirvana would say there were influenced by Gaga or even Madonna. VERY different musical influences, but you never know.

Now, someone who does work like Madonna's, MIGHT, in 10 years time say "Madonna, Gaga, Timberlake." Who knows.

But, like you think Gaga will be gone, I think she'll be around for sometime.

Ke$sha is a flash in the pan, though...

I have a feeling that traditional bands or labels and the like will even exist. With youtube and iphones and all the other stuff, everyone will create thier own label in thier home studio. It's already starting, even Eminem can't sell CD's anymore. Everyone's going to be doing thier own thing. Nobody wants to pay for a cd when you can download it or burn it. I personally still believe in paying the artist for thier work and I like to have the album art, but if I don't have the money or don't want the whole cd then I download it. I treat music and movies the same, if it's something I really like and I know i'll watch/listen to it over and over, then i'm willing to purchase it. All the " stars" coming out like Gaga or Bieber are going to go away soon enough and someone else will take thier place. It's going to be hard to find another Beatles or Nirvana because nobody goes looking for talent anymore, they just create them in a factory downtown.

That's ALWAYS happened. Bands and singers nowadays aren't SO different than before.

Distribution, yes, totally different, but as far as manufactured or not, just as common in the past when we take off the rose colored glasses.

It's always been show business....
 
We don't know what will happen with Lady Gaga, she's only been on the scene for about a year or two. However, I bet, she'll still be around in 10 years.
Wow, 10 years? Really? I would absolutely take that bet. What would you like to wager, $500? $1000?

10 years is an eternity in pop music. Remember Alanis Morissette? She was huge in 1995. Was anybody buying her albums in 2005?
 
We don't know what will happen with Lady Gaga, she's only been on the scene for about a year or two. However, I bet, she'll still be around in 10 years.
Wow, 10 years? Really? I would absolutely take that bet. What would you like to wager, $500? $1000?

10 years is an eternity in pop music. Remember Alanis Morissette? She was huge in 1995. Was anybody buying her albums in 2005?

The Album she released in 2005 went to number 5 in the US album charts so I guess the answer is 'yes'.
 
^ What is in the definition of "star" that precludes one from also being a hero?

Stars, by definition, seek fame. They don't just have it, they WANT it. A hero should not want to be famous.

That is a massive generalisation.

Many artists become famous by virtue of being exceptionally good at what they do. A lot of artists just want their work to be appreciated by as many people as possible, this is not the same as seeking celebrity for it's own sake. I am sorry that this concept is beyond your understanding.

Fame is a necessary by-product of having your work appreciated by the public, some artists embrace it, some eschew it, but you're really in no position to judge them.

And your assertion that heroes should not want to be famous is shaky at best as it is, if one has a message to spread, if one wants to help people then fame is a great platform from which to launch one's intentions.
 
The Album she released in 2005 went to number 5 in the US album charts so I guess the answer is 'yes'.
Yeah, and according to Wikipedia the album you're referring to sold like 100,000 copies in the US. So yes, I suppose in ten years Lady Gaga could be releasing albums that nobody ever hears about, but I don't think that's what Zoom meant.
 
Further, your premise would pretty much exclude the concept of seeing any political or military figure as a "hero" because in virtually every case they SEEK the position or office. Politicians SEEK public office and actively campaign for it rather than have it thrust upon them and military leaders aspire for advancement and promotion in pursuit of ever greater responsibility and authority.

Well, nobody really thinks politicians are heroes, do they? As for the military: Most of them join because they want to serve their country. Promotions are simply a means to that end. Or on an even more basic level, people want promotions because it means more pay. In that sense, the military is just like any other job - and the reason people have jobs is to be paid. That's not fame, that's realism.

So in your estimation figures like Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Robert Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Anwar Sadat etc. are inappropriate to be considered "heroes"?

And Douglas MacArthur was just bucking for a bigger pay-day while doing his best to serve his country.

What color is the sky on your world?
 
The Album she released in 2005 went to number 5 in the US album charts so I guess the answer is 'yes'.
Yeah, and according to Wikipedia the album you're referring to sold like 100,000 copies in the US. So yes, I suppose in ten years Lady Gaga could be releasing albums that nobody ever hears about, but I don't think that's what Zoom meant.

Alanis is still quite famous, don't be silly.
 
We don't know what will happen with Lady Gaga, she's only been on the scene for about a year or two. However, I bet, she'll still be around in 10 years.
Wow, 10 years? Really? I would absolutely take that bet. What would you like to wager, $500? $1000?

10 years is an eternity in pop music. Remember Alanis Morissette? She was huge in 1995. Was anybody buying her albums in 2005?

The Beatles have sold more albums in the years between 2000-2010 than any other solo artist, group or rock band, foreign or domestic. They broke up in 1970, some 40 years ago.

It's fact. Google it.
 
Alanis is still quite famous, don't be silly.
Vanilla Ice is still quite famous, it doesn't mean he's musically relevant. Or have we now extended the statement "she'll still be around in 10 years" to mean "in 10 years people will remember the name"?

The Beatles have sold more albums in the years between 2000-2010 than any other solo artist, group or rock band, foreign or domestic. They broke up in 1970, some 40 years ago.
Really? You're looking for an example of a pop act with longevity, and you happen to pull out the most successful band of all time? Really? There was no other way to make your point without implying Lady Gaga is in the same league as the Beatles?

Anyway, for every band you can name with that kind of staying power, I can name a dozen pop bands like the Knack, Spin Doctors, Living Colour, Terrence Trent D'arby, etc. that had one big album and then flamed out hard.
 
