Gagatopia

Smack dab in the middle of the most chaotic region of the world would be a bizarrely shaped area of land. Politically, this mass of land named “Gagatopia” would be a Constructivist state, while philosophically it would be Exceptionalist. In other words, Gagatopia’s norms and identities would be constantly shifting which would result in a nationwide feeling of supremacy. It’s not a mystery that Lady Gaga is quite comfortable with herself. She is not afraid of the image she’s creating for herself and the effects she is having on young girls worldwide. What’s not to say that this outlook could not be used statewide? Bright makeup and meat dresses would become the norm; and the citizens of Gagatopia would inevitably scrunch their noses at the blandly dressed foreigners. Furthermore, as mentioned in the podcast, “stability is not presumed,” so it takes work to create a homeostasis. Because of this, Gagatopia would invariable experience an era of complete chaos and incrementally find ways to balance out the culture.

The state identity would, from a Constructivist’s perspective, be constantly shifting. Because Lady Gaga herself is so outlandish and extreme, her precepts would impact the populace. Freedom of dress, speech and actions would be full fledged. Since the norm would be bubble dresses, it would not be unusual for a politician to show up in similar attire to an international convention. As discussed in class, there are certain characteristics we associate with someone who shows up in a bikini to class. One student mentioned it might be an opportunity to flaunt her body which detracts from the studies. Many mentioned it was overall inappropriate for a classroom setting. Despite this, Gagatopia would promote this dress code. Brilliant male and female politicians would trapeze into conference rooms scandalously clad. A high school senior would show up for an interview wearing rainbow colored makeup. Because this is the norm, a Constructivist would say, “There is nothing wrong with this. This is our state identity.”

Consequentially, the citizens of Gagatopia would realize how different they are from the outside world. Some might feel at unease while the majority would confidentially fluff their hair and pride themselves on their appearances. This application of exceptionalism, in that “a state is exceptional and does not need to conform” to the status quo would be prevalent. For example, a typical Gagatopian would presume, “since our state promotes bikinis in classrooms, we have every right to wear bikinis at international conventions.” Slight arrogance and complete freedom of expression would reign. Yet as time goes on, Gagatopia will no doubt create stability through their cultural identity. Like any fad and any famous pop singer, the times change and a new star begins to shine. When this occurs, finally Gagatopia will settle down.