EricMontreal22

It was a theme song for a sitcom he briefly did, wasn't it?

Quentin. Selby was dreamy *sigh*

Wow. I have no words, though I think some others on here do share my tastes (at least when it comes to Kylie and True Blood). I just had no idea it interested you so much. I also don't think (or at lesat I try not to, I'm sure I've had, ahem, slips) that I dimiss things I don't like out of hand--I understand that people have vastly different tastes and just because I don't like something doesn't mean it must have zero worth. Well Kate Ryan aside (but I was kinda joking...). Thanks for explaining things so clearly Sylph!

I have been clear in every single comment I've given La Minogue ( ) that I find her music cheezy, gay, *fun*, and for what it is rather brilliant. But you read into my comments that I think it's the second coming--it's like how I love True Blood but admit it's the pulpiest of pulp--and yet you read into my comments like I think it's Shakespeare. Too funny. But I find Kate Ryan pretty atrocious--it's stuff you could do on a Casio keyboard.

It's funny, I'd never heard the original. One of Madonna's major writing partners of the 80s, Stephen Bray wrote it for her, but she passed on it, and I guess Regina (who?) had a minor hit with it. 8 or so years later, Dannii Minogue had a big Aussie hit with it (though I think it's pretty awful) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5PxPsgQjQc

Oh nononono, you mock my music, and actually enjoy this Eurotrash cover of a French classic?? Next you'll be telling me you enjoy Kate Ryan's butchery of Mylene Farmer classics like Libertine and Desenchantee.

I like it, though I have to admit it kinda feels like a Speechless retread to me...

I dunno. I think she just thinks the imagery's cool looking. LOL

Great thread. And wasn't she cast as Paige, and played her a few months, on OLTL?

Well they haven't filmed anything yet have they? \

Right, but it sounds like Murphy is the one with final say (though apparently it was Brad's concept, I think, but was much darker before Murphy got to it).

Oh Stock/Aitken.

I really don't think Idol/XFactor, etc has ever produced someone as all around talented a popstar as Alexandra Burke. I think she'll be massive in the US by next year.

LOL hey I gave you a paragraph above! (Yes, I owe you a number of replies )

I don't care if she can talk intelligently on various topics. But she did OK on the Larry King interview--more than I'd expect of Perry (who said that her song You're So Gay--which suggests, as a joke of course, that the person in the song hang himself with his H&M cscarf--was a homage to her gay fans). Is she a fraud? Depends what you expect of her I suppose? I don't think she's any more a fraud than anyone else--she's managed to present herself in a way that, it's true, lotsa people seem t think she's the second coming--that's rather brilliant. I don't for a second think she believes in her hype. Maybe that's cynical, but far less than I've heard from Perry. Yes she used to do more singer/songwriting material before she got big--but she knows her dance music background and obviously did grow up with it on some level. And yes she's horrifically overated. But you don't read the London Times calling someone "Beyonce" in a headline and get what you would when they've used Gaga. (Yeah I'm more replying to Katy's problems with her than what you say--but you didn't give me much to reply to ).

That's true, but I think she has made more of a social impact than most current popstars, even including Beyonce. You read articles in the New Yorker that will randomly call something "Gaga-esque". I think the video's ok--it's interesting to watch at least, which is something few modern videos are, even if I agree it's all over the place without really a clear message. Not sure that bothers me though. The tabloids do post pictures of her as she lands in each new country--particularly the UK, less so here.

