An Introduction, Some (Light) Gaga Bashing, and the Homosexual Steamroller

Welcome, folks, to this obscure and totally un-recommendable slice of the internet. I find it equal parts appropriate and terrifying that my inaugural post comes on Valentine's Day, but that ratio seems appropriate for such a blog.

An introduction is in order: This is New Queer on the Block, and I want to be transparent about the fact that I am unsure what this project might turn out to be, though I am hopeful. My title is meant to suggest two things (three, if it registers to you my lack of creativity on a deadline). First, I intend this blog to contain my own musings and perceived queernesses, indulging my love of both trashy pop-culture and books (speaking of books, this is too good not to share).  Secondly, my title should warn you of my relative newness/inexperience, so while I think you'll find I am quite opinionated, it seems important to frame these opinions with the fact that I am a college student who, let's face it, may not be particularly in touch with the real world.

As I'm sure you've gathered, Will Danger is a thinly veiled pseudonym, behind which stands an exceedingly cynical college student who lies about his middle name, mouths off about things he doesn't really understand, and watches way too much Law and Order (SVU, of course). Welcome, and God bless those of you who are still reading.

Shall we dive right in? Anyone connected to a facebook/twitter feed has undoubtedly been made aware that Lady Gaga is at it again. I'll refrain from embedding the video here because, frankly, I don't want to watch it again. Whether I like the video or not is irrelevant though. My question here is, what do we make of Lady Gaga's attachment to the gay community, especially gay men? She seems to have located the gays as a cash cow, which she is now proceeding to milk dry. To be totally honest, I find Lady Gaga's convenient sexual tourism to be border-line offensive. Regardless of her own sexuality (I'm told she may be bisexual, though I am unable to find a reputable link to confirm this), this just seems like a dangerous bit of exploitation on her part. Plus, who on earth would wear something like this and deny that it's an effort? She just woke up one morning wearing a Kermit T. Frogg dress. Weird.

Secondly, the message of her new single, "Born this Way" might be both dangerous and uninformed. Do we really need someone fueling the flames of the etiology debate? If I decide to put on my blonde wig and 10 inch stilettos and spend my weekends riding the DC metro in Baby Spice drag, it hardly matters if I'm hard-wired to do so. Maybe bone up on some Foucault or D'Emilio, and then decide if you still think "born that way" or "choose to be that way" are your only options. What if you weren't born that way, Lady Gaga? What if you work hard to construct an outfit entirely of meat and figure out exactly where to wear it to set the most people a-talkin? Is it still ok?

In an effort to create the illusion of fairness, I will say that I think it's obvious that the gay community can count Gaga as a friend, and, if the number of gay folks who put on their boogie shoes to her beats on a weekly basis is any indication, she has certainly done quite a bit of good. I just wonder how much cultural or political capital we're supposed to invest in someone who is really just Madonna, part-two.

I'll close on another introductory note. This comic pretty perfectly embodies the (intended) spirit of this blog. The perfect mix of absurdity and militancy!

Be good(ish) folks,

Will Danger