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[KRod-57]

So you can watch the halftime performance here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txXwg712zw4


Anyway, something I couldn't help but notice was how she opened with the song "God Bless America" (written by Irving Berlin) which then casually faded into her singing "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie.

This seemed a bit odd to me, considering the latter was literally written in protest to the former. That is, Woody Guthrie hated the American sensationalism of "God Bless America" and began writing a song titled "God Blessed America for Me" which was later changed to "This Land Is Your Land" (To this day many of the radical lyrics which Guthrie wrote have been edited out of the song)

I'm not sure if this was done intentionally or not, but it was just a random thing I noticed when I was watching Gaga's performance. I always assume there's a political metaphor to an artist's performance, this was quite apparent in Beyonce's performance at last year's halftime show. I'm trying to figure out what the political metaphor of Gaga's performance might be, but I'm really not sure what to make of it all

...I don't know, I'm probably reading into it too much. What do you all think?

 

[TheFlow]

Lady Gaga performance was a protest

 

[torre_avenue]

Buzzfeed literally noted the same thing.

And went more """in-depth""".

 

[Zabka]

The antagonistic history between those two songs was needed to help kickstart The Summoning

 

[KRod-57]

Buzzfeed literally noted the same thing.

And went more """in-depth""".

Well I knew I couldn't be the only person on the only internet to notice this lol


edit:

so do you think putting the two songs together was intentional?

 

[Matty77]

I took the performance as a statement of loving the country does not mean blind patriotism or accepting the direction it's going, in fact those who truly love the country should be mad and fighting this direction because it destroys the best of what America could be and what we should be striving to achieve.

 

[IrishNinja]

The antagonistic history between those two songs was needed to help kickstart The Summoning

ITT: spirit cookin'

 

[Parch]

Lady Gaga performance was a protest

Maybe it really was. I'm not familiar with her political affiliation.

 

[akira28]

Well I knew I couldn't be the only person on the only internet to notice this lol


edit:

so do you think putting the two songs together was intentional?

yes. patriotism and the contradiction of what that means today versus what it means if you believe America is a place for everybody.

 

[Randy Monk]

Even if she was sending a message, it will be too subtle for the dense Trump supporters.

You need to smash them over the head with any message.

 

[KRod-57]

Maybe it really was. I'm not familiar with her political affiliation.

I would assume it was done in protest

I took the performance as a statement of loving the country does not mean blind patriotism or accepting the direction it's going, in fact those who truly love the country should be mad and fighting this direction because it destroys the best of what America could be and what we should be striving to achieve.

Interesting observation. It's funny because I see a lot of people talking about the halftime show saying there were no political statements made, but I feel like there was a political statement, it was just done in a more metaphorical way.

yes. patriotism and the contradiction of what that means today versus what it means if you believe America is a place for everybody.

excellent points

 

[Zen Aku]

Well thats her way of protesting.

Maybe it really was. I'm not familiar with her political affiliation.

She would be a gaffer if you know what I mean.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Maybe it really was. I'm not familiar with her political affiliation.

She was Team Hillary.

 

[antonz]

She handled the protest exceptionally well and infuriated the right because she did not stoop to their level. All you heard leading upto the Super Bowl from the right was how she was going to be vulgar and typical trash etc.

She came in very classy and got her message and point across while also keeping the high ground.

 

[Korey]

She should have done something more bold. Even if she did this intentionally (which nobody can say she did, since she hasn't said anything), it will just fly over everyone's heads. As a kid we learned this song in class along with all the other American country songs.

 

[KRod-57]

She should have done something more bold. Even if she did this intentionally (which nobody can say she did, since she hasn't said anything), it will just fly over everyone's heads. As a kid we learned this song in class along with all the other American country songs.

Yeah, well unfortunately the version we learned is the edited down one

 

[Chichikov]

Meh, at most it was "political", which it to say it might have made some liberals say "ahh, I understand and agree with that", but knowing Gaga's political positions, the fact that people like Mike Huckabee and Marco Rubio enjoyed it should tell you that she either didn't try, or tried and failed.

