Sec. 17 Group 2 Presentation: Celebrities and Philosophy

Lady Gaga is the alter ego of singer/songwriter Stefani Germanotta. The biggest star of the 21^st Century, she has won 5 Grammy awards and has had number-one singles in songs such as “Poker Face” and “Just Dance”. Her perfect blend of pop and dance has captured the hearts of over 16 million Twitter followers. But what separates her from the other pop stars is her nutty fashion sense and her involvement in politics and belief.

It’s easy to say that Gaga became famous because of her meat dresses and her choice of transportation (i.e. an egg). Diversity owns the market, and she knows that. What truly sets her apart from the others is her use of garb as a political statement. She is promoting the individual and living up to the “be yourself” mantra. She is following in the footsteps of humanists such as Thomas Paine and Christine de Pisan.

Her spoken political message also has some philosophical offerings. She has been a proponent of the gay rights movement since the beginning of her career. Songs such as Born This Way tell the audience that it’s okay to be born with “life’s disabilities” and they should not “be a drag, just be a queen.” She is fighting against the social norm, just as doubter Nietzsche did.