to feel pissed off with Lady Gaga?

[Ladyanonymous]

AIBU to feel really quite pissed off that Lady Gaga has done this interview where she admits that she uses Cocaine "occasionally" (a few times a year).

Cocaine is illegal both here and in the states and is a Class A drug, and is not what I would consider one of the "safer" illegal substances (for those of you who are not familiar with my posts I am quite knowledgeable about drugs as I am a schools drugs adviser/counsellor).

It wouldn't bother me so much if it was an artist who didn't have a lot of younger fans (ie - my 11 yr old daughter! ) - but she does.

AIBU to feel that she can do what the hell she wants in the privacy of her own home but she has a responsibility as a public figure not to broadcast this to a lot of young impressionable people therefore normalising it and making it seem an ok thing to do?

I am in two minds - what do you lot think?

No, I'm not saying you do any of that. I'm merely pointing out that you have a lot better chance of controlling what your daughter does and you actually have some sort of standing/right to do so than you have to question what topics an adult who you will never meet discusses and in what direction her opinion sways.
Lady GaGa is only a role model for your daughter if you allow her to be. She never signed up for it and I'd argue that she doesn't even particularly market herself to children so I don't see why she should not air her own opinions because children have started looking up to her.
It's on a par with thoes that bemoan the actions of footballers on or off the pitch because "millions of children look up to them.", so what? Wayne Rooney being fantastic at his particular profession is no reason to hold him up to a different moral standard. Ditto Lady GaGa.

pop stars and illicit drugs and dysfunction is the norm,and has been for a loooooooong time.and no it doesnt destabilise society or cause moral decline.sir paul and the beatles, rolling stones smoked weed didnt precipitate mass drop outs

But don't you feel there was more purpose to the cause of bands in the 70s and 60s?

The fakeness of it all bothers me, the fact that 80% of our school children want to be a footballer, WAG, model or a "Pop Star" totally depresses me. They want the instant hit from "x-factor" they don't see the hard word required to aspire and then achieve. Its all now now now.

We have plastic surgery rather than work out, "celebs" have babies within two minutes of meeting each other, then walk away as soon as the going gets tough. For a lot of kids there is no feel of family or support and they do turn to drugs because they feel shit and because people they take drugs with provide them with a sense of belonging.

All of which has fuck all to do with my OP really - but frustrates and depresses me.

No it's just looking back with rose-tinted glasses.
Children have always wanted to stupid things, because they're children.
The music back then had no more purpose than it does now. It was still for the most part about getting fucked on drugs,shagging groupies (if male) and being rich and famous. Sure the music was better but that's because at the time that's what sold. So did an awful lot of fake crap. There was no more moral imperative to it.
Ditto the aspirations. Just because kids now say they want to be a footballer or a WAG makes them no better or worse than the kids in the 60's who wanted to be an astronaut or a doctor or an airhostess etc. They weren't saying they wanted to be those things because they wanted to work hard, go through intense mental and physical training rarely being praised and working hard behind the scenes for a meaningful and fulfilling life. They were saying it because that's what was lauded and celebrated at the time by the newspapers,magazines and advertising companies. All they were thinking was "I want to be go into space and be on TV."

wasnt around 60s.pop music and dysfunction are norm.doesnt make anyone copy them.isnt a simple cause and effect at all.i liked madonna didn't make me wear a basque or dabble in S&M

No - and I guess I do know that really and I know there have to be other things in place for people to turn to drugs.

I also know that a lot of the time is doesn't work the other way either - Its not like the " Skincare by Heroin" poster was flashing through my brain the first time I tried heroin either

Janice Joplin died of a drugs O/D in 1970 aged 27...

Musicians taking drugs is about as "news" as something that isn't really news...

daftpunk but did she openly admit to it before she died and it then became public which would act as a deterrant in itself IYSWIM?

She was a well known druggie....

plenty current pop schlebs do a my drug hell expose or are photographed intoxicated eg pete doherty, amy, lily.hell couldnt get robbie williams to stop yapping about his problems at one point.none of them are really circumspect are they

I won't have music videos on in the house. I've surprised myself here as I love music - but I'm not bringing up DD to think that women wearing very little & gyrating everything to everyone in lots of make up etc is 'normal'.

I know it's not normal, but I am an adult. I love the music - we still play music all the time, but just try looking at the videos without the music will you? It's ridiculous. To me all the women (yes even so called 'strong' female acts, not just the T&A in male artists videos) are saying "Hi I want to fuck YOU" - dreadful 3 minute messages repeated over and over 24/7.

