EricMontreal22

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

One of my top 3 Bananarama songs.

Amello!

That's how I think too--about the current airing soaps. It kinda looks like a higher budget (not too much higher tho ) Dark Shadows from a superficial POV... Interesting, Sam Hall scripted. Speaking of Dark Shadows I'm finally down the second box set (I started with the Beginning episodes and it's just now starting to get legitimately supernatural)

New UK synth duo I'm loving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn8tBgI1BVQ

Goldfrapp's second single from their brilliantly 80s Head's Up. Love the Richard X production, the song, and the video with its tributes to 80s heavy metal bands, Olivia Newton John and Xanadu, and that weird 80s space lesbian vampire movie, Lifeforce (!)

I took a break at episode 80, but I think am ready to get back into it. My problem is I have a hard time not watching ti all night long till the sun comes up--it's an outstandingly done soap.

Yep. It aired recently here in Canada on Drive Inn Classics (a digital station I never got) Nice to see you back here, Drew!

I can't quite decide if I find this band genius or just one obnoxious gimmick, but they're starting to make strides in the UK charts (their gimmick, like the punk band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is to remake modern hits as rockabilly/Elvis type rock songs). One problem is they're a German band, which is fine but every once and a while a word they mispronounce betrays that they're not from the US as implied. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WflwF29Dko

LOVE Hot Chip (who are oddly also rumoured to be behind the track I posted)

I think this is gonna become my fave dance tune of the Summer, and I suspect a breakthrough hit in the UK (though of course never in the US), by the mysterious UK new duo Monarchy (they did an excellent Gaga mix of Dance in the Dark), who rumour says is a team up of Stuart Price and Starmith. The video is awesome too, though I hate that they interupt the music with sound effects--a music video nono in my books (and it's the radio edit which cuts the great last part when the beat comes back in)

I have to admit nearly all I know about this is brief mentions in the New Yorker, and one article about the season in general--I had no idea he had a blog, would make a fascinating read. Had Slatkin never conducted La Trav before though? I *know* if you hadn't in years, and are working with a new group and production it's almost like conducting another show--but I still would have expected him to be more familiar with the opera. Then again I know his career is hardly built around being an opera conductor so I guess he wouldn't necesarily have experience with all the rep warhorses.

The cast was difficult and miscast, but I'm curious--how did the *orchestra* sabotage him? Certainly Ghosts of Versailles is a vastly different opera in terms of music and tone (I actually don't know it, just know about it) than Trav... LOL

Well that La Traviata production sounds awful--though I respect the new Met director for trying these new productions (and I'm glad he's kept a few of the old Zefirelli warhorses, etc)

Summertime was almost ruined for me by the American Idol takes on it (where you almost lose Gershwin's gorgeous melody! What's the point?) and I've never liked Janis Joplin's admittedly iconic take. My fave version is from a 60s recording of Porgy and Bess I have. Even though Bess doesn't sing the song in the opera (it's a nameless citizen of Catfish Row at the opening if I remember right) Leontyne Price, who was Bess, got to sing it on the recording. But I admit, Kathleen Battle's less agressive take on the song, which I hadn't heard till you posted, is gorgeous too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbhy3m4gFic

So now we have two songs from the Scissor Sisters' new album--which they promised would be "dark dance/disco" and a return to their unapologetically gay and sexual roots, like Electrobix their first single (Jake Shears actually admitted that their last album, Ta Dah, left their image neutered--I liked lots of that recor but I would have to agree, and I'm glad they've dropped the tinkly honky tonk piano/falsetto/Mika stuff which got old fast). Stuart Price produced, while doing the final mix for Kylie, and I admit I'm a bit mixed on the single. It's a good, solid, Summer song, but it doesn't really have any of that quirk or surprise factor I'd want from a Scissor Sisters track--though thank God Shears kept to his no falsetto promise. The biggest complaint for me is it could be The Killers--I love The Killers, but it's almost like SS asked Stuart Price to make a song similar to Human. Still, the song has stuck in my head and it sounds like a good opening to the album (which is meant to get progressively darker with each track). If the album is as dark and dancey as they claim, it was also probably smart to release a single that isn't so much as the lead, to still cash in on some of their Soccer Mom audience that made their last album such a huge UK hit. Also love that they used another Mapplethorpe image for the single, in keeping with their theme. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0Ss94ny0fo And of course the far more interesting album track Invisible Light has already been leaked by them, and I think it's pretty awesome (equal parts dark 70s Italian synth disco--think Fear or Walk the Night with 80s Trevor Horn style work like Frankie Goes to Hollywood--plus a Thriller-esque spoken bit by Ian McKellan and a killer final build).

This has been a massive flop for Xenomania and their new label, but I still love the song even if the lyrics make no sense--gorgeous production (reminiscent of their best Girls Aloud track, the massive hit Call the Shots)

Yeah their thirtysomething boxes have a number of commentaries, etc. Their Peyton Place of course has none (and apparently it's one of their most requested titles to be continued but the company that owns PP isn't happy with their sales, even though Shout Factory is. GRRRRR I don't get why companies aren't happy when they could make SOME money instead of none.)

Of course I meant Shout Factory not Box lol

Season 3 was when it went full on serial, isn't it? I hope Season 2 did decently, I've heard season one underperformed as well (but wouldn't that make the show ideal for someone like SHOUTBox to pick up?) Ann Marcus became one of the main writers with season 3, didn't she?

Why can't you start at the very beginning? Season 1 goes for VERY VERY cheap (amazon marketplace has new copies sometimes going for 5 bucks). I'm desperate to see more--the first half of Season 2 did lose me a bit (and as much as I love Broadway, and even have Michele Lee on CD for the cast album of Seesaw that performance episode was cringe worthy) but by the end I was fully hooked. I wish there was some way to track down the later seasons (the rumour is they may come out now when Dallas is done--which should be... a year or so?)

So Pratt created/Show Ran Models Inc before he was EP at Melrose, right?

Oh I knew about the remix album--it doesn't count as a reissue IMHO.