ABSTRACT
Lana Del Rey's success and popularity provoke questions about her authenticity. The cultural heteroglossia she presents in her work often includes striking contrasts in how she satirizes religion, romanticizes Lolita, romanticizes Americana, strives for a meaningless freedom, and in how she presents the aesthetic and physical. For a pop musician, Lana Del Rey compels unexpected and sustained serious analysis. She and her work fit within the artistic and literary traditions of the grotesque in a way that is particularly American. Her American grotesque also emerges from the anomie and whimsy that characterize the hipster, millennial, and slow food movements.
Acknowledgment
Exceptional respect to and thanks for all of Callie Smith's inspiration and guidance. Great thanks to Thomas Kitts and Gary Burns and the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Paul A Crutcher
Paul A Crutcher researches and teaches about empathy in culture, especially in K-12 and higher education, language and literacy (including TESOL), pop culture (e.g., TV, games, movies, comics), children’s and YA literature, religious/secular ethics, and critical theory (particularly gender, sexuality, and LBGTQ issues).