forum 5
friday, october 23, 2009
Grinding it all away Form of dancing can be offensive elleanzhang
T
image by gabe englander
news chief
While many students find grinding to be a perfectly normal activity to take part in at school dances, others feel that it is incredibly inappropriate. Those people feel that students can still have a good time at a dance without grinding.
for Gaga stuartlindle
staff writer
In New York City on Mar. 20, 1986, a girl named Stefani Joanna Angelina Germanotta was born. Of course you probably know Germanotta by another name, Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga’s performances never cease to be full of drama and theatrics. A signature of her live shows, she often slams her stilettos against the piano keys while belting a soulful, acoustic version of her hits: “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” or “Paparazzi.” I remember when I first saw one of Gaga’s performances: a YouTube recording of Paparazzi. Just Lady Gaga and a piano, four minutes, and I was completely and undeniably
captivated. I knew from then on she was not your average pop star. On top of her talent, she also has a knack for eccentric styling. Often dressed in her own design, she will wear a leather cat suit one night and the next it is all about sequins, lace, and leotards. Lady Gaga is not without inspiration, often drawing from a wide range of sources from Andy Warhol and Grace Jones to monsters and burlesque girls. I truly believe that there is no one out right now quite like Lady Gaga. Originality and pop music are two things I never thought could coincide in the same world. But she surprised me. She may be odd and you might not completely understand her but
Controversial pop star develops unique style, encourages fans to develop their own that is why I think she is so great. Lady Gaga’s confidence is admirable, and something I think people should take note of. Not only is she changing the pop industry one sequin at a time, but she also encourages her fans to create their own fame. What she means by this is not that we all should go out and become tabloid hungry stars, but to become famous in our own right. Take that confidence and use it in our day-today lives. Lady Gaga has created a complete image and lifestyle out of herself and committed to it. You may love her, you may hate her, but I do not think she will ever stop surprising us.
photo courtesy of altavista.com
Gaga
he dance floor is crowded with the hot and sweaty. In recent years, this crowd of perspiration-laden teens has been less a result of the going through the grooves of the Evolution of Dance, but is, instead, largely attributed to tasteless grinding. This expression of dance has invaded not only high school, but also junior high dances. It may be harmless fun for some, but at the same time, others will find it satisfying in a certain rather obvious way. While the fact that guys probably do not want to walk around in public flaunting the fruits of a satisfied libido may play a part in toning down the grinding of sensory-loaded body parts, is this kind of dancing something we can honestly enjoy and be proud of? Much of the adult world already passes judgmental eyes on the stereotypical “American teenager,” demoting us as a group of angsty adolescents who are obnoxious and ignorant because we are rebellious, impatient, materialistic brats. But even if there are partial truths in the previous statement, you know and I know that we are much, much more. But how can we prove to the world that we cannot be confined to that box of labels? Well, I guess we have to start by showing them. Dancing in a sexually suggestive way will only add to the flak aimed right at us. Is grinding really as bad as it looks? I would say it looks much worse. Even if there is nothing sexual going on, it still looks that way to those who are honest with themselves.
It is dry humping, but on a dance floor with a room full of people doing the same thing. So yes, grinding looks bad, very bad. I’m sure that if you asked anyone in the world, it would look suspiciously like sex. In terms of grinding though, it may be innocent enough (but if not, this is where the discussion ends), it is still exercising indecent PDA. “Whenever I am asked to chaperone dances, I decline, simply because being in a room with students I know, doing…all that is just uncomfortable,” said Mr. Greg Ulland, math teacher. If the scene is so uncomfortable that teachers stop volunteering to chaperone school dances, something is not right. If grinding was perfectly fine, would you do it in front of your parents? If you answered yes...how about on your parent? (I sincerely hope this is a negative).Why does the incidence of grinding decrease so dramatically from Homecoming and Winter Formal, to Odd Couples? (and yet, some people say that Odd Couples is one of the most enjoyable school dances… so you can have fun dancing without grinding? Breakthrough.) All said, a good image never hurt anyone. Our actions should be a source of pride for us, and they should show others that have more depth than is perceived. We are academic studs, athletic stars, and artistic geniuses. But all of these strengths can be easily overlooked by others on the outside who will only see one part of the picture, a part that is not classy nor discreet. It has always been the mark of a classy individual not to kiss and tell, but grinding quite blatantly shows more than enough without needing to tell “who” or “what.”
LADY GAGA WOWS THE audience at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise Florida. Gaga’s sometimes scandolous outfits make her a controversial performer, as well as an exciting one to see in concert.