I can't believe this thread hasn't been posted (if it has, I haven't seen it) But the question is: is Born This Way (the song) reductive?

Note: the question is not do you think Born This Way copied/ripped off/etc Express Yourself, its do you think its reductive -

Reductive: Tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form, esp. one viewed as crude.

Crude: (of an action) Showing little finesse or subtlety and as a result unlikely to succeed.

Discuss.

If born this way is reductive then what the **** does that make everything else? Atleast gaga incorporated **** thats old to bring us something we havent heard in a while- where as other people incorporated things into there music THAT WE JUST HEARD LIKE JUST YESTERDAY. **** that give us something different. Not necessarily NEW but DIFFERENT.

I don't think so, no. It sounds influenced by Express Yourself, yes - but I do not consider it reductive. And to be totally honest, I don't think the majority of people TRULY believe BTW to be a carbon copy of EY...I find it to be very bandwagonny.

Yes.

No.

my thoughts exactly

To deny BTW doesn't sound like EY is delusional... but calling it reductive is entirely different

I think the whole "I was born this way" argument is a bit reductive.

Yeah, sort of.

Argument? Its the truth. Theres a difference between an argument and something thats simply fact.

It has—in about 359 different variations over the last year.

I thought it would be interesting to make a poll to see the results, which to my knowledge wasnt already posted, but if it was, let me know...

Oops, I will make that clear

I know you posted the definition but what does it mean?

It is a fact but when you scream "I can't help it. I was born this way!" whenever someone disapproves of your sexual orientation, you slide down the slippery slope of comparing your sexuality to a "mutation" or a "deformity". IMHO, you shouldn't have to justify your sexual orientation.

But this argument doesn't have much to do with the song. It's an entirely different topic.

..M was basically saying that the song BTW was an obvious/unsubtle rip off of EY, but a simplified version

Seriously, reductive is a poor word choice. Madonna only used it because she wanted to say BTW was a lesser version of her song. It doesn't really work using it by itself. Especially for those criticising the song's lyrics, which Gaga made so bold and obvious, on purpose.

It was the #1 song in America for 6 weeks and was #1 in almost every country on iTunes the day it was released, so no.