Gaga incites concert classification row

19 March 2010

by TMN Opinion

Another day, another controversy surrounding Lady Gaga; but this one takes the cake and apparently throws it back up all over you. The Daily Telegraph spearheaded reports around the country that children were in the audience watching Gaga being puked on, frottered against, and dropping the C word, amongst other EXPECTED Gaga shtick!

As such there has been calls to slap classifications on concerts, advising parents whether it's appropriate for their kids to attend. Has is really come to this?

If it hasn't tweaked yet that a female performer who doesn't wear pants, sings songs about taking a ride on a disco stick, has asked Boy George to sign her vagina, and has consistently and unapologetically produced confrontational and explicit videos isn't suitable for kids, then it's not the concert that should come under question.

The general consensus this morning after a few industry phone calls is that if you, as a parent, are too achingly stupid to figure out that this isn't pre-tween entertainment, then you seriously need reporting to DOCS, as your level of parenting is frighteningly devoid of any responsible decision making.

"I think censorship in most forms is wrong, however with the info that's currently available on artists, their shows, their videos, any parent of a young kid should have known Lady Gaga's performance would be risque. As far as I know theatre isn't classified, and there's a lot of risque stuff going on there," said Michael Gudinski.

Bog-standard 'outraged parent', Linda Fitzsimmons, declared to the Telegraph: "I couldn't believe it. (Jessica) likes her songs and I'm OK with her listening to them. There's no swearing in them and she's too young to understand the hidden meaning," she said. "But if I tried to take her to an MA 15+ movie someone would stop me at the counter. Why not with concerts?"

So she knew what sort of performer Gaga is, yet considered it a cracker of an idea to take her 9 year old! Perhaps it's parents that we should consider classifying.

Unlike Miley Cyrus and her avowed tween audience, who copped the full pole dancing experience, Gaga has never professed to appeal to young kids. And unlike the younger Cyrus sister Noah (9), nor has Gaga produced a slutty line of tween lingerie. Should we bail up the fashion industry to classify clothing too? Would that make Ms Fitzsimmons and her kin happy?

Classifying concerts in lieu of lazy parenting would be equally as pointless.