Lady Gaga through the eras

Once upon a time, 9/11/2012 to be exact in Manchester, in front of thousands if not millions, Lady Gaga explained that the Haus of Gaga collective are not a pop group. 

(c) Jenny Way, 2012

They are a cult, a way of life, a generation. People will look back at her as one of the greatest people to shape the landscape of music and pop culture. Not that they will be looking back anytime soon. Gaga has captivated our attention and conquered the world; shifting our expectations and pushing the boundaries to the extremes. We were made to reconsider what we expected from musicians, from our government, from each other and from ourselves. 

photo credit: bloodyxmary.tumblr.com

She had me at Just Dance. I made a bet with a friend that I would have learned the lyrics and the choreography by heart over the weekend. (I won). I think it resonated with a lot of people as another pop artist with a twist. There was just something special about this one. As The Fame era evolved, she won and lost a lot of fans. With videos such as Paparazzi, some thought she was a little too weird for their liking (oh, if only they knew what was to come in a matter of years). Glamorous outfits, a woman empowered by her sexuality, criminality and obsession - and we just couldn't look away. It was beautiful, it was destructive, it was revolutionary. It ended with the fiery finale of Lovegame, featuring a subtle Michael Jackson tribute and featured Gaga's first onscreen lesbian kiss.

photo credit: aphrodite-bieber.tumblr.com

Then came The Fame Monster era. Gaga's followers were obsessed and no longer identified as fans but as little monsters, and we became a family. We were dedicated to Gaga, and overwhelmingly, she was dedicated to us too. Bad Romance blew our minds - the outfits! The choreography! The art! The symbolism! The sparking bra! Everything seemed like a blur - everyone wanted a piece of her. I know I was dressing like her; I had her shoes, her make-up and her assured confidence. Things only snowballed when Telephone was released. A collaboration with good-girl Beyonce; who was no longer America’s sweetheart but badass girlfriend to Gaga - the honeybee with the fatal sting to negligent boyfriends. Alejandro pushed the bar even further and, criticised as it was, inspired confidence in millions of wide-eyed fans. You don't have to pine over useless ex-lovers! Gaga cried. They do not define you; you are fine without them! And hey - sexual orientation should be something to be proud of!

photo credit: petergilbert.tumblr.com

The Born This Way era killed it (in a good way). Gaga was no longer adjusting the landscape of music and art; she had bulldozed it and was starting afresh. Politics became a focus of Gaga's. The Bullying Is For Losers campaign made President Obama take notice – where the two had a discussion over what Gaga labelled a 'hate crime', and protested one which should be illegal at that. Lady Gaga helped shape history when she urged followers on twitter to get involved, and succeeded, in making New York City, her childhood back garden, a state in which it is legal for gay couples to marry. Born This Way carries a heavy message of love and acceptance, not just between monsters but for everybody, with anger and hate unacceptable ways of responding to negativity. "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life", Gaga shone the way for an inclusive family where everyone protects and loves each other to share an enjoyment of music, art, fashion and technology. People who interviewed Gaga would be bewildered - she was already so unpredictable and extravagant, so how could she possible keep shocking her audiences? Looking back to this time, sheep on stage and breasts set alight seem almost tame compared to onstage castles, aliens, guns, meat machines and motorbikes currently onstage.

Current profile picture on Gaga's twitter: @ladygaga

photo credit: gaga-artpop-era.tumblr.com

We are now well into the ARTPOP generation (capitals necessary), and from what we have seen thus far it features fibre-optic hair, a tribute all things Disney princesses (and also our own late Princess Diana), pigs and sex. The glorification of sexuality and drug-taking combines to create a self-entitled 'Disney princess high'. Although a questionable message for her devotees, her bold empowerment is also used for the greatest of goods. Gaga actively supports the LGBTQ community and recently helped establish the Born This Way Foundation with mother Cynthia, as a charity promoting kindness and aiming to eliminate all kinds of bullying.

photocredit: faultyking.tumblr.com

Currently, Gaga is on a stretch of her ARTPOP tour, following the release of her most recent single, G.U.Y..

