Is passion always a good thing?

This bit from Lady Gaga made me think about a few things.

“I have attention. Is it that you believe that I am attention-seeking or shock for shock's sake, or is it just that it's been a long time since someone has embraced the art form the way that I have? Perhaps it's been a couple of decades since there's been an artist that's been as vocal about culture, religion, human rights, politics. I'm so passionate about what I do, every bass line, every EQ. Why is it that you don't want more from the artist, why is it that you expect so little, so when I give and give, you assume it's narcissistic?"

Is she right? Is the general public/media hypocritical where she’s concerned? Do we only want recording artists to be bigger and better in a way defined by the box we’ve created in our consciousness for art to go into?

I’ve often criticized Gaga. I really like her music, but find her continuous attempts to surprise/shock the public with her crazy costumes tiresome.

My usual line goes something like this.

• Lady Gaga’s mistake is in thinking that she’s the second coming of Andy Warhol when she’s really just an entertainer.
• Her material isn’t as cutting-edge as she thinks. It’s just really good dance pop music, but that’s OK. We need more really good dance pop music.

Now, I’m wondering if I’m the one in the box.