Monster Ball

[TheOfficer]

My friend Ryan snagged us a pair of tickets to go see Lady Gaga this upcoming Saturday here in Chicago, and I'm basically pissing myself with glee and can't stop talking about Gaga now. I didn't know if anyone else here is as in love with this bitch as I am but I was hoping just to hear what you guys thought about her.

I went from completely hating her to absolutely fucking loving her because of her live performances, where I feel she proved that she can actually sing and that her high-art bullshit wasn't such shit after all. I completely eat up her over-the-top theatrics, SOME EXAMPLES.

Love game was the first pop-pop song of hers that REALLY got under my skin and I begrudgingly admitted to all the Gaga-pushers in my life that I liked her batshit-ness in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mB0tP1I-14

One of my favorite songs that nobody else seems to like, also the song that made me seriously reevaluate her talent(i can't find a full-acoustic version with good quality):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWyW1WdniT8
(a good-quality excerpt):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byAjFj6TfMs

The Paparazzi VMA performance. Maybe its because it reminds me of my teenage-obsession with J-rock with its gothic set, but I fucking loved it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq9f8DCbJtg

Eamonn still can't stomach too much of her hyper-pop, but I think shes growing on him. 

Come admit your secret shame to me!

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

I make no secret of my shameful Gaga-love! A guy I work with got to go see her in Florida on New Years Eve at this super exclusive Hollywood A-list party deal, and I am super jealous. Not because of all the celebrities he would likely be hob-knobbing with, but because Lady Gaga would practically be giving him a lap dance during her performance. JERK.

I love that ridiculous VMA performance. She is so over the top, its fantastic.

I know I've posted this somewhere here before, but I'll post it again for you (and anybody else who might want proof that Lady Gaga actually has some talent underneath the glitz and glam):

Stefani Germanotta: NYU Live Performance

And the video that cemented my love for Lady Gaga:

Beautiful Dirty Rich

EDIT FOR AWESOME:

UHM MEGAN YOU DID NOT TELL ME ALEXANDER SKARSGARD WAS IN THE VIDEO FOR PAPARAZZI!!!    And more importantly that he has hot sexy makeout times with her for like, the first 2 minutes. What a great video.

[TheOfficer]

I am sorry I forgot to mention the Skarsgard, I know! He is amazing in that video! Between True Blood and his popping up all over pop-culture, I'm pretty sure I have to marry him!



GASOLINE FIGHT!

And yeah, every time I see her perform as Stefani Germanotta its pretty awe-inspiring! I can understand why she adopted a pseudonym, for sure. I just love that shes getting crazier and crazier. At first I was most turned off by her referencing Bowie, Warhol, and Grace Jones but staying so securely within pop music and fashion. Now that shes sort of gotten big enough to get away with whatever she wants, I love how crazy shes going. It makes me happy.

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

Hahaha whatever, I never ever complain when someone references Bowie in their work. I fully believe that you have to contain an innate level of awesome to even think Bowie is cool enough to reference. So yeah, win.

[Pube Truth]

the NYU performance is great. If this was what played on the radio, what everyone was getting all hyped over, I might actually like her.

[TheOfficer]

the NYU performance is great. If this was what played on the radio, what everyone was getting all hyped over, I might actually like her.

Thats kind of whats so great about her. She flips from this piano-bar vixen to psycho-pop bitch at the flip of a switch. She'd have never gotten so big if she had stayed strictly soulful Norah Jonesish stuff. She did the super catchy electro BS to break into it, but I think shes sort of letting her true colors show now.

And they're Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNvkeQOScDc

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

I love the way she props her one leg up onto the piano when she plays. She's so rad.

And to be fair, I like a lot of the psycho-pop bitch stuff she puts out. I think her first two singles were her absolute worst, but I've really enjoyed everything since then.

[Pube Truth]

I guess i'm not really frustrated with her, more the general public that made it necessary for her to do all the psycho=pop-bitch stuff to break onto the scene. I get that with her, she elevates that whole shebang to art, but I just don't like it. It's a lot of flash, incomprehensible lyrics, and ridiculous beats that ultimately add up to nothing. Take away the flash and the mystique and you've got a pretty boring song by a pretty boring artist, whereas the simple piano stuff lets her emote. Because that's what music is about: expressing emotion.

[TheOfficer]

I guess i'm not really frustrated with her, more the general public that made it necessary for her to do all the psycho=pop-bitch stuff to break onto the scene. I get that with her, she elevates that whole shebang to art, but I just don't like it. It's a lot of flash, incomprehensible lyrics, and ridiculous beats that ultimately add up to nothing. Take away the flash and the mystique and you've got a pretty boring song by a pretty boring artist, whereas the simple piano stuff lets her emote. Because that's what music is about: expressing emotion.

