Rock music has always been associated with the outcasts of society and harbored those who thought differently, rebelliously, and more radically than most. It took some time, various backlashes, and even lawsuits for rock and roll to acquire a place in the music industry. Now, it is considered one of the most popular genres, which sort of contradicts the whole idea it was built on.
We currently live in a world full of people who feel more comfortable than before about breaking the norms and have even encouraged normalizing the traits that once made them the ‘outcasts.’ Celebrities and musicians who embrace their identity have become the representatives of those marginalized, hoping to show the world that everyone should just be themselves. One of the most influential representatives of this movement has been Lady Gaga since the beginning of her music career.
The musician has worn many scandalous costumes to show she is not afraid of public criticism. She also changed her name to Lady Gaga from her birth name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, to establish her public image, which aimed to represent who she truly is. Her music videos were also considered ‘weird,’ ‘scandalous,’ and over the top at the beginning of her career. But right now, her image is appreciated by many people.
Even though she is considered a pop artist, she has indicated in various interviews that she is indeed a rockstar because of her manners. Gaga’s musical ventures might be overshadowed by her extravagant style most of the time, but she has also received several awards for her musical efforts besides the praise of fellow musicians. However, the White Stripes’ Jack White didn’t seem to think so back in 2012.
Jack White’s perception of Lady Gaga surprised many people when he told Esquire UK, “I don’t think Lady Gaga lives it because it’s all artifice. It’s all an image with no meaning behind it. You can’t sink your teeth into it. It’s a sound bite,” as he made it evident that he doesn’t get her music, which is fair because art is subjective.
He agreed that Lady Gaga is a contemporary musician that many people appreciate for her image. He pointed this out by saying that the Mother Monster is “very of this age because that’s what people want.” However, these words caused an immense amount of backlash in 2012, which led the White Stripes singer to make another statement clarifying that he has nothing against Gaga.
White mainly blamed the journalists for causing unnecessary drama between him and the Mother Monster’s fans because what he said was not about her music. As reported by Pitchfork, the rocker began his statement by saying, “I’d like to address the recent tabloidesque drama baiting by the press in regards to Lady Gaga. I never said anything about her music or questioned the authenticity of her songs in any way.”
“I was in a conversation about the drawbacks of image for the sake of image,” the singer explained before moving on to how his words were misinterpreted. “That it is popular nowadays to not question an image in front of you, but only to label it as ‘cool’ or ‘weird’ quickly and dispose of it. I don’t like my comments about Lady Gaga’s presentation being changed into some sort of negative critique of her music. If you’re going to try to cause drama, at least get the quotes right. I think journalists should also be held accountable for what they say.”
White seemed to have been hurt and annoyed by the backlash and those who caused it. Hence he felt the need for another statement. When it came to his misunderstood feelings toward Gaga, he clarified that he did not have anything against her and even complimented her for being a gay rights advocate.
“Peace to Lady Gaga,” Jack White exclaimed, “And I fully congratulate and compliment her on her championing of gay rights issues and the momentum it’s given to help create change.”
Twisting words or misinterpreting certain statements in an article may cause a lot of misunderstanding and encourage dramatic responses from the fans. It seems like Jack White was a victim of this when he only wanted to talk about the image that Lady Gaga brings onto the scene without saying anything negative about her music.
