Episode 3: Revenge of the Gays, Are You One Too?

[my chicken is infected]

To be honest, I don't care for Lady Gaga, but I currently have a playlist of about...I'd say between the 24 songs on The Fame Monster Deluxe Edition, I enjoy about 10-14 of them. To be honest, her music seems to have a bit more substance, lyrically, on The Fame Monster than The Fame, but she still doesn't really seem to have the substance to back up the attention whoring. I also don't really think she's a great singer. Better than most of the really popular female singers of the moment, but considering that the really popular female singers right now are Taylor Swift and Britney Spears, that really doesn't say much. So basically...homegirl annoys me but I don't have to look at her wacky costumes on my MP3 player or my iPod, so it's ok.

Meanwhile, between the two albums, my favorite song is "Telephone." Considering I'm annoyed as Hell by both people featured on that track, this is quite amazing.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Flang- that's the one thing about her I've never questioned. She can sing. She can sing the house down. Her SNL piano medley proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. The high quality versions have been taken down. But here's one of "Poker Face" from a different session. I like this one because at one point, she plays the piano with her feet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laIr_d0hFB8

I never said she couldn't sing, hence the word "seems", but really how can I respect someone who shows up mostly naked to a Vanity Fair photo shoot? It just tells me that she thought the photo shoot wasn't enough to forward her image so she had to do something to attract additional attention, even if people might have given it to her anyway. In that sense she treats herself like a product who has to be marketed as much as possible whenever possible even if it's unrelated to what she actually sells which is music. I just find it tasteless when someone feels the need to stoop to that level. Especially given the "stalkerstzi's" ability to take enough pictures of famous people in any given situation.

BTW I wouldn't consider smacking your shoe against a keyboard "playing" and I still don't care for her style one way or another.

Let's just agree to disagree.

[Margos]

I'm not upset, I just get tired of people criticizing someone just because they aren't the same old tired thing. And as far as Lady Gaga's message is concerned, she says herself that it's about finding and loving yourself, no matter how much the world tries to drag you down. No matter how poor or unknown you are, if you love yourself, you can feel "Beautiful and Dirty Rich!" She said on stage at a concert once "I don't want you to go home tonight and saying 'I love Lady Gaga.' I want you to go home tonight, look in the mirror, and say 'I love myself.'" That's what she's about. That's what several of her songs are about.
Oh, and I don't have a link, but I thought she came across as a very sweet person in her interview on Ellen, which is on YouTube. She definitely sounds much more intelligent and kind-hearted than most of today's "pop stars."
Really, her music and her message helped me through the challenge of coming out (which I've officially done, finally, thank God!) and loving myself for who I am instead of who I've always tried to be. For an overweight, autistic, bisexual nerd, Lady Gaga provides an inner voice of self-confidence that is naturally lacking. For this reason, she will always be one of my heroes, "and eh, there's nothing else I can say."

[SpringHeelJack]

Let's just agree to disagree.

I disagree.

[Lazario]

I never said she couldn't sing, hence the word "seems", but really how can I respect someone who shows up mostly naked to a Vanity Fair photo shoot? It just tells me that she thought the photo shoot wasn't enough to forward her image so she had to do something to attract additional attention, even if people might have given it to her anyway. In that sense she treats herself like a product who has to be marketed as much as possible whenever possible even if it's unrelated to what she actually sells which is music. I just find it tasteless when someone feels the need to stoop to that level. Especially given the "stalkerstzi's" ability to take enough pictures of famous people in any given situation.

BTW I wouldn't consider smacking your shoe against a keyboard "playing" and I still don't care for her style one way or another.

Let's just agree to disagree.

I wouldn't begrudge you any chance to express that opinion in full. For the record, you're right about almost all of it. But I really think that last part was just nasty. She played the notes right...with her foot. She has the music school education to back her up and is qualified in ways none of the others (Christina, Britney, Rihanna, Beyonce) are. She's functionally eccentric and damn smart but chooses to show her body more. She's been programmed by the promise of fame and stardom, like every woman is in American society, to do whatever it takes to achieve them. But still she knows that some people will see through the illusions of porn and sleazy lyrics that she sells to find that she does have genuine talent and high artistic ambitions for the music itself. Especially in the video world. "Bad Romance" has so many levels to it, it's sickening. She's growing. In more than popularity. Her newest CD is a lot more personal and less whorey or ditsy than her first would be considered.

I see higher heights for her future than I do for any of the other pop girls.

I'm not upset, I just get tired of people criticizing someone just because they aren't the same old tired thing.

