Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I Stand Corrected.



Dear Ms. Lady Gaga,

I have to apologize to you. I didn't give you a chance. I saw you hanging from the ceiling at the VMA's like a used feminine hygiene product and I was revolted. I used my cringing discomfort to shut the door on you and what I thought was your manufactured kookiness. I figured that was it forever, and I told people I hated you. I said I couldn't stand your heart attack serious demeanor, your allegiance to Perez Hilton, or your lack of pants. And then, I heard the opening"Rah rah..." of Bad Romance on Alexander McQueen's Plato's Atlantis runway and something shifted. The song sounded scary, like a Manson refrain out of the mouth of a blond dripping in this cracked veneer of sexuality. I instantly realized that you weren't trying to be a Hilton, whether Perez or Paris, but that you were holding up a mirror to them and their universe of fame. You weren't pants-less because you wanted people to ogle your goodies, you were showing your legs and donning a disturbing headdress at the same time so people would feel turned on and confused, so they would question the boundaries of their own sexuality. There was something ugly about you and I'm not being mean. There was something intentionally ugly about you, because ugly is beautiful..."I want your ugly, I want your disease...I want your love," right?

Then the Bad Romance video hit and I was sold. Gaga, let's be truthful, you appeared kind of needlessly self-serious and bitchy in the beginning. But in that epic video you were beautiful and impassioned. You were rocking an impressive array of high fashion: a head-to-toe crowned, latex suit, a pair of McQueen's alien platforms, and then the clincher: you were joyous in that red lace get-up at the end. You cracked a smile and I saw your fulfillment, your enthusiasm, your energy. You weren't posturing, you were emitting light. You won me over-- not that you have any obligation to win me over, but you did nevertheless. And now? Every single performance you do outshines the last. The AMA's were yours. The show sucked overall, but you owned it and taught it to dance for your five minutes. That glowing, skeletal face mask worn with a nude bodysuit? Perfectly weird, new, different, scary, sexy, cool. Oh, and you can sing too. You can really belt it out. You even made a segment of the Jay Leno show worth watching. That's it...I'm passing on to you my Madonna fandom. May you accept it with knowledge that I loved her dearly in her day. I've held out so much hope that she would rise again, but you've changed the game and I don't think she can catch up to you now. I can only hope that you will age with more grace than our formerly dignified Queen of Pop. I have a feeling you will. Your support of the gays, weirdos, goth kids, and electrified trannies is awesome, and important. Your fashion is fresh and so strange and for all of that, I also salute you.

With love,
Anna

PS: This interview with John Norris helped me understand you a bit better. I loved it.



2 comments:

Nicki's Notebook said...

This post is phenomenol! i love it! lets all go gaga together! xx

Unknown said...

put so well anna! i wish lady gaga existed when i was a teenager. we were seriously shafted having britney, christina, etc. for 'role models.' i think lady gaga succeeds where christina failed miserably (but i give her some credit for trying). but how nice it would have been to have not only an intelligent and sexy woman to emulate, but one so fearless? that's really what gets me about her. there aren't too many beautiful women with the balls to challenge our conception of beauty by mixing it with ugliness and horror. it's brilliant.