If you are a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at (800) 656-HOPE (4673).
The case of Kesha and music producer Dr. Luke of Sony prompted a lot of support for her from her fans and many musical celebrities, including Lady GaGa. She stood up for Kesha over the course of her case, as her Facebook post shows. She also released a song called “Til It Happens To You” a song written as means of raising awareness about rape culture, particularly campus rape culture in according with "The Hunting Ground," a documentary made to combat campus rape culture.
Combating campus rape is a good cause, but Lady GaGa’s involvement on this issue strikes me as inconsistent.
The song, “Til It Happens To You” never mentions sexual assault or rape, despite being written by Lady GaGa and Diane Warren for the purpose of being used in "The Hunting Ground." The lyrics themselves are very broad. In theory, anyone who has suffered from a traumatic experience or loss can listen to the song and empathize with the message. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it reaches a wide audience, which is good for Lady GaGa, Diane Warren, and Interscope.
I, personally, find it strange that a song written for the purpose of being used in a documentary about college rape culture doesn’t mention the subject matter. What if somebody finds the song and doesn’t know the context in which it was written? How has it helped raise awareness for sexual assault victims in such a case?
Not only that, but Lady GaGa, like many other artists, have made their careers from glorifying campus party culture, the place where activists claim campus rapes happen most. This, from Lady GaGa,
“So do what you want
What you want with my body
Do what you want
Don't stop, let's party”
from her song, “Do What U Want” from her album, "Artpop."
This from her song, “Poker Face,”
“Oh, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got
Oh, oh, oh
I'll get him hot, show him what I've got” from her album, "The Fame."
This from her song, “Just Dance,”
“I love this record, baby, but I can't see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?
I can't remember but it's alright, a-alright
Just dance. Gonna be okay.”
from her album The Fame.
I know the songs are catchy and you’re singing them in your head, but pay attention to the lyrics. Do those sound very sensitive to sexual assault survivors from campus parties?
Granted, I’m comparing old songs to a new song and she's probably evolved as an artist with regards to her lyrics.
As a singer, she can't evolve too far from what makes her money. She would lose her record deal. In addition, she hasn't gone on record and apologized for the lyrics that made her popular to begin with.
I know that the above songs were written with other artists, but that doesn’t change their meanings nor does it change who sang them.
I’m not trying to make a moral judgement about Lady GaGa. I’m not trying to say that Lady GaGa is a bad person. I am saying that Lady GaGa is an artist and wants her songs to sell. Her record label wants her songs to sell, so regardless of her personal beliefs, that makes consistency with her products somewhat difficult if she wants to sell to audiences as different as greek house partiers and sexual assault survivors and activists.
So I would advise caution before lifting up an entertainment celebrity as an icon for a cause. More often than not, they’re going to do what they do because it sells or helps their image. This includes Lady GaGa.
