Sister Gaga

I recently watched the new Lady Gaga video, Alejandro. It reminded me a lot of the Madonna videos from the 1990s, and maybe even a little of the event videos of Michael Jackson. It seems we have found the heir apparent and it wasn't Justin, Usher, or Brittany, baby. Of course, Gaga is like Madonna is other ways, too, but her desire to make "performance art" might just be another way to say "reinvention" and "pushing boundaries" which is totally the Material Girl.

While watching the video, I couldn't help but to think of Like a Prayer. I don't know if anyone went ballistic over the obvious nun/martyr nod in Alejandro, but I do recall the rage that Madge encountered by showing a black Jesus and some burning crosses. However, as a Catholic, I'm pretty sensitive to Catholic symbology, and I found it very interesting that both Ms. Ciccone and Ms. Germanotta -- Roman Catholics -- chose to go balls out for their Mother Church. Because, basically, both videos are a big middle finger to its religious rhetoric and dogma. Lots of blasphemy and sacrilege in both. Makes me nervously giggle, "You're sooo going to Hell!" Like when DeeDee and Shannon used to wear dangle'ly earrings and blue eyeshadow to school. (H. E. Double L.) But it also made me question why Catholicism is such a breeding ground for artistic expression. What is it about it's restraints that causes some Catholics to want to push back against the wall? Maybe it's the fact that so much art has been made in the name of the Church. Maybe its the fact that the imagery is so iconic that its easier to reference. Maybe it is the repression of self and self-flagellation martyrdom. I don't know. But it is quite fascinating when you start to really think about it.

I like that there is a new artist out there that is making music videos relevant again. (OK, somewhat relevant. More like entertaining, but let's not split hairs.) And regardless of the fact that her soul is so obviously damned, I'll be waiting to see what she does next.