Just some extra information, and you don't have to say anything to it... But I know for a fact some people do consider her the "same old tired" thing. They don't see any difference between her and Britney. Or any random slut from any random Girls Gone Wild advert. Of course, they're fools. But like I said before about first impressions, "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" and the video featuring guys grabbing their crotches was a bad one. She had to know that she would get this kind of attention.

But if any of that is still on about the parody...(?) video then, again- she's up for grabs when it comes to parody. Every one is fair game, but she specifically makes for some spirited and amusing jokes. You are being, to a point, thin skinned. I know for a fact that Gaga herself doesn't take most of the would-be criticisms seriously.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Well what's begin picked up from mainstream media (or at least Virgin Radio) is not the message of her songs or the mentioning of her talents, just easily noticeable actions taken at face value like what she wears outside of work. Whether or not she did those things to parody something is not known to me because in all likelihood the mainstream media would be to stupid to interpret something like that, but to Gaga, I'm sure she clearly knows that doing certain things will bet certain kinds of attention.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Let's just agree to disagree.

I disagree.

Why I 'ourta! *shakes fist*

[Margos]

I'm trying not to be thin-skinned, but you're right, I am a little protective of Lady Gaga, just because she is a hero to me.... But you are exactly right. She doesn't care what people say about her, and that's part of what makes her great. So, why should anyone else care if she doesn't? Sorry for taking this kind of thing too seriously... that's something that's always been a problem for me, and I'm working on it.

[Lazario]

I'm trying not to be thin-skinned, but you're right, I am a little protective of Lady Gaga, just because she is a hero to me.... But you are exactly right. She doesn't care what people say about her, and that's part of what makes her great. So, why should anyone else care if she doesn't? Sorry for taking this kind of thing too seriously... that's something that's always been a problem for me, and I'm working on it.

As far as I'm concerned - you've proved your coolness now.

Thanks for understanding.

[Margos]

As far as I'm concerned - you've proved your coolness now.

Thanks for understanding.

Thanks!

[MutantEnemy]

As far as Gaga is concerned: Flawless Bitch is Flawless!

[Margos]

As far as Gaga is concerned: Flawless Bitch is Flawless!

LOL, Mutant Enemy, is this a theme all of a sudden? Adjective Noun is Adjective!

[MutantEnemy]

As far as Gaga is concerned: Flawless Bitch is Flawless!

LOL, Mutant Enemy, is this a theme all of a sudden? Adjective Noun is Adjective!

Only if it works! I've seen some heinous misuse of the Adjective Noun is Adjective!

[Margos]

That's not good, because Heinous Misuse is Heinous!

[Goliath]

Portuguese govt aims to permit gay marriage
By Barry Hatton

LISBON, Portugal—Portugal's Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage.

The law is almost certain to pass, as the center-left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure.

The proposal changes Portuguese law to remove references to marriage being between two people of different sexes, Cabinet Minister Pedro Silva Pereira told a news conference Thursday, adding the government will send its proposal to lawmakers for a debate, probably in January.

If approved by Parliament, the proposed law goes to Portugal's conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who can ratify or veto it. A veto can be overturned by Parliament.

If there is no presidential veto, the first gay marriage ceremonies could take place in April -- a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on a four-day official visit.

Gay marriage is currently permitted in five European countries -- Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway.

In Portugal, an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country, previous efforts to introduce gay marriage have run into strong resistance from religious groups and conservative lawmakers.

Pedro Corte-Real, head of the Portuguese delegation of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, said the proposal was a vindication of his group's battle to end sexual discrimination.

"We have been fighting for this for years," he told The AP.

In July, the Constitutional Court upheld the country's ban on gay marriage, rejecting an appeal by two lesbians seeking to wed. It said the constitution, while granting equal rights, did not state that same-sex marriages must be permitted.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe ... _marriage/

[SpringHeelJack]

GOLL-DURNED SOCIALIST GOV'MENTS PUSHIN' THEIR GAY AGENDAS!

[Disney's Divinity]

I guess now gay marriage will be tagged as the next step to socialism.

[Margos]

Go, Portugal, Go! I don't see why it can't just be globally legalized. Possible, no. Just, yes.

[MutantEnemy]

That's not good, because Heinous Misuse is Heinous!

[Goliath]

I guess now gay marriage will be tagged as the next step to socialism.

I wish the detractors good luck framing The Netherlands (first country) as a socialist country!

Although, compared to the Becks and O'Reilly's of the world, *everything* looks socialist!