So I don't have them on in the house. Of course she will see these images out there in the world & I don't feel compelled to protect her from those - but I won't subject her to it as "normal" in her home. And yes I'm hoping and praying by taking small decisions like this now & onwards I might avoid DD becoming celeb obsessed etc like so many young kids today, and allow her the space to be more her own person.

SM - I think the main difference between the 60's and now is the media and the access young people have to it - makes the 60's look like a village fete in terms of access.

Lady Gaga "occasional" cocaine use.

She is a fucking hoover nose!

Also we only really consider the music from those eras as better because obviously only the best music has survived.
At the end of every decade people bemoan how shit the music and culture was but 20 years down the line you listen to the best bits and watch the highlights and forget that KISS ever did that god awful fucking disco album, or that disco even ever existed and somehow the sins of those generations (like not writing your own songs) are somehow acceptable but artists doing the same today should be admonished.
All we remember is the Beatles, The Stones, The Band,Dr.Hook etc. and forget that The Partridge family or the Osmonds ever existed.
Also don't forget they had nowhere near the media coverage we do now so these things weren't publicised and it was in artists interests to hush these things up. Now it depends on your style of music. Put it this way if Hannah Montannah did coke (she doesn't, I'm speaking hypothetically) she wouldn't be publicising it as it doesn't suit her image or the record labels demographic in anyway, when Snoop Dogg or Eminem however do drugs or get involved in a criminal charge their back catalogue makes them mega bucks.

Ladyanonymous;

My youngest son (age 10) isn't really into lady gaga (thankfully)...he's into indie rock. I would find it really hard to find a band he's into where half of them aren't serious drug users.

He also likes keane...do you know them? their lead singer Tom Chaplin has been fighting a well known drug addiction for yrs. I know these bands aren't as "in your face" as lady gaga, but they have young fans...
My personal opinion of school drug advisors is that most kids won't take notice of a single word you say...they're also not going to be influenced by pop stars/bands/footballers etc.....it doesn't work like that...

You are either going to take drugs or you're not....

daftpunk You say "My personal opinion of school drug advisors is that most kids won't take notice of a single word you say...they're also not going to be influenced by pop stars/bands/footballers etc.....it doesn't work like that..."

Thats not true actually as I have loads of kids come up to me in the street or at school and say they remember all the information that was given to them and it helped them make a desicion - its not exactly measurable whether it is effective anyway is it? But they need the info anyway as it is part of their education, and I want young people to make an informed choice esp the more vulnerable SN kids who I work with.

Also you miss the main part of our role. Its to listen to and support kids in crisis - and we are listening to them - not the other way round and being listened to when you never have been and having a safe space to talk about how shit you feel your life is at that point in time is very powerful and if it means that kids feels a bit better and doesn't go out and get totally faced that night because they don't feel they need to then my job is very valid and all the kids I see really look forward to and turn up to all their sessions and most of then make positive changes to their lives.

Please don't think I was saying your work is a total waste of time, that's not what I meant. What I meant was. If you're the type of person who will try drugs ( and I believe there is a personality type) there's very little anyone can do or say to stop you.

Btw, Has drug use gone down in recent years? You would have thought so with all the education in schools now, but as far as I can tell it's gone up.

Ps; back to lady gaga, I'd be more worried that my dd was singing along to: " I'm a free bitch baby " ....have you actually listened to any of her songs?

"this normalisation of using drugs by public figures"

Public figures don't give a false sense of "normalization" by confessing to using drugs. If anything, they reflect the banality of drug use, its widespread use in all strata of society. Recreational drug use is so common that it is "normal" these days.

Exactly do you think certain stars didn't announce their drug use in the past because they feared they'd normalise the drug? No they did it because there'd be a public backlash. Now however the stars are announcing it not because they have normalised it but because it's normal in soceity. It's a sympthom of drug normalisation not the cause.

Just because something is "normal" is some parts of society doesn't mean we shouldn't challenge it...

You can "challenge all you want. That is not the point.

The point is that it is unreasonable to berate a singer/performer for talking about her moderate drug use when said drug use is very common in society at large. The singer is just one out of millions using drugs, not one a pioneer whose example might cause millions to follow.

Of course she's one of millions worldwide, but it doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to challenge or question or accept it for our families. It may be the norm in some parts, but cocaine is not very common in society at large, although I suppose if you mix in circles where it is common it must be tempting to think that everyone is stuffing it up their noses.