soldout.

My feelings about Lady Gaga abruptly changed after her VMA performance. The minute I saw her fake blood covered sparkly jumpsuit on national television (not to mention the crutches), my mind decided she was worthy of further investigation. Then she practically hung herself on the stage, martyred in front of a wall of light, and let the blood run into her eye. I was a convert.  It was a risk, it was weird, it was not what I expected to see on MTV. I went back and listened to The Fame with new ears and found fun and straightforward pop music, catchy enough that it started getting stuck in my head all the time. The Fame Monster, released after the VMA turning point, was darker and more overtly weird. It seemed to me that once Gaga tested the waters with that performance, she just decided to go all the way. Stefani Germanotta totally disappeared and the stage presence took over. The bizarre performance art pieces, the outfits, drinking tea placidly while doing interviews…they were meant to be an alternative to recent pop stars and to get more attention. And they really fucking worked.

To dismiss her outright is just absurd. Even if you hate her, you’re talking about her, so she’s a cultural phenomenon now. We have to deal with it. Female pop stars had become largely boring; with Madonna totally out of touch and most others empty vessels for teenage fantasies. Nobody was bothering to push the envelope. It wasn’t necessary. If you could look appealing enough to get a Candies ad, you pass muster. There was a film formed over American pop music, especially as far as women went. It’s important to keep Lady Gaga in the context of pop music, where she has firmly placed herself. The singer/songwriter shtick wasn’t working for her, so she abandoned it. She went with what worked. How is that wrong?

Sure, there are a lot of people working to maintain the image. This isn’t different, nor is it revolutionary. Pop music is a genre where we often see that, a team of insiders working to keep the illusion running. Gaga hasn’t ever denied that. The Fame is about being famous. It’s not as if the woman tried to hide her intentions. Her design team, called Haus of Gaga, consists of her “best friends.”  It’s obvious that she couldn’t do this all herself. She’s not Amanda Palmer. She is not trying to maintain street cred. She is a pop star.All arguments made out of the context of the genre are thin and don’t stand up on scrutiny. Pop music is different from indie music is different from country music is different from a fucking Irish jig.

As for Gaga versus these other artists, it’s a fair comparison. However, it also doesn’t stand. Inane lyrics? Moot point. The first search I did for Kylie Minogue lyrics handed me this little gem from “I Can’t Get You Out of my Head,” her huge hit:

                “Every night, every day

                Just to be there in your arms

                Won’t you stay

                Won’t you lay

                Stay forever and ever and ever and ever.”

I’m going to go ahead and say that’s more vapid than the cited lyrics from “Alejandro.” But again, I don’t expect my pop lyrics to be deep or literary. I go elsewhere for that. I also doubt that Lady Gaga aspires to be Kylie Minogue. I doubt that she has the first idea of Kylie Minogue. Gaga’s press image so far consists of her speaking softly and vaguely and when she cites her influences, she generally mentions David Bowie and Queen. (I think Freddie Mercury would be proud.)

Gaga v. Britney is a knockout. Britney has more “diversity, distinction, and talent?” Give me a fucking break. Britney is a joke. Before I get too much into this, let me state that I liked Britney when she was still active, because I like pop music. She was fun. After the mess she made of herself, she ends up with a release like “3,” which is simply indefensible. Britney’s schoolgirl outfit and red space suit have nothing on Gaga’s revolving door of insane couture. Britney has more talent than Gaga? Funnily enough, one of the videos posted by a reactionary Gaga hater in the comments of Ben’s article (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM) proves that Gaga can.  I’d like to see Britney sit down at a piano and sing without pitch correction. No, wait. I wouldn’t.

Anyone who would deign to marry Kevin Federline never gets to have the word “distinction” used in the same sentence with their name again.

Gaga v. Beyonce…well, I’m not touching it. I have no knowledge to speak on Beyonce and her music isn’t my thing. That’s where I fall on that.

So. We are left with Gaga and politics, which Ben says is the only way the former-Stefani can save herself from “suckitude.”  Gaga is already doing a lot for her pet causes, her favorite being gay rights and HIV/AIDS charities. She answered news of the tragic earthquake in Haiti by giving her entire proceeds from Jan. 24^th, including a concert and all merchandise sales, to the relief effort. That totaled over $500,000 in one day. One day. That’s a hell of a lot more than you’d expect from someone whose fame is still so new. There hasn’t been a major vote since her rocket to stardom, so I suppose we’ll have to just wait on that.