by Collin Kelley, editor of an Atlanta arts magazine and blogger Lady Gaga released the video for her latest single "Alejandro" on Tuesday. The song is a pastiche of ABBA by way of Ace of Base and the video pays homage to Madonna and Bob Fosse, with images of gay boys in Nazi-esque uniforms marching, humping and writhing all over Gaga, who is alternately wearing a leather nun's habit or a bra made from machine gun barrels. Yes, it's a whole lotta look. The next day, Gaga showed up at her younger sister's high school graduation ceremony wearing a revolutionary ensemble (pictured below) that might have given Grey Gardens' Little Edie pause. She was immediately accused of hogging the spotlight from her little sis and that the outfit was completely inappropriate for graduation from a Catholic high school, which just so happened to be the same school Gaga attended. The imagery from the video, her sister's graduation from a Catholic school and the outfit were, surely, all designed for the most media impact possible. But something about the one-two-punch of the video and photos seems to have caused a quickening in the inevitable Gaga backlash. The "Alejandro" video has been watched nearly 10 million times since Tuesday on YouTube, with more than 76,000 comments offering either high praise or outright contempt. Most of the comments are about how she's "ripped off" Madonna or has blasphemed the Catholic church. Even poptart Katy Perry took to her Twitter account and called the video "cheap" and "blasphemy as entertainment." It's hard to take Perry seriously after her lesbian tourist anthem "I Kissed A Girl" and new single, "California Gurls," where she talks about getting drunk, being a cheap beach slut and melting all the boys "popsicles." Sounds like Katy was hoping to hog a little spotlight for herself. It's been nearly 30 years (gulp!) since Madonna channeled Marilyn Monroe for "Material Girl," not to mention borrowing looks from 50s pin-up queen Bettie Page and the dance moves from the gay underground drag balls for "Vogue." Except Madonna wasn't accused of ripping off these artists; she was paying homage. Gaga, who is only 24, grew up watching Madonna and is now honoring her inspiration in "Alejandro," which also pays a debt to Madge's "La Isla Bonita." Is Madonna upset about any of this? No. She likes Gaga, and the two have already done a send-up of their tabloid created rivalry on Saturday Night Live. Expect a collaboration in the near future. Gaga is unabashed pop. The music she makes is ear candy. Many people hate it. I get it. However, unlike Britney, Katy, Ke$ha and Miley, Gaga can actually sing, write her own songs and play multiple instruments. I've yet to hear her lip sync, which means her high-energy live performances usually leave her vocals strained or breathy. Gaga can also give a coherent, intelligent interview on a variety of subjects. She's a vocal supporter of civil rights for the GLBT community and says her gay fans are the ones who elevated her fame. This makes Gaga a threat on many fronts. She's a smart woman with an opinion; she pushes cultural and societal buttons; she wields an amazing amount of influence; she flaunts her fame and (bi)sexuality. Mousy-haired coffee house singer Stefani Germanotta's rise to global superstardom in less than five years is one of the most calculated artistic reinventions in music history. I say, good for her. The Internet is full of singers, songwriters and performers playing guitar and keyboards in poorly-lit bedrooms hoping they'll be the next Gaga or Justin Bieber. Cutting through the web's non-stop noise is a miracle in itself. Luckily, Gaga has real musical talent to back it up. Anyone who's heard her sing a cappella or accompany herself on piano cannot deny the woman can sing. But it's the image and the media frenzy that seems to be causing the backlash. Remember when Madonna delivered her own one-two-punch in 1992 with the Erotica album and the next day the release of the Sex coffee table book? The album was poorly received and the book, which was heavily influenced by Andy Warhol, was a step too far even for the masses who embraced her. She was overexposed, self-indulgent and musical tastes were changing. Soon, grunge and rap would overtake the airwaves. The media obsession reached fever pitch then imploded, and Madge's music career (along with a string of shitty movies) went fallow, the consensus her career was in decline. It would take five years and embracing the burgeoning electronica scene on the Ray of Light album to put her back on top. I first took notice of Gaga in the summer of 2008 when she performed "Just Dance" on So You Think You Can Dance. I was hooked immediately. It seemed after that performance that Gaga was everywhere. You couldn't surf to a website, pick up a magazine or turn on the television without seeing or hearing Gaga. She sucked the oxygen out of the room. Not quite a year after the release of her debut album The Fame, came an EP called Fame Monster, followed by the shock and awe of the "Bad Romance" video. How would she top herself? She hasn't...yet. The "Telephone" video was fun, but overblown. The decision to release "Alejandro," Fame Monster's weakest track, and pair it with a beautifully filmed, but overly-serious set of images that seem to have no correlation to the song, despite Gaga's message that the video was a tribute to her gay fans, was also a miscalculation. And, yet, for all the accusations of "Alejandro" being a Madonna rip-off it's still one of the most compelling, talked about music videos to come along in years. The most bizarre backlash is from gay men. Today on Facebook, I read a number of comments from gay men who have referred to her as a "tranny," "Lady Caca" and one who said she only appealed to "shallow fags who like shiny things." This isn't the first time I've heard derision from the gay community about Gaga. I have a friend who DJs at a local gay club here in Atlanta, isn't a fan and hates having to play her music in his sets. He's never been able to articulate exactly why he hates her, because his music collection is filled with more disposable pop than you can shake a disco stick at. Of course, I'm not saying that every gay man should like Lady Gaga, but I think many have shunned her because they are expected to like her, just like every 'mo is supposed to worship Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Madonna. The need to break out of the stereotype and not have gay culture assimilated and consumed is a strong motivator. I totally get it. What I don't get is the vitriol and just plain nastiness that comes from the gay community as they slag her off. It's poor form, gentlemen, especially as the LGBT community continues to fight for civil rights and promote tolerance. Whether you like Gaga or not, she is an invaluable voice and, I believe, a sincere friend of the GLBT community. She supports gay marriage, raises money for HIV/AIDS organizations and is outspoken in interviews about the need for tolerance in America and around the world. Elton John cashed a check for $1 million this week for playing virulent homophobe Rush Limbaugh's wedding reception, but that story was lost in the white noise once "Alejandro" hit YouTube. Without a doubt, Lady Gaga is overexposed. Maybe she hasn't realized it yet, but she will. She's too talented, intelligent and driven to be one of Warhol's "15 minute" types. She'll take a break soon, but like Bowie and Madonna, she'll reinvent herself with a new sound and image. And the hullabaloo will start afresh all over again.

