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Is Lady Gaga a hero?

Nerys Myk said:
Your point was she opened for them, yes? At least thats what you wrote.
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Did you look right underneath that and see the video of them performing a song they recorded together? It was kind of hard to miss.

Anyway, if you look up the full story of Hendrix touring with the Monkees, you can see that association ended pretty quickly because Monkees fans had no interest in Hendrix's music. It's kind of a stretch to compare that to Gaga opening for NKOTB and performing/recording a song with them.
 
Level 2 Diagnostic said:
Nerys Myk said:
Your point was she opened for them, yes? At least thats what you wrote.
Click to expand...
Did you look right underneath that and see the video of them performing a song they recorded together? It was kind of hard to miss.

Anyway, if you look up the full story of Hendrix touring with the Monkees, you can see that association ended pretty quickly because Monkees fans had no interest in Hendrix's music. It's kind of a stretch to compare that to Gaga opening for NKOTB and performing/recording a song with them.
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Yes I did. But your statement was about Gaga opening for NKOTB. That they performed together is a different matter.

I'm old enough to have watched the Monkees first run and as a fan of them and Hendrix, I know the story quite well. I only brought it up as a "so what?", not to compare any of the artists involved.
 
Sci said:
I find all the vitriol over Lady Gaga and whether or not she'll be an enduring act quite amusing. It's not like she's been going around proclaiming herself the second coming of Madonna and the Beatles. She's a woman who's expressing herself through her art (music, videos, fashion); we'll see how long she endures, but it's not like she's been trying to pass herself off as anything but herself.
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Well, you kind of end up in that sort of discussion in a thread like this, regardless of what lady Gaga thinks of herself.

Now granted, her music is not my style and so I don't follow her in the media every minute of every day, but given my limited exposure, I have never gotten the impression that she considers herself to be a 'hero'.

But the OP wanted to know what our opinion is of her - not what her opinion is of herself.

As for me, I'm really curious as to why those who think of her as a 'hero' feel that way.

Because while I agree that she is very good at pressing the envelope of creativity, that, to me, is not a criteria for labeling someone a 'hero'. I guess that for me to consider a rock star to be a hero, I need something more than a few catchy tunes and a gimmick (even if that gimmick is very creative and unique). Maybe my personal bar is set pretty high, but I would need to see creative endurance (as in, decades of creating relevant music) as well as some massive humanitarian efforts and/or moral stands that illustrate a generosity of spirit and a desire to leave the world a better place than when they found it. In other words, I'd want to see someone who has made a long term impact - not only on the music industry, but on the world they live in.

I realize that the definition of the term 'hero' is different for everyone in instances like this. I'm just curious as to the criteria used by those who consider Gaga a 'hero'. Because by my own personal criteria above, she is not even in the ballpark.

Reasonably talented, yes. Reasonably creative, yes. But for me personally, a long way from 'hero' status. :)
 
Yeah...I think of a "hero" as like...a fireman. The guys who ran into the Twin Towers on 9/11 when everyone else was running out. Those are heroes.


JMHO
 
Alidar Jarok said:
Robert Maxwell said:
One thing I will say is that I don't think it's "heroic" to be wealthy and then spend a portion of that wealth helping others. True heroism goes way beyond that--sacrificing not just what you can afford, but even what you can't. Like people genuinely risking their lives to help others.
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So rich people can't be heroes? I think that's an awfully strict definition of a hero (same with those that have said famous people can't be heroes). I'd argue that, as long as you aren't doing the "heroic" acts to either make more money or become more famous, you can be considered a hero. Your using your position, obtained through other means, to contribute positively.

Whether or not you're actually a hero depends on what you do, however.
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This is an interesting discussion, right here.

For me, I think wealthy people can be heroes. But in my personal vernacular (and once again, your mileage may vary), the definition of 'hero' does require some sort of serious personal risk in an effort do do the right thing.

For example, I don't see 'giving money to some charitable causes out of one's substantial wealth' as qualifying one for 'heroism' - I mean, as a percentage of wealth, a LOT of everyday people give more to charitable causes than does your average rock star.

But taking a moral stand if it means risking one's ability to make a living into the future might (though not absolutely) contribute some portion toward qualifying one as a hero, because the risk of sacrifice is to one's long-term financial security.

For example, while I do not consider the Dixie Chicks 'heroes' for other reasons, I DO admire how they weathered the backlash from the conservative country music establishment when thy took a stand against Dubya several years ago regarding the war. Taking that position COST them big time in that portion of the music industry they were previously most popular in - getting banned by several country music stations, weathering numerous personal threats being leveled against them, etc is no small potatoes because they put at risk not only a monetary amount in the present, but their ability to secure their own financial future, as well as their status and place in country music history.