I remember when watching television, waiting for the extreme vanity of my super sweet sixteen to begin, and catching an interview with Lady Gaga. I remember this woman with huge sunglasses, a rasping voice and a goal to not to be famous; but to be a star. I think she long-ago fulfilled that prophecy, and this is only the beginning.

My escapism...

So beautiful, if not a little unfriendly

Time for a stretch

And a roll

"Draw me like one of your French girls"

*Harrumph*

Whinny whinny

I can see you, little Shetland pony, who isn't even as big as the fence

Snail

The path into wonderland

"Weeds"

Gorgeous

They let me past without moving

Everything's sunny canal side

Solidarity

Sun sun sun

This looks like a dreamscape

Mama and her babies

Swan lake

This is so romantic

Peek-a-boo

Literally my back garden

She looked up when I blew kisses

Lazy days

(c) Jenny Way,  2014
All photographs are captured with a Nikon Coolpix L810 3.0 Lens

Trafford Centre (Manchester) Haul!

Today I went on a super-shopping spree haul with my bestie, Jess, in search of some super duper fabulous ball gowns for our graduate ball this Sunday.

Although not the gown I chose, this treat from Quiz was reminiscent of Ariel (Disney's underwater princess) and I had to try it on! Albeit slightly too large for my frame, check out the beautiful gossamer material and the pastel pink and mint hues which are so in this spring!

I did buy this, though.

Continuing with the Disney princess theme, I picked up these beauties from Claire's for just £8! Lipsmackers have teamed up with Disney to bring 8 sumptuous chap-sticks. What really sold it for me was that it included the treasured Snow White (very cherry), which has always been my favourite princess.

I also officially knocked down to size small on this trip, and celebrated in style with this simple but cutesy Forever 21 cami top. Black and white monochrome have been very in so far this year, so I'm hopping on board the trend with this steal!

Finally, for the birthday wish list, I tried on this drapey knitted sweater from Hollister, and this navy crop tee.

You will be mine yet!

Ciaté London nail polish review

I wouldn't be lying if I confessed I did an excited little dance this morning when the post arrived. I gleefully signed for the package which came in the most adorable box. I had been waiting on pins for these bad boys, and here is my review as promised.

Firstly, I must comment that not only was the box itself adorable, but the way in which each individual item was carefully sealed within bubble wrap shows that this is a company that goes the extra mile. This is going to sound really sad but, as a beauty fanatic, I couldn't help but line them all up to just soak in their glory.

I soon removed traces of my old nail polish, (Daredevil by Topshop, thank you very much) and set about playing! I layered on the strengthening nail tonic onto my nails but, as it takes time to take work, I am yet to see its effects. 
Top tip: you can use your nail treatment as an undercoat to help for a smoother application and to ensure your nail bed remains healthy.

I then chose the colour mango martini and I am overwhelmed by the results. The colour is luscious and bright, and right on trend after Spring Fashion Week this year. I have to say, wearing 2014's spring must-have is only the cherry atop the gorgeous cake Ciaté have made for me. Not only was the application precise and easy, but you can immediately see the quality in the product. Although expensive, (as one would expect for a high-end nail lacquer) it is definitely worth every penny I paid for it. Whereas most high street brand polishes would feel heavy after the second coat, the layers feel lightweight and have a smooth finish. The orange is bright and faultless, and transfers from bottle to nail perfectly. 

I couldn't resist adding the afterglow topcoat, and I am beyond giddy to see how my nails become luminescent in the dark. I will have to be careful what base colour I use beneath it, however, as it has a glittery lemon-coloured finish which, although perfect for mango martini (albeit softening the colour slightly), will not suit every shade.

Top tip: if purchasing your own Ciaté polishes, check out their loyalty scheme. For every item a number of bows are assigned, each equalling 50p, which will soon add up to give you a lovely chunk off your total when you checkout your basket!

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the Ciaté London products. I believe they are above and beyond any high street brand I have tried previous, and I fully intend to make all future nail lacquer purchases Ciaté purchases.

A short update...

