I LOVE all the costumes in Lady Gaga's Telephone music video! The American flag outfit at the end, however is my favorite!
I have seen a lot of knock-off costumes for sale online but none of them do the outfit justice. Follow these instructions to have an authentic looking Lady Gaga American flag costume!
Special thanks to Culturespy and frenzy, and scoochmaroo!
I have seen a lot of knock-off costumes for sale online but none of them do the outfit justice. Follow these instructions to have an authentic looking Lady Gaga American flag costume!
Special thanks to Culturespy and frenzy, and scoochmaroo!
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Lady Gaga and Beyonce are fierce in there American flag outfits in the Telephone music video.
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That being said, I personally don't agree with anyone who wants to ban everyone from doing something just because it offends them personally. As such, I consider those parts of the Flag code that attempt to prohibit desecration or wearing of the flag, as patently ridiculous. The 2nd amendment is awesome. Every country should have codified in law the right to freedom of speech. How can a country, begun with such lofty ideals and with freedom at its core, dictate that a flag may not be hung upside-down, or burned, or made into a suit. It boggles the mind. No one has the right to not be offended.
Of course, it's slightly disingenuous to say that wearing the flag, or a garment made from it is "illegal" when the law is unenforced and unenforceable. While technically true, when was the last time that it was enforced against a private citizen? In recent memory, Air Force General Richard Myers, once Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wore a shirt similar to the one Abbie Hoffman was wearing, on Memorial Day, in Washington DC.
And of course, if you want to wear the Gaga costume and are arrested, just tell them it's the flag of Liberia but that you added more stars to "jazz it up". ;)
I can assume that if the Taliban or any other foreign rebel group or terrorists should burn the US flag and feel it necessary to video it and send it to us, that that is okay, right? And it's also okay, by you, to graffiti the white house with spraypaint as freedom of speech, right?
The failure of government or the people to enforce a law or code does not mean that it should not be enforced.
The subject of racial slurs is a contentious issue, which is, I suppose, why you brought it up. Bravo. In an ideal world, you could use whatever language you liked. However, in an ideal world, they would have been no such thing as slavery, no Jim Crow laws and no need for the civil rights movement.
Personally, I think that you should be allowed to use such language provided there is no intent to incite violence or cause actual harm, however there's a very good argument for any increased sensitivity in applying Freedom of Speech in the case of racial slurs. I.e. Because up until about 40-50 years ago, people were still being lynched in the U.S. because of the colour of their skin and the socio-economic after-effects of slavery & of Jim Crow laws are still being felt today.
For another example, do I hate Westboro Baptist Church and everything they stand for? Yes. Do I hate their inflammatory, ugly, hate speech? Yes. Do I respect their right to say the things they do? Yes.
"One day you will understand" Wow...how very condescending of you. Not sure that fits in with the "be nice" policy. I don't know what you mean by "public school indoctrination". I wasn't even taught by the American public school system, let alone indoctrinated by it. (Thank Thor. :)
The fact of the matter is that, for better or worse, the U.S. is a major super-power. It has the ability to start unjust wars and topple governments in 3rd world countries at will. It even has the potential to destroy the entire planet with nuclear weapons, if it so chose. The idea of it being so insecure that it needs to protect its flags from "desecration" is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard.
If a student burns a flag in protest at U.S. foreign policy, do Obama and Clinton cry themselves to sleep? I sincerely hope not. It has caused no harm other than to someone's sensibilities. If that student is so much as arrested for burning that flag then they have been caused infinitely more harm than they caused. For that reason, yes. A thousand times yes, they should be able to "stick it to the man" and be protected from "the man".
FYI, while I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with you, nowhere in my original comment did I express any real desire to "Stick it to The Man" , I just wanted to A) point out how ridiculous the Flag Code is in any country that purports to be Free and B) point out that like most ridiculous laws, the Flag Code is unenforced/unenforceable.
Unfortunately costume can be an issue for many, but not so much for use who have been taking note of what has been going on in the real world for years. At worst this is a facsimile of of elements in the USA flag, that are not assembled in a manner to depict the flag in entirety. I believe for some the original lady gaga costume was problem, was an issue because it was lady gaga, and that her costume may or may not have been made from an actual flag. I'm unable to find reliable information as to how the original was constructed. Country/western artists are often seen with borderline violations of the US flag code, but no issue is ever or rarely taken.In the event the current code was enforced literally, it would soon be revised, because the code as it is prohibits activities that many take for granted.
I don't know why I would ever do that though. It would have to be for a very good reason... So it is good that the poster did not do that, a Lady Gaga costume wouldn't be very good reason to desecrate a flag.
Perhaps you may not understand the value of the banner of my country, but that's exactly why it's just better left un-touched. You may not understand, but I do. Take a look at the case of Abbie Hoffman. Feel how you feel about politics, he got in trouble for wearing a shirt made out of an American flag, not for wearing a shirt with the American flag on it.
It has been ruled that you can do whatever you want to our flag, legally. But that doesn't mean that it's any less of an important, treasured symbol. All I ask is that it not be desecrated. I'm not trying to start something here, and I ask that others try not to as well. I'm simply explaining why I feel that the subject at hand is sensitive.
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) and
United States v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990)
So yes, thank you for not making this out of an actual flag.
Abbie Hoffman was arrested for making a shirt from a flag, but probably more so that he wanted to get arrested for it, publicity stunt for his neo-whatever movement.
Thank you for posting the reference.
GM