I'd say that using the piano and singing her heart out is definitely the obvious way for her to be an artist(for the majority of people who don't think pop is valid, not saying you don't just that most people can't take it seriously), but theres definitely more to the pop, glitz and glam with her. I disregarded her at first too, absolutely flippant about her being anything but another Britney or Jessica Simpson. But shes definitely become a musician I respect. I completely agree that the most annoying thing about her is how CRAZY everyone is for her right now, which I'm totally propagating right now and can't even help myself.

You're not really saying the pop isn't art, just that you don't like it. Which is very, very valid. Art is completely subjective and I think she is firmly in the Andy Warhol created umbrella. I actually admire her performance artist side, with the ridiculous sets and costumes etc more than I admire her sitting at a piano singing. That said, without her ability to do both, I think she'd sort of be one-hit and enough already. But the fact that she does both is what makes her significant to me.

Her political stances and willingness to openly support gay rights and womens rights didn't hurt at all, either.   

Yes, I am pretty ashamed for arguing the merits and validity of Lady Gaga as an artist on the internet, but I'm going to do it anyway. Ahaha.

And to be fair, I like a lot of the psycho-pop bitch stuff she puts out. I think her first two singles were her absolute worst, but I've really enjoyed everything since then.

Wholeheartedly agree. I'd be so happy if Just Dance and Poker Face were omitted from the set-list. 

[Pube Truth]

Megan, I respect the hell out of that. (That being everything you said in your last post)

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

And to be fair, I like a lot of the psycho-pop bitch stuff she puts out. I think her first two singles were her absolute worst, but I've really enjoyed everything since then.

Wholeheartedly agree. I'd be so happy if Just Dance and Poker Face were omitted from the set-list. 

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd.

Also, to go along with what Megan is saying about the whole pop-art thing...well I mean c'mon folks, my absolute favourite artist of all time is David Bowie. He absolutely PERSONIFIED glam-art and infused it with his music. He created a genre doing it. And the whole idea was that the costumes, make up, drama and just in general ridiculous SHIT that went on during his performances ADDED to the package as a whole, not detracted it from it. Now while I don't think Lady Gaga is really up on the same level of talent that David Bowie is, I definitely think she's got the same goal with her music and persona, and I think she achieves it. The true test of her talent will be when she grows tired of the Gaga persona (as Bowie did eventually grow tired of his sexy sexy sex-addicted, androgynous space-man persona), will she be able to transcend it and totally leave it behind, while still maintaining a successful career. I hope she can, because she'll need to have any longevity.

And yes, give me five minutes and I can compare pretty much any modern recording artist to David Bowie, and tell you how his music influences whatever that artists' particular style or sound may be. Whether or not they are aware of it themselves.

[TheOfficer]

I'm pretty sure David Bowie is secretly god, so y'know it makes a lot of sense.

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

Secretly? Maybe only to those in denial of the One True Path.

Also, where do you get your wonderful wonderful gifs, Megan? I love them!

[TheOfficer]

Secretly? Maybe only to those in denial of the One True Path.

Also, where do you get your wonderful wonderful gifs, Megan? I love them!

This is true, Praise be to Bowie!
I get them all from tinypic.com.
Great hoster, and if you search for virtually anything you can find some hilarious things.

P.S. Eamonn keeps coming and reading this thread and gets flustered when I catch him. Hes still trying to pretend he doesn't like Gaga, but I CAN SEE HIM CRUMBLING.



Honestly, how can you not?

[Pube Truth]

Honestly, how can you not?

um...


Just kidding. But that's funny about Eamonn. Boys always do that. Why are they always so ashamed of liking good things?

[FAGGOT WATCHIN TRON]

Secretly? Maybe only to those in denial of the One True Path.

This is true, Praise be to Bowie!

This is totally unrelated to the thread at hand, but Megan, if Bowie ever goes on tour again (and god I can only hope and pray with all my might that he does), will you go to one of his concerts with me? I have already made an unbreakable promise to myself that if I ever get the chance to see him live again, I will spend all kinds of ridiculous obscene amounts of money and blow my life savings on front row tickets. And even though I know Mary would come with me because she lurves me, it would be fun to also have a True Believer to go with....

Anyway, Gaga thread resume!


(Just couldn't help myself...hahaha)

[Pube Truth]

you're right, I do lurrrve you.