By looking at the Victorian period freak shows, you can see that people are entertained by seeing something that is as far from society's views of normal as possible. The word freak however, has changed from someone who is being pushed into the role of being in a freak show and put on display to someone who tries to manipulate and change who or what they are to gain the public's attention. Entertainers today have recognized that being as far from normal as possible is what draws the attention of society and makes them successful. When these entertainers, such as Lady Gaga, say that "they were born this way", we have to ask ourselves whether or not they are doing it for the shock factor and popularity or were they really were born a little different than everyone else?
Let's hear what they have to say for themselves:
"I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people" - John Lennon
"I'm completely the person you think would be the most offensive, but I end up being the person that a lot of people listen to. I like to make people think differently than they did before I walked in the room" - Marilyn Manson
“My fashion is part of who I am, and though I was not born with these clothes on, I was born this way” - Lady Gaga
"But, by just being myself, I end up touching a lot more people who might never have paid much attention to a female rapper"-Nicki Minaj
"I know what I'm doing. I know I'm shocking you. When I'm dressed in that teddy bear thing, I think that's funny" - Miley Cyrus
Marilyn Manson is an example of an entertainer who uses the tactic of shocking the audience during his performances. Is Manson deploying these techniques to gain popularity and fame or is he simply a crazy person, doing things no one else does because he was born a freak? He claims that his ways are the product of "being yourself and not being ashamed of indifference". When Manson is asked to explain his tactics their is a lot of confusion it seems going on in his head. According to him the confusion and chaos going on in his head is his best way to present his feelings to people. He has a lighter side to him that comes out when he jokes around. When asked why he wears the makeup he says it's to avoid the predicament of coming home with lipstick on the collar. Manson answers the ultimate question of whether he does it for the fans by saying it is important to have an equal amount of fans who like and dislike you. So there you have it, he must have been born a freak if he doesn't care if people dislike him or maybe this is all part of some big act.
Lady Gaga is not far from Marilyn Manson when it comes to using shock factor to grab an audiences attention. Between the two of them they share the unique quality of always claiming to be themselves. What you see is who they are. Anderson Cooper sums up Lady Gaga's ability to grab peoples attention, "Even if you haven't heard her music, you have probably heard of Lady Gaga". He asks the same question applied to Manson, is Lady Gaga a "real artist or marketing expert". When asked she responds confidently that she is a "master of the art of fame". She is always on camera during her daily life whether she likes it or not. She says she gets people to pay so close attention to the crazy things she does and the way she acts in public.This allows her to maintain a sense of privacy, the art of what she claims is Sociobiology of fame. The audience gets what they ask for as she portrays things such as killing herself on stage to display the "decay of a superstar". In the end what she ultimately cares about is her music and by embracing the art of fame she can continue producing it. So when we ask ourselves is this all a big marketing scheme, it seems she was just born that way.
Sources:
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2. Goodman, Abbey. "Marilyn Manson on His New Album 'Born Villain'" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
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1. "Quotes About Born This Way." (5 Quotes). Good Reads Inc., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
2. Goodman, Abbey. "Marilyn Manson on His New Album 'Born Villain'" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
3. BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
4. Bohn, Lauren. "Entertainment." TIME.com. Live Entertainment, 26 May 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2013
5. Louvau, Jim. "Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson - Masters of Madness Tour, Tucson - 6/7/13." Up on the Sun. NewTimes, 10 June 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
6. "Barnums Freakshow - Completed by Halley42 on DeviantART." Barnums Freakshow - Completed by Halley42 on DeviantART. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
7. "Dawn Pisturino's Blog." Dawn Pisturinos Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
8. Eells, Josh. "Miley Cyrus on Why She Loves Weed, Went Wild at the VMAs and Much More." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, Sept.-Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
9. "Marilyn Manson - Be YourSelf." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Mar. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
10. "Blabbermouth.net -." Blabbermouthnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
11. "4-6-11-Bearman-Cartoon-Lady Gaga Adam Lambert." Bearman Cartoons. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
12. "Freaks Cartoons and Comics." - Funny Pictures from CartoonStock. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.