Alanis is still quite famous, don't be silly.
Vanilla Ice is still quite famous, it doesn't mean he's musically relevant. Or have we now extended the statement "she'll still be around in 10 years" to mean "in 10 years people will remember the name"?

The Beatles have sold more albums in the years between 2000-2010 than any other solo artist, group or rock band, foreign or domestic. They broke up in 1970, some 40 years ago.
Really? You're looking for an example of a pop act with longevity, and you happen to pull out the most successful band of all time? Really? There was no other way to make your point without implying Lady Gaga is in the same league as the Beatles?

Anyway, for every band you can name with that kind of staying power, I can name a dozen pop bands like the Knack, Spin Doctors, Living Colour, Terrence Trent D'arby, etc. that had one big album and then flamed out hard.

Alanis Morisette:

Morissette's seventh studio album, Flavors of Entanglement, which was produced by Guy Sigsworth, was released in mid 2008. She has stated that in late 2008, she would embark on a North American headlining tour, but in the meantime she would be promoting the album internationally by performing at shows and festivals and making television and radio appearances. The album's first single was "Underneath", a video for which was submitted to the 2007 Elevate Film Festival, the purpose of which festival was to create documentaries, music videos, narratives and shorts regarding subjects to raise the level of human consciousness on the earth.[49] On 3 October 2008, Morissette released the video for her latest single, "Not as We".[50]
Recently, Morissette has contributed to 1 Giant Leap, performing "Arrival" with Zap Mama and she has released an acoustic version of her song "Still" as part of a compilation from Music for Relief in support of the 2010 Haiti earthquake crisis. Morissette has also recorded a cover of the 1984 Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias hit, "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", re-written as "To All the Boys I've Loved Before".[51] Nelson played rhythm guitar on the recording.[51]
In April 2010, Morissette released the song "I Remain," which she wrote for the "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)" soundtrack.
On May 26, 2010, the season finale of American Idol, Morissette performed a duet of her song "You Oughta Know" with Runner Up Crystal Bowersox.


Vanilla Ice:

On April 10, 2008, Van Winkle was arrested in Palm Beach County on a battery charge for allegedly kicking and hitting his wife.[66] He was released the following day after she declared that her husband had only pushed her. In court, the couple's neighbor, Frank Morales, stated that it was merely a verbal argument.[66] Van Winkle was ordered by a Florida court to stay away from his wife following his arrest, and to communicate with his children only if Morales accompanied him. The judge told Van Winkle that he could only contact his wife via telephone.[66] On April 29, 2008, Van Winkle's lawyers, Bradford Cohen and Joseph LoRusso, were able to get the case dropped after providing the state attorney with evidence that conflicted with what was originally reported.[67]
In September 2008, Van Winkle signed a contract with Cleopatra Records, recording the cover album Vanilla Ice Is Back! at the label's request.[68] The album was released on November 4, 2008, and contained covers of songs by Public Enemy, House of Pain, Bob Marley and Cypress Hill. IGN reviewer Spence D. called the album "an embarrassing endeavor that sounds like it should have stayed locked inside Ice's studio (or at the very least leaked on YouTube and passed off as a piss take)."[69] On February 27, 2009, Van Winkle performed as part of a joint performance with MC Hammer in Orem, Utah.[70] In August 2009, Van Winkle announced on his official Twitter account that he had signed a contract with StandBy Records, who will release his sixth studio album.[71] Van Winkle is also filming a reality television series[3] in which he calls the shots in home makeovers



Yes, because they're exactly alike.
 
Alanis is still quite famous, don't be silly.
Vanilla Ice is still quite famous, it doesn't mean he's musically relevant. Or have we now extended the statement "she'll still be around in 10 years" to mean "in 10 years people will remember the name"?

The Beatles have sold more albums in the years between 2000-2010 than any other solo artist, group or rock band, foreign or domestic. They broke up in 1970, some 40 years ago.
Really? You're looking for an example of a pop act with longevity, and you happen to pull out the most successful band of all time? Really? There was no other way to make your point without implying Lady Gaga is in the same league as the Beatles?

Anyway, for every band you can name with that kind of staying power, I can name a dozen pop bands like the Knack, Spin Doctors, Living Colour, Terrence Trent D'arby, etc. that had one big album and then flamed out hard.


I never implied Lady Gaga is in the same league with the Beatles--far from it, in fact. My point was simply that some acts are timeless. So far, Lady Gaga is NOT timeless.

And, yeah, there ARE a lot more bands that hit and vanished than have stayed big for the duration. That's kind of how the system works, ya see.
 
John Lennon is a hero, Bonno is a hero, Lady Gaga is nobody. I doubt in 10-20 years from now anybody will even remember her. Nobody is going to list her among the greats,"My influences are Zepplin, Nirvana, uh....oh yeah Lady Gaga."

Well, I doubt Lady Gaga would inspire the same type of person who would be inspired by Nirvana, but I feel that some people (especially women) in pop will list her as an influence eventually. Then again, her listed influences include Bowie and Queen (along with plenty of other great musicians of the past) so influences can be very strange sometimes.

It's going to be hard to find another Beatles or Nirvana because nobody goes looking for talent anymore, they just create them in a factory downtown.

They've always created music in a factory downtown. Most rock acts of the early 60s, Motown, and plenty of others were manufactured. Ironically for this thread, Lady Gaga was not. I'd argue that the Beatles were more manufactured than Gaga (although they broke free of that and did their own thing towards the second half of their career). The Rolling Stones are a more comparable situation (basically, a self-manufactured image).
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top