"Do What U Want"/ Self Branding

            After listening to Lady Gaga’s new single, Do What U Want, I immediately thought of our class discussions. As Lady Gaga has become a role model for feminists, even creating her own category of “Gaga Feminism,” I was at first shocked at the lyrics. Her lyrics state, “Write what you want, say what you want about me. If you’re wondering know that I’m not sorry. Do what you want, what you want with my body, what you want with my body.” Confused at the fact that Gaga would never merely sexually objectify herself, I began to analyze the lyrics further. I began to realize that Gaga was not literal when she was speaking “do what you want with my body”; instead metaphorically. Gaga is suggesting that she is more than just the “body” that the media seems to be focused on. She’s suggesting that the media can say/do whatever they want to this “body,” because they are simply just shallow.  

            This relates to Weisers article, “Feminist Labor in Media Studies/Communication: Is Self- Branding Feminist Practice?” Gaga has definitely made a self-brand of herself and a strong force in the feminist movement. The article states, “Feminism helps us to understand self-empowerment as a part of larger processes that move in three directions: toward building community (enabling other’s voices and connected varied forms of expression); speaking critique that is grounded in personal experience (the feminist adage of the “personal is political” is even more heightened in the neoliberal university); and making change accordingly.” I believe Gaga successfully has branded herself to achieve these three goals of feminism, as her lyrics express critique from her experiences, as well as creating a huge following, which shares and expresses her ideas.