Not saying they are 'heroes' to me...and not saying they handled everything about that situation 100% effectively. But taking the stand they did cost them a lot and I do admire anyone who at least tries to do what they think is right, despite great threat to their own long-term livelihood and status.

I believe that heroism requires risk of substantial sacrifice. That risk of substantial sacrifice does not necessarily mean money, however, so I believe that wealthy people can be heroes in any number of ways, including the most obvious. I mean, if Lady Gaga saw a car go off of a bridge and jumped into the water to rescue a drowning person, that is 'heroism' to me....and that would have nothing to do with money. The risk there is not to her current bank balance, or even to her long-term financial security but to life & limb. But risk of sacrifice could mean any number of things - it basically means risking ANYTHING that is of significant value to a person in order to assist others or take a stand for the betterment of society.

But hey...that's just a portion of my personal definition....and admittedly pretty subjective. :lol:
 
1001001 said:
Yeah...I think of a "hero" as like...a fireman. The guys who ran into the Twin Towers on 9/11 when everyone else was running out. Those are heroes.


JMHO
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Those guys, to me, are even a step above 'regular' heroes. Those guys are Heroes Hall of Fame level, in my book.

Going into those buildings on that day demonstrated not only an 'above average' willingness to risk one's life for others, but an almost supernatural willingness. Because I can't imagine any of them thought their chances of coming out alive were very good at all.

Three hours before their deaths, those guys were living 'a day like any other day'. No chance to prepare - no chance to question or moralize or debate what was and wasn't includable in a reasonable man's definition of 'the job description'. I mean, no one could have dreamed they would be faced with such a horrific situation...and such a ghastly choice on that day. And yet, to the man, they behaved like utter and complete pros...hundreds of them going to their deaths on the ridiculously low off-chance of saving only a few of their fellow human beings.

To this day, I spend some personal time each year on 9/11 thinking about these guys, and the sacrifices they made for a bunch of total strangers. And to this day, their sacrifice completely blows my mind. Because picturing myself in their situation, standing outside the doors of those buildings...and making the choice between turning around and walking away from the most horrific situation imaginable...and an almost certain death? I'm not sure I could have made the decision that those guys made.

'Heroic' doesn't even come close to describing those guys. Even that laudable word does not do them justice. We need another word entirely for those guys.
 
1001001 said:
Yeah...I think of a "hero" as like...a fireman. The guys who ran into the Twin Towers on 9/11 when everyone else was running out. Those are heroes.


JMHO
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Exactly.

All firemen are heroes in my book.

Anyone that can run into a burning building and put their life at risk for sake of others, is no doubt a hero.

Anyone that's watched "Rescue Me" knows Dennis Leary said almost the exact same thing.
 
PKTrekGirl said:
1001001 said:
Yeah...I think of a "hero" as like...a fireman. The guys who ran into the Twin Towers on 9/11 when everyone else was running out. Those are heroes.


JMHO
Click to expand...


Those guys, to me, are even a step above 'regular' heroes. Those guys are Heroes Hall of Fame level, in my book.

Going into those buildings on that day demonstrated not only an 'above average' willingness to risk one's life for others, but an almost supernatural willingness. Because I can't imagine any of them thought their chances of coming out alive were very good at all.

Three hours before their deaths, those guys were living 'a day like any other day'. No chance to prepare - no chance to question or moralize or debate what was and wasn't includable in a reasonable man's definition of 'the job description'. I mean, no one could have dreamed they would be faced with such a horrific situation...and such a ghastly choice on that day. And yet, to the man, they behaved like utter and complete pros...hundreds of them going to their deaths on the ridiculously low off-chance of saving only a few of their fellow human beings.

To this day, I spend some personal time each year on 9/11 thinking about these guys, and the sacrifices they made for a bunch of total strangers. And to this day, their sacrifice completely blows my mind. Because picturing myself in their situation, standing outside the doors of those buildings...and making the choice between turning around and walking away from the most horrific situation imaginable...and an almost certain death? I'm not sure I could have made the decision that those guys made.

'Heroic' doesn't even come close to describing those guys. Even that laudable word does not do them justice. We need another word entirely for those guys.
Click to expand...
This is the life all firemen live every day, not just 9/11.
That is what they're trained for, that's their duty.
They know just like cops that any day on any call they get, it could be their last. Every wife of a cop or firefighter deals with the idea their husband may not come home on a daily basis.
Firefighters don't expect rewards or praise for what they do.
Most don't even like being called "hero" because they see it as their job and it's what's in them to do the job they do.
Every last one of them living or dead are heroes, whether they want to be called it or not.
 
I agree.

I think being a firefighter is just about the most noble profession there is.
 
Mybe Lady Gaga can become a Firefighter. :)

Didn't Shaq become a police officer briefly?
 
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