Call me Lady.

There is the great debate surrounding Lady Gaga. Genius or crazy?

A very summarized (and very incomplete) bibliography of Lady Gaga.

Gaga was born March.28th, 1986. She learned to play piano by ear at the of age four, was accepted to Juilliard by eleven (though she didn't attend), and wrote her first piano ballad by age thirteen. She went to Tisch School Of The Arts in New York to study music for a few years before dropping out.

At nineteen she was signed and dropped by the label 'Def Jam'. Her song writing skills landed her jobs for Akon's 'Konvict' label, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, and New Kids on the Block. She later became a burlesque model and frequent drug user. She claimed her performances to be, "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow".

Apart from her idol Andy Warhol, Gaga took inspiration from David Bowie and Queens vintage glam-rock pop melodies, about them she has stated, "Queen and David Bowie were the key for me... I didn't know what to do until I discovered Bowie and Queen. When I was playing the New York rock clubs, a lot of record labels thought I was too theatrical. Then, when I auditioned for stage musicals, the producers said I was too pop." Gaga has also stated that she has "married" many different genres and tries to integrate elements of various genres into her music, "from Def Leppard drums and handclaps to metal drums on urban tracks." Gaga later began to incorporate more pop melodies into her music. Akon recognized GaGa's vocal talent after hearing her on one of his tracks and convinced Jimmy Lovine to sign her to a joint deal with his own label, 'Kon Live Distribution'.

My Opinion Of GaGa

It is obvious that Lady GaGa has talent, she is a twenty three year old superstar for crying out loud! Thats not why I have a fetish for GaGa. I love the artistic persona she is inspiring to become. She is offended in interviews when called a 'character' or a 'persona' but has admitte in the past she hasn't always been GaGa, "Some people say Lady Gaga is a lie, and they're right...but every day I kill to make it true."

I like that she is a misfit in popular culture. She is my cultural hero. I love how provocative, nervy, and unconventional her performances, music, and interviews are. One of my favourite GaGa quotes is, "The truth is what I'm a role model for, is the ability to change culture". I think she is aiming to change culture by not conforming to the pop culture norm that women have to be 'pretty', 'sexy', and 'wholesome'. Pop artists are shoved into a media mob if they voice something unconventional, and overnight a miniscule act grows into a full-fledged scandal. Think of how wild everyone went when Britney Spears shaved her head. Do you think the media would have the same reaction if GaGa did it? The answer is NO.

GaGa is famous for not giving a fuck about how the media perceives her. I think her only desire is to be different then the average Jane, "I love the Jonas Brothers, they're very talented. I met them once. I'd like to have a foursome with them". She is a great role model because she is confident enough to be her own person and she refuses to adhere to societal expectations. In a similar way that Micheal Jackson was neither 'black' or 'white' GaGa is ageless. She is eccentric, wild, but not a 'pop tart'. Her outfits pay tribute to her art rather than her sexuality. Lady GaGa does not conform to sexy, she creates it. She is sexy because she is original, she is sexy because she is an artist.

My Criticism

I loved her shocking performance at the mmvas. I loved the flaming tits, the cooch grabbing, the whole anchalada. I also love the hair bow & button, the black lipstick, the bubbles, etc... I am concerned about her latest photoshoots, in particular the shoots with Maxim and Elle.

These photoshoots showcase her body, sexuality, and youth in a way that isn't GaGa's style. The photo's aren't quircky enough and I don't like it. I want to look at her and see the super freak I have come to know and love.

Maxim Photos,
http://amygrindhouse.com/lady-gaga-maxim-magazine-pictures.html

Elle Photo/Interview,
http://fashionindie.com/the-inner-views-lady-gaga-in-elle-magazine/