# Will Lady Gaga be "relevant" a year from now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006 "2010-09-16T19:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/141 "2010-09-20T00:54:33Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > > > I didn’t say she’s irrelevant _now_, I said she’s irrelevant _period_, the implication being that modern tastes are fickle and that she’ll almost certainly be forgotten > > Whether or not she’ll be forgotten 13 years from now has very little to do with how relevant she is now. You’re still confusing popularity with relevance. Relevance includes influencing things. Show me how she’s had a major influence on the structure of pop music. That’s the difference between, say, the Beatles and the guy who sang “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini”. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/142 "2010-09-20T01:02:47Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > You’re acting as if that by saying something is relevant I’m giving it an endorsement. Octomom isn’t nearly as well known as Lady Gaga. That you’d think they’re even in the same league of fame is bewildering. Lady Gaga, far more so than Octomom, has become a household name. So yes, she’s relevant. > > I am not so sure this is true—Octomom was national (international?) news for a while there; I would bet there are significantly more Americans who could tell you a bit about Octomom than who have a clue who/what Lady Gaga is… I think this is absolutely false. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/143 "2010-09-20T01:19:10Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > > I am not so sure this is true—Octomom was national (international?) news for a while there; I would bet there are significantly more Americans who could tell you a bit about Octomom than who have a clue who/what Lady Gaga is… > > I think this is absolutely false. I guess you are wrong then… ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/144 "2010-09-20T01:22:36Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > You’re acting as if that by saying something is relevant I’m giving it an endorsement. Octomom isn’t nearly as well known as Lady Gaga. That you’d think they’re even in the same league of fame is bewildering. Lady Gaga, far more so than Octomom, has become a household name. So yes, she’s relevant. > > I am not so sure this is true—Octomom was national (international?) news for a while there; I would bet there are significantly more Americans who could tell you a bit about Octomom than who have a clue who/what Lady Gaga is… …I’m sorry, but who the hell is Octomom, and how on earth does she compare to Lady Gaga? We just had sell out tours of Gaga here in New Zealand, does Octomom tour? Does she have an album? Why should I have heard of her? Lady Gaga has obvious talent, what talent does this Octomom have? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/145 "2010-09-20T01:26:30Z")
I am calling bullshit. I think you know who Octomom is. If you didn’t, I don’t think you would have questioned her talent. Sure, Octomom ain’t selling out no tours, but I think you’ve heard of her. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/146 "2010-09-20T01:32:25Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > I think this is absolutely false. > > I guess you are wrong then… Lol… ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/147 "2010-09-20T01:37:27Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I am calling bullshit. I think you know who Octomom is. If you didn’t, I don’t think you would have questioned her talent. Sure, Octomom ain’t selling out no tours, but I think you’ve heard of her. …are you claiming, as **MPB in Salt Lake** seems to imply, that Octomom is anywhere close to being known worldwide as Lady Gaga? A simple yes or no would suffice. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/148 "2010-09-20T01:46:06Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > > > I am calling bullshit. I think you know who Octomom is. If you didn’t, I don’t think you would have questioned her talent. Sure, Octomom ain’t selling out no tours, but I think you’ve heard of her. > > …are you claiming, as **MPB in Salt Lake** seems to imply, that Octomom is anywhere close to being known worldwide as Lady Gaga? A simple yes or no would suffice. I specified Americans in my post, but I would bet that an even greater percentage of the worldwide population has heard of Octomom than of Lady Gaga. She had 8 children in one go, all while she was an unemployed single mother of 6 kids, all under the age of 8… It was an international story, and ignited medical ethics debates all over the country, and throughout the international medical community. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/149 "2010-09-20T02:03:05Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > > > …are you claiming, as **MPB in Salt Lake** seems to imply, that Octomom is anywhere close to being known worldwide as Lady Gaga? A simple yes or no would suffice. > > I specified Americans in my post, but I would bet that an even greater percentage of the worldwide population has heard of Octomom than of Lady Gaga. > > She had 8 children in one go, all while she was an unemployed single mother of 6 kids, all under the age of 8… > > It was an international story, and ignited medical ethics debates all over the country, and throughout the international medical community. …you said this: > [@](#): > > I am not so sure this is true—Octomom was national\*\* (international?) \*\*news for a while there; I would bet there are significantly more Americans who could tell you a bit about Octomom than who have a clue who/what Lady Gaga is… In a thread about Lady Gaga, if you want to imply that Octomom has a higher profile than Lady Gaga: especially internationally, then you have to provide evidence. I have heard Lady Gaga on the radio twice already today and last night saw her on TV. In comparison: Octomom…who the hell is Octomom? She may have been on the news maybe once maybe a year ago in the human interest segment for about three minutes, but debate across the international medical community does not make a relevant comparison make. And you think that a greater percentage of the worldwide population have heard of Octomom than Lady Gaga? Laughable. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/150 "2010-09-20T02:08:30Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Laughable. Funny, I feel the exact same way about your opinion…😃 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/151 "2010-09-20T02:10:12Z")
