Pop Culture and Star Icons Feminism

¶ … Live Performance: Lana Del Rey

Drawing from the imagery and themes celebrated in "Born to Die," the proposed live performance presents a pastiche of patriotism. An oversized American flag provides an ideal backdrop for a set of songs, during which Lana dons a series of outfits that invoke several different elements of American culture and history including cowboy/western-inspired fringed leather jackets and skirts, elegant but classic denim, and a 1950s/retro look replete with old roller skates. Lana will also use a variety of headdresses and accessories, including her iconic flower crown and also a Kentucky Derby-worthy hat. All outfits and sets juxtapose classically feminine aesthetics, such as the flower crown, with traditional symbols of masculinity including guns and sporting gear. Throughout the set, Lana dances provocatively with both male and female dancers and rides a mechanical bull and a motorcycle on the stage.

Contextual Essay

Lana del Rey epitomizes what Gill calls "postfeminism," which consists of seven core features. First, postfeminism is qualified by an "obsessive preoccupation with the body," as the core feature of femininity as opposed to nurturing or motherhood (Gill 149). Therefore, it is critical that the live performance for Lana del Rey include a strong focus on her body and how she uses it. A sexy body defines one's gendered identity; Lana del Rey wears tops that expose her ample cleavage and pants or skirts that display long legs. At times she appears cartoon-like, as if to exaggerate her sexuality in the tradition of Betty Boop or Marilyn Monroe. Lana del Rey capitalizes on her classically sexy body, full lips, and long hair to present the idealized vision of feminine beauty in a live performance. Because the performance is live, it can immediately titillate audience members who either choose to imitate her physical nature or lust for it.

Her beauty is her "source of power," but it requires "constant monitoring, surveillance, discipline, and re-modeling," as with the consumption of makeup and cosmetic surgery products (Gill 149). This is why Lana del Rey manipulates her body, hair, and features in order to present a look that is fabricated and bordering on artificial. The fabricated look of Lana del Rey is nevertheless sexually compelling. As Gill points out, postfeminism is highly sexualized. In this proposed live performance, Lana del Rey not only sexualizes all aspects of American consumer culture on display, but also does so within the constraints of pre-defined idealized feminine beauty. The mechanical bull symbolizes the sexual potency of masculinity, of which Lana herself is the female counterpart. She rides the bull because she is in control of both her own sexuality and also male sexuality. By being sexy, she possesses a degree of tacit power over men. Lana manipulates patriarchy in this live performance by taking the male-constructed vision of idealized feminine beauty and using it to gain access to wealth and power traditionally reserved for men. Like Madonna, Lana del Rey is in control of her image, her music, and her finances.

Another feature of postfeminism is the combination of female sexual hunger with the internalization of the male lusty gaze. Lana has internalized and therefore controls the way men see her. She does the same for the way women see her -- lesbian or not. Women viewing Lana del Rey either want to be her, or criticize her for perceived fakeness, when in fact Lana deliberately manufactures her identity to get what she wants in terms of wealth and power. Whereas the feminist recognizes the problems performing for a male gaze, the postfeminist recognizes that a narcissistic gaze at least attempts to reclaim sexual power. A perfect icon of postfeminism, Lana del Rey proudly admits to her sexual hunger but does not conform to the passive princess identity. In this live performance, as in "Born to Die," Lana del Rey chooses to mate with a man who is not traditional -- he has stretched earlobes and full body tattoos. He does not appear to be a wealthy businessman who will care for Lana like a doll; on the contrary, he represents freedom on multiple dimensions. Because the theme of the live performance is American, the concept of freedom remains central to the imagery and symbolism. Lana is free to choose her image, her mate, and her destiny. To do so, she must practice discipline and use the "self-policing, narcissistic gaze," (Gill 151).

Policing and surveillance are core themes in the live performance, which is replete with video cameras displaying Lana's movements from multiple angles and played back for audience members. The performance mirrors the video for "High by the Beach," in which a military-like helicopter hovers outside of her room indicating not only the masculine power of a police state but also the militaristic element of surveillance. Instead of there being a police contingency inside, though, the helicopter holds paparazzi. At the end of the video for "High by the Beach," Lana del Rey takes what is traditionally a symbol of masculine power, a rocket launcher, and blows up the helicopter. The gesture is potently ironic, which is also a core element of postfeminist discourse. Lana del Rey's blowing up the helicopter is ironic because she symbolically obliterates the male gaze, represented by the paparazzi, and does so with a video game-like humor using the rocket launcher. Moreover, the line "I don't need your money to get what I want" represents postfeminism, which is partly distinguished by female "individualism, choice, and empowerment," (Gill 153). In "High by the Beach," Lana del Rey remains alone and without male companionship; she is independent and then assumes male power by taking the rocket launcher and blowing up a helicopter.