Lady Gaga And The Wheelchair
Everyone has been asking me, "did you see the wheelchair dancer on the VMA? With Lady Gaga?" I didn't. I don't have a television (by choice). Since then, I have been chasing down images and video of this so-called wheelchair dancer: Youtube keeps removing them for reasons of copyright violation. Finally, however, I am in the picture: Lady Gaga shows up dancing with (among other things) a crutch and, about halfway into the song, a woman in a wheelchair is wheeled on by a large muscular African American man.
People let me be clear: There's a lot to say about the racial and gender politics of that performance. There's as much to say about the politics of disability. AND that wasn't an example of dancing in a wheelchair. That was NOT wheelchair dancing. That woman (I don't know whether she is disabled) did not perform as a dancer; she was a prop. If you didn't see it -- this picture is from the mtv site and the video clip is from Lady Gaga's own site (the wheelchair moment is just after the 2 minute marker); I can't post them for copyright reasons.
Anyway, check out the slumped position and revel in the 2 or 3 arm jerks; we don't get to see the woman's face - that might be a feature of camera angle and the clip, though. Is this woman disabled? I suspect not. I suppose that this was some hyper ableist imagination of spasticity and paralysis. But suppose for a moment that she is disabled. Imagine that this movement is what her body does as she dances. Why didn't they stop and explore it? Why not choreograph it so that we can see a disabled body move? And if you want some wild arm flinging movement, why not integrate her into the piece itself. There's some pretty wild arm flinging going on in the non-disabled sphere; she'd fit right in. But no. As usual, the (fake?) disabled person is merely a body wheeled on for display in a piece of gaudy pop art that passes for a wheelchair.
I'm not up for celebrating this piece of scenery as a "historic occasion:" the first time anything disability related shows up at the VMA. I would be impressed if Lady Gaga et al had hired actual dancers who use wheelchairs to be part of the performance. If you don't like any of the arty modern dance/ballet companies and hate ballroom dancing, hire the Colours 'N Motion hip hop dancers. There are disabled dancers who use wheelchairs. But whatever you do and whoever you hire, respect the art, reward the artistry, and support the artists whose work it is to extend their bodies in the power and grace of dance.
14 comments:
"But whatever you do and whoever you hire, respect the art, reward the artistry, and support the artists whose work it is to extend their bodies in the power and grace of dance."
Well said!!
The wheelchair seems very strange there /out of context--and yes, she does seem to just be a prop. I googled to see how/if the media responded and saw she also uses the wheelchair in one of her videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQJ9Vi8GLok&feature=player_embedded
Warning: images of violence against women.
The VMA performance seems to based on the video for Paparazzi, which is also rife with disability imagery. Though little of it could be called wheelchair dancing, Lady Gaga is seen in a "Ironsides" wheelchair (which was originally intended to be decorated with a designer logo), and struggling on crutches while wearing a "robot" outfit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQJ9Vi8GLok
(The wheelchair scene begins around the three minute mark.)
I'm not sure if the video is supposed to depict a jealous recovering Lady Gaga leaving a trail of destruction in her wake, or further victims of the abusive boyfriend. In either case, I found the "suicide" imagery of the VMA incoherent and repulsive.
You stole my idea for today's post, thankfully, because you did it much better. Obviously an actor, not dancer...I'm thinking. All above comments hit the head too. Darn.
Thanks for posting about this. I agree with much of what you say and issues you bring up. It seems very token (although I guess it wouldn't even be token if she's not a dancer who's disabled?).
I just watched the video though and this moment shown is so brief, but I do see a woman dancing (although there's so much major problematic things that you name well). I guess I've seen people who are wheelchair users dance a little like her). She doesn't look slumped or spastic to me (although maybe I didn't get your comment about spasticity and paralysis).
(On a whole other note, my computer program just underlined "spasticity" as a misspelled word because it didn't recognize this word or have it in its dictionary. Weird.)
Also, I didn't really get the video--I mean, the blood and all--what's going on, not that I care that much, but maybe I'll have to watch the original video.
Also, thanks for the info on Colours N Motion--wasn't familiar with them.
Oh, man, did you see the official video? I just watched it for some context for the live thing. I'll leave the comments for someone who can stomach it!
PS re: the live video, my partner says, "If this is a music awards show, the wheelchair is the least of their problems."
Wheelchairs have always been nothing more than a piece of metal with wheels that gets me from A to B. As long as it's comfortable and in my favourite colours, I am happy.
I like Lady Gaga as an artist. I watched the performance, found myself entertained by her use of the wheelchair as a performance prop and that was all. Actually if you want to get intellectual about it, you could see her as having showed it as an object through which a person can express themselves - be creative and vital like you are - and not something that represents 'tragedy' or sickness.
This is probably another one of those times when the disabled community will pile on top of me and tell me I'm wrong, but....**shrug**. I don't see why everything has to be politicized and dissected.
Off to watch the official video ... it's online somewhere, right?
@NYC disability -- Ironsides... love it.
@Gaina -- we're chalk and cheese. I love that about you.
WCD
I think the art is being taken out of context. Perhaps the woman was scenery - that doesn't mean Ms. Gaga is a hater of the disabled, it means it was used as a symbol.
Amen, Gaina.
Hi,
quoted you yesterday. Good analysis, the paragraph ending with "...and support the artists whose work it is to extend their bodies in the power and grace of dance."
Kjell/Moomstheatre Sweden
@Gaina: I can't find the page now, but I read a bunch of comments about the official video by able-bodied people in which they expressed unease at the use of a wheelchair and crutches. They felt it was glamorizing disability and were uncomfortable with the sexualization.
I'm uncomfortable with the suicide imagery being associated with disability (yet again) but think wheelchairs are due for a little glamorization. So in that sense, I liked the wheelchair and crutches being used as vehicles for personal expression. However, the video would have been vastly improved had Lady Gaga done some real wheelchair dancing (and possibly some adapted martial arts? well, one can always dream) to symbolize her empowerment, instead of the trail of destruction.
I took the woman in the wheelchair as more like someone being wheeled out of a hospital or rehab or something and less like a disabled person. I thought that was the reference they were making there.
The thing about Lady Gaga (as if there were just ONE) is that she is very intentional in everything she does; so whatever effect the "wheelchair" or any aspect of her performance may have had, it was almost certainly intended. If it made people uncomfortable or question something, you can bet that's exactly what Gaga was going for.
I expect you'd have a conversation that went something like: "Why didn't you get a real wheelchair dancer out there instead of that morbid spectacle?" "To make you ask me that question. Mission accomplished."
Provocative is one word to describe the Lady.
the Dancer in the Wheelchair is not disabled - and she is in the entire performance (not always in the chair) just look for the red hair... her name is Sloan Rabinor. She is an tour with Gaga now as a Dancer.
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