Who the fuck is Freddie Mercury? What? You’ve never heard of JonBenét Ramsey? She was on television! INTERNATIONALLY! ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/152 "2010-09-20T02:14:59Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I specified Americans in my post, but I would bet that an even greater percentage of the worldwide population has heard of Octomom than of Lady Gaga. > > She had 8 children in one go, all while she was an unemployed single mother of 6 kids, all under the age of 8… > > It was an international story, and ignited medical ethics debates all over the country, and throughout the international medical community. Yeah, but pop music gets to more people than the debates of the international medical community. Also, having hordes of children is itself less remarkable worldwide than in an Americans-only context. I confidently put my money on more human beings on the planet in 2010 recognizing “Lady Gaga” and identifying her as a pop singer, than recognizing “Octomom” and identifying her as a chronic in-vitro breeder, or whatever she is. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/153 "2010-09-20T02:15:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Who the fuck is Freddie Mercury? > > What? You’ve never heard of JonBenét Ramsey? She was on television! INTERNATIONALLY! More Americans have heard of JonBenet Ramsey than have ever heard of Lady Gaga. (it’s not even close)` ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/154 "2010-09-20T02:17:24Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > Who the fuck is Freddie Mercury? > > > > What? You’ve never heard of JonBenét Ramsey? She was on television! INTERNATIONALLY! > > More Americans have heard of JonBenet Ramsey than have ever heard of Lady Gaga. (it’s not even close)` Are you out of your mind? ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/155 "2010-09-20T02:20:26Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > [Yeah, but pop music gets to more people than the debates of the international medical community. Also, having hordes of children is itself less remarkable worldwide than in an Americans-only context. > > I confidently put my money on more human beings on the planet in 2010 recognizing “Lady Gaga” and identifying her as a pop singer, than recognizing “Octomom” and identifying her as a chronic in-vitro breeder, or whatever she is. If there was a way we could realistically figure out a way to do this (maybe we can just do a poll here on SDMB, I am game if we could determine a way to get a fair sample and decide what forum to place it in) I will bet you $100 of my money to just $25 of yours that Octomom is far more well known than Lady Gaga in the USA. ETA—I am serious—I may well be wrong, but I think I would be practically stealing your 25 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/156 "2010-09-20T02:21:52Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > > > Laughable. > > Funny, I feel the exact same way about your opinion…😃 …well, its simple enough to prove me wrong. Provide some citations that greater percentage of the worldwide population have heard of Octomom than Lady Gaga. Currently Lady Gaga is on the Monster World Tour, where she has or will be playing in Canada, the United States, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Croatia, Hungry, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. The shows have been consistently sold out. > **[The Monster Ball Tour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monster_Ball_Tour)** > > The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, The Fame Monster (2009), the concert largely comprised songs from that recording as well as Gaga's debut album, The Fame (2008). The tour visited various arenas and stadiums, performing over 200 shows between November 2009 and May 2011. With the tour separated into three respective North American and European legs, as well as visiting Australia, New Zealand a... [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/lady-gaga-soldout-tour-adds-2011-tour-dates-1970444.html](http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/lady-gaga-soldout-tour-adds-2011-tour-dates-1970444.html) What evidence do you have that Octomom comes close to getting the coverage of Lady Gaga in any of the countries she tours in? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/157 "2010-09-20T02:22:47Z")
Obviously it’s impossible for me to show how many Americans have heard of this or that, but look at this: Searching “JonBenet Ramsey” on Google yields 137 thousand results. Not bad. “Octomom” is even more impressive, getting 3.4 million. Very nice. “Lady Gaga” gets _80_ million. 137,000 vs 80,000,000. You are _completely_ out of touch. Preview: Beaten by **Bear**. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/158 "2010-09-20T02:28:39Z")
Just because _you’re_ more familiar with Octomom than Lady Gaga doesn’t mean that’s how the rest of the world is. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/159 "2010-09-20T02:28:50Z")
If you asked 1000 random adult Americans (in a true random sample) I would bet (remember, 25 will get you 100) that more are familiar with who Octomom is than who Lady Gaga is. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/160 "2010-09-20T02:33:24Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Obviously it’s impossible for me to show how many Americans have heard of this or that, but look at this: Searching “JonBenet Ramsey” on Google yields 137 thousand results. Not bad. “Octomom” is even more impressive, getting 3.4 million. Very nice. > > “Lady Gaga” gets _80_ million. > > 137,000 vs 80,000,000. > > You are _completely_ out of touch. > > Preview: Beaten by **Bear**. …just looked up Octomom on our local TV site: there were five news stories, the last one dated March 26th 2010. > **[Error 404](https://www.tvnz.co.nz/search/ta_ent_search_news_skin.xhtml)** Lady Gaga had 219 stories: last dated September 14th. > **[Error 404](https://www.tvnz.co.nz/search/ta_ent_search_news_skin.xhtml)** (warning, links may not work, due to cookie settings, etc so just go to TVNZ and search if it doesn’t) The claim that a greater percentage of the worldwide population have heard of Octomom than Lady Gaga is laughable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006.md?page=9)