This short essay will prove that Lady Gaga, a most popular singer and entertainer, is indeed a hero based on several dimensions of being a hero. She is a modern day hero whose qualities and characteristics fulfill these dimensions and definitions.
Her Origins are Obscure and Mysterious Lady Gaga was born to non-entertainment based parents. As stated in the website of Entertainment Weekly, she was born in 1986 to parents who worked hard to reach their professional positions in life. Her mother worked in the telecommunications industry and her father used to be an Internet businessman. Both parents worked very hard to provide their children with private school educations, and because she was of generally Italian-American ancestry, her religious upbringing was Catholic. Thus she did not have any famous parents, or did not do anything so spectacular early in life except attend school and hang around just like any child or teenager.
The Quest From very ordinary circumstances, Lady Gaga rose and evolved to become the superstar that she is today. After withdrawing from the CAP 21 School, she decided to concentrate on her musical career. She took on gigs ranging from playing in bars in New York, appearing in bit roles on TV, and even ended up as a go-go dancer in New York’s Lower East Side in order to make ends meet, as she began living already on her own then (Hiatt, 2009, 43). She struggled in similar jobs before being able to meet record producers who would eventually give her bigger breaks.
No Goal Earlier At the outset, it is clear that Lady Gaga did not have any clear goal as to what she really wished to do in life. First, it was simply to perform, then make music and send the samples to music labels, then when these gigs did not pan out, she also went go-go dancing. It was only later on that she decided that she really wanted to write music, and perform her written works for the listening public to enjoy. As mentioned earlier, the beginnings of her musical career were marked with frustration and struggles, and switching from one job to another at first. She even admitted that she used cocaine alone in her apartment, taking it by herself just to help her with each day that she struggled (Herbert, 2010, Chapter 2).
Weakness As mentioned above, she took cocaine alone, so as to help her through her loneliness, such that she would be able to be “inspired” to write music. She thought that by taking cocaine, she could be able to create the music that she wanted others to hear. She also admitted to being insecure sometimes, despite the achievements she has. In an interview with her, as stated in the website of Celebrity Dirty Laundry, the HBO producers and team heard from her as she talked about her insecurities. Despite her fame, she says that she still feels like a loser sometimes, that other people are still out to destroy her and what she has achieved in life.
On Leading a Lonely Life Lady Gaga herself has admitted that she indeed leads a very lonely life, despite being in the limelight. In an interview with the UK’s The Telegraph, she has stated that she is aware that she is going to live a lonely life, but tries to make up for the loneliness with cherished friendships and relationships with friends and family. She is aware that the rigors of her career will demand that she is always on the go, and that she will be forever busy writing music and touring as well.
Following Lady Gaga certainly enjoys a huge following. In the website of Fast Company, it is mentioned that her “Little Monsters” are her biggest fans, and she also has a big following from the LGBT community, as she has done advocacy work for this community. Her song “Born This Way” is her own tribute to these individuals. Her ideology of one not being ashamed of himself or herself has inspired her followers to genuinely idolize and emulate these values. Her Little Monster website is devoted to inspiring her fans, and to continue perpetuating the values she cherishes.
Guide One of her greatest guides is her aunt, Joanne. In the website of The Times of India, it is mentioned that her aunt passed away at the very young age of 19 twelve years before she was born. However, Lady Gaga states that she can feel her late aunt always guiding her, telling her to abide by her family, and to love and respect them always, and to always inspire others to do the same.
Descent into Darkness Earlier, it has already been mentioned that during her early years when she did not know yet what exactly she wanted to do in life, Lady Gaga succumbed to the temptations of drug use, thinking that this would inspire her to write better music.
On Being Wounded and Being Changed by an Ordeal In 2013, Lady Gaga had a conflict with her very own personal assistant. Her assistant was her former roommate during her struggling years. As published in the Daily Mail online, the complaint was for her alleged low salary and the rigors of the job as a personal assistant which were allegedly too difficult already for the assistant to handle. Lady Gaga settled the complaint out of court, so as not to be bothered by a protracted court fight, and so as to avoid negative publicity as well. She says that she was surprised by the complaint, but did not wish to fight a friend in court. She also says that she will be very careful and meticulous about dealing with assistants and employees in the future, so that any misunderstandings may be threshed out and resolved immediately.
The Hero’s Symbol Lady Gaga is a unique artist who reveals her ideology in her music. She wants people to cherish others for what they are, and to accept oneself and others always. She has become an icon for being a real and natural person, and not someone who tries hard to be another person just because others want her to be that way. Her candor along with her talent, is always well appreciate not just by her fans, but by her critics as well. She is therefore a hero in the eyes of many individuals, despite her early stumbles and struggles in life.
Works Cited
Herbert, Emily. (2010). “Lady Gaga: Behind the Fame”. New York City, NY: The Overlook Press.
Hiatt, Brian. (2009). “The Rise of Lady Gaga”. New York’s The Rolling Stone. 1080, May 30, 2009. 1080 (43).
Overland, Jody. (2011). “Lady Gaga Reveals Weakness and Insecurity in HBO Documentary”. Web. http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2011/lady-gaga-reveals-weakness-and-insecurity-in-hbo-documentary/
Roberts, Laura. (2011). “Lady Gaga: I’m Perpetually Lonely”. Web. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/7923175/Lady-Gaga-Im-perpetually-lonely.html
The Times of India. (2011). “I have Two Hearts, Two Souls: Lady Gaga”. Web. http://web.archive.org/web/20110321051202/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-interviews/I-have-two-hearts-two-souls-Lady-Gaga/articleshow/7526992.cms
The Daily Mail UK. (2013). “Lady Gaga Settles Lawsuit Filed by Ex-Personal Assistant over Overtime Wages to Avoid Trial”. Web. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2471309/Lady-Gaga-settles-lawsuit-filed-ex-personal-assistant.html
Vozza, Stephanie. (2014). “What Lady Gaga can Teach You about Creating a Following”. Web. http://www.fastcompany.com/3034586/hit-the-ground-running/what-lady-gaga-can-teach-you-about-creating-a-following
Wenner, J. (2014). “Lady Gaga’s Universe”. Web. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/lady-gagas-universe-20110524/dad-joseph-germanotta-0872278
