"Pop icon Lady Gaga can`t seem to catch a break with her recently released song "Born This Way". First she was accused of sounding too much like Christina Aguilera`s in `Beautiful` and then of borrowing the idea and lyrics from Carl Bean`s `Born this Way` and now some Arizona Latino groups are chiming in with their opinion.
Organizations like Chicanos Unidos Arizona and MEChA do not like Lady Gaga`s use of the words `Chola` and `Orient` in her lyrics, viewing both as being racist and derogatory.
The word chola according to the critics refers to Latina girls in gangs, Latinas from the barrio who have a certain look about them and conjure very negative stereotypes."
"No matter gay, straight or bi
Lesbian, transgendered life
I`m on the right track, baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made
I`m on the right track, baby
I was born to be brave"
As an Hispanic liberal who has been writing essays supporting gay rights for twelve years, I agree with the pro-gay sentiments of this song. But just because a song has life-affirming lyrics it doesn`t necessarily means it`s a great work of art. Lady Gaga`s new single has no subtlety or nuance, it sounds like something that a beauty queen who yearns for world peace would write.
Are Latinos supposed to be grateful that a white superstar, born of privilege, included a racist shout out to our community? Not all Latino ladies are "cholas" in the barrio, some of them are teachers, writers, engineers and nurses and doctors.
Don`t waste your hard-earned money downloading "Born This Way", if you want to hear a great song with great lyrics give Christina Aguilera`s "Beautiful" a spin.
Lady Gaga should apologize to Hispanics, Christina Aguilera, Carl Bean and pop music fans for her execrable song, and she should immediately pull her song from the market.
"Born This Way" makes Debby Boone`s "You Light Up My Life" seem like the greatest song in the history of pop music.
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