It is currently exam season and I am finding it hard to write on here about as many things as I would like to. I have made sure I have still contributed two articles to MyStudentStyle, and also offered to review two items which are currently in their way in the mail to me!

I just thought I'd share my mid-revision cheer-up purchases with you!
I am a huge fan of Ciate London's nail collection and was made aware, as a subscriber to their online newsletter, there was a flash sale today! Who am I to say no?!
Something good my way comes...

I have chosen a nail tonic because I've noticed my nails recently have become more brittle and prone to breaking. The 3am Girl is supposed to make short nails look dainty and feminine; which would be perfect for my hand type. Pool Party and Mango Martini are colours right on trend this season - bold shades to be seen in by the burning beach this summer. The Afterglow is a naughty treat; I have had my eye on it for a while and will make any sumptuous shade suitable for a rave.

I will be sure to review them when they arrive!

Elliot Rodger's 'Retribution': An Internalised Misogynistic Perception of Entitlement to Women's Bodies.

Elliot Rodger has shot to fame after posting his story, 'My Twisted World' and various videos on YouTube about his 'retribution' of all the girls, by whom he felt his sexual advances were wrongfully rejected, so much so that it was 'criminal' and an 'injustice', and all the boys whose sexual prowess made Rodger desire a life in which he was similar.

Photo credit: www.usatoday.com

Despite his parents' concern over his deteriorating behaviour and visits by the police, who found him to be a shy and well-mannered boy, the long-term Asperger's sufferer was deemed to be a non-threat. This non-threat then successfully shot and killed 6 people in a student-based California town; his main aim a Sorority house filled with 'spoilt, blonde sluts', before ending his own life.

This triggered a worldwide response to Rodger's inherent hatred of women, and the tag #YesAllWomen began trending on social media platform Twitter, where women by their hundreds and thousands tweeted of their own experiences with misogyny and how it left them feeling. 

Whilst focus has been placed on the NRA, US politics concerning gun control and better support systems for those with mental illnesses, as well it should, I think the emphasis due on worldwide misogyny has been misplaced. Whilst a sufferer of Asperger's Syndrome; not all people with the same disease commit such felonies. Similarly, not all people who have the same innate hatred of women are sufferers of Asperger's, or in fact any mental, disease.

The self-confessed root of Rodger's anger against women (and sexually successful men) stems from the belief that he is entitled to the enjoyment of women's bodies for sexual performance. Although he briefly mentions his want for love from women and companionship from his fellow students, particularly, he highlights, during his college years, the manner in which he speaks in a YouTube video filmed in a Cali car park dictates a sense of authority and ownership over women. When Rodger is denied such ownership, when his sexual advances are rejected, he views this failure as a denial of his rights and so views it as 'criminal'. The way in which Rodger describes his fellow students' success with women is that the women are, as is their duty, giving their bodies for his classmates to enjoy; rather than any sense of autonomy or agency on the part of the female.

This is a symptom of a worldwide internalised misogyny, where in the modern day patriarchal society, the sense of superiority over women and sense of dominance over the 'lesser' gender has become the norm. 

Gender is a concept primarily constructed by culture and history. It is a qualitative construct of socio-legal meanings we attach to certain attributes and characteristics of bodies. This process of attaching meaning to bodies is the acceptance of gender-specific norms and behaviours; subscription to which indicates conformity with the hegemonizing form of social control that gender offers. Feminist theorist Butler asserts that biological essentialism can be disputed because although sex is determined by biology, gender is culturally-constructed. The very definition of woman as 'woman' is, as Moi posits, defined by men who, in turn, view the world through a patriarchal perspective. Women are paternalistically assigned their place in society by men (de Beauviour).

When Rodger's attempts of sexual encounters with women (where, as a cisgender heterosexual body, his intercourse would include the submission of the female) are rejected and he fails to achieve the heightened sense of dominance, he is left feeling lonely and confused. This sense of isolation, coupled with a misguided perception of entitlement to the women's body, and any sexual services they may provide him, resulted in such a strong misogynistic anger that he committed the acts he did.