That's my fave old school Whitney. I think they rehired the same team to do I Wanna Dance with Somebody as a sorta similar song (well Michael Narada W anyway), but growing up Dance was kinda overplayed, but I think I was too young to hear How Will I Know, so it comes off as fresher for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn8tBgI1BVQ

Miley has no reason to be jealous (though I think her new career direction could badly backfire), but the fact she dislikes it does make me a bit more willing to like it more. LOL Of course I think musicals can be really great ways to tell stories (something I'm not sure Glee exactly exemplifies...), and I'd saiy it's just as hard to suspend your diebelief to watch one as it would be to watch crap like Hannah Montana. But I'm not gonna say that Glee is in the same level as A Little Night Music (at all). BadZoe a few of the others would last without the auto tune--though maybe they couldn't record the tracks in the extremely tight amount of time they do--I saw Matt Morrison in Hairspray ages back, and he definitely can sing live (in fact I think he's a bit underused how thye always seem to give him endless rap songs). But yeah, I don't think Monteith has much vocal talent--I went to school with him here in Victoria and didn't know him well, but he was a nice, quiet guy so I could be biased--he did play the drums but certainly wasn't involved in any theatre or musical theatre (like me ) Anyway, tonight's episode was typically a mixed bag for me. Why does Jesse hate Rachel so much? Why is the wife even back and now hitting on Finn? And even worse, why is the closeted, flamboyantly gay teacher from the early eps back (complete with hysterical molestation jokes) when even Ryan Murphy said to Ent Weekly he realized he was a mistake...

I'm not sure they ruined her--she was unpleasant from the very start, and not in a remotely good way. I felt sorry for the actress, though of course she has experience with Murphy and playing unpleasant women... Toups, you're right they made it less soapy, which IMHO was a good move--the fake pregnancy was so unpopular. That said I sorta liked when it wasn't ALL set in the school, like so much more of it is now, and with the dropping of some of those elements they don't really seem to know what to replace it with. Toups, all the parts you mentioned I agree were largely great (though I'm sick of Murphy giving his characters names like Brian Ryan:P but oh well), but I still had big probs with stuff in between the bits you mentioned (have I mentioned that I DO like the show and am a fan? ). I mean, I agree the speech the dad said was great, but as we've said here, did Finn really deserve all that??

Yeah there was a good interview with Williamson about how hesitant he was to do the project because he thought that's basically what they'd want--Twilight with new names. His new writing partner Julie Plec was a fan but he wasn't and she convinced him, or something. Ha anyone who liked the movie of Last Summer would, as you say, prob be disappointed the book is squarely aimed younger. Wes Craven, of all people, did a TV movie of Summer of Fear, called Stranger in Our House. When I was a teen obsessed with Craven I tracked it down, but honestly it's made NO impression on me. I believe it's now on DVD though. (Linda Blair is in it... right around the time she made one of my faves, Roller Boogie! LOL) I read a bit of Duncan but swiftly moved on to (ugh) Christopher Pike I think...

To be fair, and I actually pretty much hate Twilight (as does Williamson apparently, though he's a massively outspoken True Blood fan), there's no way Vampire Diaries woulda been instigated as a tv show without Twilight's success. Some fans who claim otherwise, are just delusional Yeah, I dunno why they had to even use the book's title and get the rights--maybe the studio just had them laying around or something. I like Last Summer, it's a guilty pleasure, but I do get why Duncan was kinda horrified, lol. I'll have to keep an eye open for it... (Kevin didn't get the idea form it for his abysmal Killing Mrs Tingle, which was renamed at the last minute Teaching Mrs Tingle, did he? )

One of my top 3 Bananarama songs.

For sure, and that's part of my problem (and for the record I actually enjoy the show more than don't lol). The plots are so repetitive, etc, that you don't have to watch every week, but it's to the detriment of character development, etc.

It's ok, we're still good. I would love to read her thoughts on the show, I think I read somewhere that she's putting out more books now? (They were out of print for a while there, I know). She really is not much of a writer (and the show is quite diff, even from Elena's personality on). Not to True Blood-up this thread again, cuz even I am tired of all the vampire books into shows/movies comparisons, but in that case I know Chalaine Harris does speak to ALan Ball about his plot changes (though I can't help thinking they must make her sad when she realizes how much mor ebrilliant his plot choices are than hers ). Kevin Williamson should be used to that by now anyway--Lois Duncan was endlessly harsh about the film of I Know What You Did Last Summer. (But she did have a point--the rights to the book weren't hers to sell but the book, which I read in elementary school, is a morality thriller for kids with no gruesome deaths--Wiliamson took the concept and some characters and then used them to make a massive homage to his fave 80s slasher films. Duncan's own daughter being violently killed, I think she found the very idea nd genre beneath contempt, poor lady )