And for the record, I'm fine with this show not being overly political, I would be fine with it being super political too by the way, but I think Gaga is walking this line of saying just enough to get praise but not enough to get into real (if minor) trouble, a line she had walked before in her career. I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, she's a pop star after all, but I think it should be noted and contrasted with people who went full in for a cause. Just compare this to what Sinéad O'Connor did in SNL.

 

[Cybrwzrd]

Meh, at most it was "political", which it to say it might have made some liberals say "ahh, I understand and agree with that", but knowing Gaga's political positions, the fact that people like Mike Huckabee and Marco Rubio enjoyed it should tell you that she either didn't try, or tried and failed.

I don't think she was trying to offend. That's the point. I mean I am a little monster that will stand up for her artistic talent no matter what, but getting the haters to not hate something subversive to their stance is much better than making them hate it outright.

 

[Lord_Byron28]

It may have been something small she did. Also of note this was the first time someone performed a pro-LGBT song at the Super Bowl. However, nothing was overtly political and Gaga said she didn't want to do anything political or controversial due to the nature and audience of the superbowl. She was actively rooting for and did fundraising for Hillary Clinton since the primary season. She is also a big fan of Obama. She has made her disdain for conservative policies and Trump known. Not too mention her discography has a bunch of songs that are pro-LGBT, Pro-BLM song, Pro-immigrants, pro-feminism, etc. She could've made a big and controversial political statement if she performed songs like Americano, Goverment Hooker, Born This Way, Angel Down, Scheiße, Come to Mama, etc.

 

[Obliterator]

You mean you didn't notice that was a secret Satanic ritual, used to usher in the power of Satan over the world?

Because the below post is not a joke, this is real. Someone I went to school with shared a video about how this was a Satanic ritual and wrote this, which is totally insane

I edited out the picture as well as the name for their privacy but this was too insane not to share.

 

[Matty77]

You mean you didn't notice that was a secret Satanic ritual, used to usher in the power of Satan over the world?

Because the below post is not a joke, this is real. Someone I went to school with shared a video about how this was a Satanic ritual and wrote this, which is totally insane

I edited out the picture as well as the name for their privacy but this was too insane not to share.

I always find these types of conspiracies funny because as someone who has spent many years reasearching the occult especially ritual with an emphasis on western high Magick the people that believe this have no clue what they are talking about and make themselves look even dumber than most tin foil hat folks.

 

[jaypah]

You mean you didn't notice that was a secret Satanic ritual, used to usher in the power of Satan over the world?

Because the below post is not a joke, this is real. Someone I went to school with shared a video about how this was a Satanic ritual and wrote this, which is totally insane





I edited out the picture as well as the name for their privacy but this was too insane not to share.

Did they ever go on to actually explain what the satanic representation was or did they just jerk off to the fact that us sheep are too blind to see the truth?

 

[Orbis Tabula]

I keep saying that This Land should really be more popular as a protest song given current politics.

There's a verse about a goddamn wall, for crying out loud!

 

[disappeared]

I'd wager Gaga knew This Land was Guthrie's work, and did it to tip her hat to him given the political climate we're in right now.

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

It didn't seem that subtle to me. It's clearly political. Gaga is a very outspoken performer, especially but not limited to LGBT issues.

But with any subtlety at all, people will typically just believe what they want. And that was probably her goal. She snuck a protest in under all the fascists noses, and got them to applaud it in the process.

 

[Killer Queen]

I always find these types of conspiracies funny because as someone who has spent many years reasearching the occult especially ritual with an emphasis on western high Magick the people that believe this have no clue what they are talking about and make themselves look even dumber than most tin foil hat folks.

Send me some stuff to look into and check out. I've been very curious about all of the above (for purely fictional reasons) as it heavily inspires a lot of the art I enjoy and id like to have a better understanding of said arts origins.