About a month ago, Lady Gaga was on the cover of Rolling Stone again. To borrow the word from the Boomer generation, it’s a bit “risque” (in fact, most of their late summer covers were, Katy Perry, the True Blood cast). I like RS and I’ve been reading since high school. As I have been getting older, I’ve lost a bit of interest in the content of the magazine and if I am being honest, I only read barely more than half of the issues. They usually end up collecting in my basement.
I did read the cover story though and I find Gaga somewhat intriguing, I mean that’s what I am supposed to think right? I remember the first time I heard “Lover’s Revenge”. I was in a store and thought to myself, “Wow, I think I am going to have to admit that I like this new Madonna song.” It wasn’t until the following month that I realized that I liked a Lady Gaga song and by then, it was too late, it had grown on me.
People say, “She’s really talented”, “She’s only 24!”, “She went to Juilliard” (she didn’t but was accepted when she was 11), and “She’s such a consummate entertainer”, and that’s why she is who she is. Maybe. In all honesty, I don’t have a problem with Gaga; she’s probably a really cool person. Further, I don’t really like using the term “problem” because it’s too strong of a word for how little I actually think about her. I think my issue, concern, hesitation or whatever is how seriously people take people like Lady Gaga like when the call her “The next Madonna”. Sorry, I just don’t get it. I understand why Bruce Springsteen sells out his shows. I obviously understand (and love) U2. (Yes, Bono is on my prayer list)(Shut up ;-) I know when you mention Bruce and Bono and admit you don’t understand Gaga, it just means you are “old”. Yeah I guess so. (But I like the Muse and Kings of Leon a lot – they’re younger right?).
Here’s the thing that struck me as I read this interview though. Throughout the interview, she insists on trying to appear as a normal, down-to-earth, artistic person. However, she sounded to me as a person on the verge of a breakdown. Her relentless touring, promoting, rehearsing, recording, etc. while still channeling years of hurt and heartbreak (as she refers to repeatedly throughout the interview) really point to a potentially disastrous crash. Now mind you, I am not a psychiatrist, I am just a youth pastor with some counseling classes with the data of a handful of images, videos, and this RS interview, so I hope I am wrong but this young woman seems to be in trouble and this has nothing to do with my greater point here but I’m unlikely to mention this here again. Again, I hope I am wrong.
However, to her credit, she really believes in herself. Just like Glenn Beck believes in himself. While you could make the case that they both suffer from similar forms of narcissism, you could also reason that their outrageous behavior is a ploy to advance their careers. They are just putting on a show for us. Gaga wants to be the next Madonna (numerous “Like a Prayer” references in the “Alejandro” porno, I mean video. For conservative viewers, be warned and know that I’ll never watch it again. By the way, am I the only one that thinks this song sounds like “Don’t Turn Around” by Ace of Base?). And Beck wants to be President (“The most used phrase in my administration if I were to be President would be “What the hell you mean we’re out of missiles?”). Neither of them will be, nor should be. There’s only one Madonna – thank God. Only one Gaga. And I’m still not sure we even need Beck but he may have “jumped the shark” with this Restoring Honor rally. But they do believe in themselves.
Which gets me thinking – I believe in the hope that Jesus offers. Personally, I believe it’s better than Gaga’s message and certainly greater than Beck’s counterfeit gospel of Americanism. While I know Jesus is not calling me to wear latex or to get on tv, I do find myself wondering at times if I am making the most of the opportunities presented to me and I wonder if we are being faithful as a Christian church. The easy answer is no we are not but what do we need to do remedy that for the sake of the Kingdom is a much longer and more difficult answer to articulate. But I take hope and comfort that anything is possible, especially here in America. If these two can get their message out, with the blessing of the Spirit and with a Church that believes in its calling and identity – we too can get our message out to a world that is hurting and hungry for redemption.
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I think I’m finished talking about Glenn Beck for quite some time. For more consider reading:
Christianity Today’s article “And Glenn Beck Shall Lead Them” by Tobin Grant (short article that my first Beck post was based off of).
A very well-wrtitten and intelligent article by my friend and fellow Biblical Seminarian Greg Kilimovitz entitled “A Response to Relevant Magazine’s Article and Glenn Beck’s False Gospel”.
And why not spend 4 minutes watching and listening to a few clips by the leader of the “Restoring Honor” crusader? Be warned though, it’s offensive and contains profanity.
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