Rodger displays a belief system based on contradicting ideologies which is typical of the misogynist. Women, both as a gendered body and to perform their gender, require possession of conflicting attributes to be accepted by society. Relevant examples of these include chastity, loyalty, innocence and obedience, alongside provocativeness and the ability to sexually please (a male). These realistically cannot all sit complementary within one gendered body, yet misogynistic spheres of society still hold high this expectation. Rodger condemns the girls as 'sluts', thereby having lost their desired sense of innocence. However, he repeatedly admits displeasure over their ability to please other men sexually, acts which he covets for himself, and through no sense of innocence can girls learn how to do this.

Rodger regards the women as 'spoilt'. To be spoilt, women would have to be under a sense of ownership; presumably here he is referring to money and gifts received from parents. However, isn't owning women and having them obey to his sexual fantasies precisely what Rodger desires? Isn't the denial of such a desire the premier reason his anger grew?

This distorted sense of womanhood, and what womanhood should mean for men, is symptomatic of a modern patriarchal society where the internalised misogynistic perspective of what it means to be feminine is possessed by almost all men and, unfortunately, some women. This upsetting fact means that the dislike of, and sense of superiority over, womankind has become so normalised over time that women view themselves as a sub-species without even realising they are doing it.

Nev Schulman, hit MTV show Catfish host, made a post on Facebook regarding the shootings and, although briefly mentioning hatred for women as a growing social issue, focused his (long) statement on how we could better progress as a society by inclusion and preventing the sense of isolation Rodger felt. Excuse me? Although I agree fundamentally that those suffering from mental distress should have better communication channels to facilitate their rehabilitation, it must be acknowledged that the ONLY cause of this tragedy is Rodger's anger towards women. Instead of feeling pity for the lonely underdog, we should feel a sense of anger that men of today feel so entitled to women's bodies that when they are denied it, they feel it only right that they can take life, to force compliance out of women. What about the families who have just lost their daughters? Women who, Rodger admits, have done nothing personally to him - they were just innocent bystanders; a front for all womankind, against whom Rodger directed his anger. 

Rodger's victims.
Photo credit: www.independent.co.uk

Yes, Nev, "[w]e ALL want to be accepted and feel desired". However, you do not possess the right to be desired. You are not entitled to women's love, body or sex. Nev's statement, although of some merit, has little credibility because it is written from a male-privileged perspective; which is precisely the problem I have been trying to illustrate throughout this article.

Instead of encouraging people, namely women, to reach out and make the stereotypical loner feel wanted and sexually-desired, how about encouraging men to respect women and their autonomy? How about educating men that women are not objects to be dominated or owned, but that they are animals of free-will and if they do not find you sexually or romantically attractive, then tough. Get over it. Dealing with rejection and loneliness is an aspect of every single person's life; women or men. No one has the right to own another person or to restrict their autonomy. The longer we view sexual engagements as ownership over women's bodies; the longer this problem will continue. 

Spring cleaning of my bookshelf!

There is nothing more calming to me than sitting by my bookshelf, surrounded by all my books. I love the feel of them, their smell, the sound the pages make as I squeeze them together... It is my eternal offering of solace. 
It is so beautiful to me. Although it may appear messy to the stranger - for me, all of my favourite worlds are contained within it. There is no logical order, no alphabetization of author's surname or discernible genre categorization but I know where everything is. I know where a singular book is because I put it there - because it was its place and there was literally nowhere else I could put it where it would more so belong.
Because of its ceaseless beauty to me, I thought I'd share it with you.

My own personal nirvana.

I'm a huge fan of Daphne DuMaurier. I am endlessly inspired by her dreamy prose, and feel a soulful connection with her as we both shared a childhood in the sandy realms of Cornwall.

I collect books with pretty covers.

Alice in Wonderland to me is one such book.

Could the pages possibly be any more enchanting?

My favourite author of all time, Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald.
"And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

What's on Jenny's bookstand this week:
'Frenchman's Creek' by Daphne DuMaurier
(for the eighth time...)

A cheeky picture of me before the pub last night.
#butfirstletmetakeaselfie