Haylie Unger

Literature of the Future

21 June 2011                    

Lady Gaga: Future Visionary in a Bad Romance

“Bad Romance” Music video: Lady Gaga (released October 2009)

5:08

Lady Gaga Unveils Polaroid Sunglasses: 2011

3:23

Objective 2—Visions / Scenarios of the Future

2. To identify, describe, and criticize typical visions or scenarios of the future (seen from 2009).

a.      high tech; virtual reality—slick, cool, unreal, easy with power (+ cyberpunk style)

Objective 4—Genres

4. To identify genres of future literature

• science fiction, sf, speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy; hard & soft sf + sub-genre: cyberpunk (virtual reality plus real-world actuality)

 

Questions:

1.)  What elements of Lady Gaga’s video seem futuristic? Identify characteristics of cyperpunk, inverted millennialism, others?

 

2.)  What do the lyrics of “Bad Romance” and the imagery in the video suggest about Lady Gaga’s vision of the future?

 

3.)  Which of literature’s three narratives of the future (evolutionary, apocalyptic, or alternative) does Lady Gaga’s work seem to embrace?

Cyberpunk Definition from Dr. White’s Literature of the Future Postings: http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/hsh/whitec/litr/4632/default.html

 

Cyberpunk identification: cyberpunk < cybernetics + punk. cybernetics = artificial intelligence, computer systems. punk = street style, semi-outlaw, walking line between in and out

Cyberpunk style and content markers / "signatures" or conventions: body enhancement and transgression: implants, extensions

Inverted millennialism: That is, cyberpunk is *not* millennial, despite sense of general decline and munginess. Rather, people survive, even beauty survives or is remembered amid general decay of overpopulated, hustling world. Austin TX as one center of cyberpunk movement (Bruce Sterling, Lewis Shiner, authors of "Mozart in Mirrorshades" etc.)

Bad Romance

Abridged lyrics

 

Caught in a bad romance
Want your bad romance
I want your ugly
I want your disease
I want your everything
As long as it's free
I want your love
I want your drama
The touch of your hand
I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand
I want your love
You know that I want you
And you know that I need you
I want it bad, your bad romance
I want your love and
I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
I want your love and
All your lovers' revenge
I want your horror
I want your design
'Cause you're a criminal
As long as your mine
I want your love
I want your psycho
Your vertigo stick
Want you in my rear window
Baby you're sick
You know that I want you
('Cause I'm a free bitch baby!)
And you know that I need you
I want your bad, your bad romance
Walk, walk fashion baby
Work it
Move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk passion baby

I'm a freak bitch, baby
I want your love and
I want your revenge
I don't wanna be friends