Nietzsche maintains that Wagner was a "stage-player" in music, a representation of "declining civilations" where "the arbitrating power falls into the hands of the masses, genuineness becomes superfluous, disadvantageous, and a drawback. It is only the stage-player that still awakens great enthusiasm" (The Case of Wagner, 39). This is still very true today, with most "chart-toppers" being solely stage-players (at least on the pop charts). It seems that in the realm of popular music, popularity is not judged on ability, but showman ship, as Nietzsche puts it, the "Wagnerian ideal [. . .] gets along badly with talent" (41). This particular music choice, however, is clearly satirical in its representation of pop culture entertainment. It illustrates that "Nothing, however, can cure music in the main thing, of the main thing, of the fatality of being the expression of a physiological contradiction, - of being modern" (55). This is evident with any celebrity that has been famous for being controversial or revolutionary, they become enveloped in the "main thing" or main stream and cease to be revolutionary. Lady Ga Ga, for example, has become a caricature of herself, pumping out the same music, same gimmicks, minus the satire, she has bought into the fame and the culture she used to make fun of. When I listen to the pop radio, and I see what the top hits and most played/requested/downloaded songs are, I can't help but agree with Nietzsche when he says, "no God can save music" (55).
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