LADY GAGA:
“The story that I thought I would find when I met Gaga – dark, otherworldly, borderline autistic diva-genius failing under the pressure of fame – just dissolves, like newsprint in the rain,” writes Caitlin Morin in her Times Online feature on Our Lordess Lady Gaga. She says this after Gaga alludes to the possibility that Lady Gaga already has, or one day may have, lupus. Gaga has recently made a few statements about how she would like to die on stage rather than on vacation, which is why this whole thing is starting to remind me of Satine in Moulin Rouge, even though I don’t really care for Nicole Kidman.
But the whole article is like that, really. Maybe it’s what you imagine you could write about Lady Gaga if you had an interview with Lady Gaga and then went to a sex club in Berlin with Lady Gaga, I don’t know. You should read it. Really you should read the whole thing. I mean at the end, Lady Gaga pees through her fishnets in front of the reporter.
But other parts are sad and disturbing and confusing. Here are some of the parts you will really like, but not as much as you will like the whole article.
When asked about her recent collapsing on stage, Gaga tells the reporter:
“…I certainly don’t have an eating problem,” she continues. “A little MDMA [Ecstasy] once in a while never killed anybody, but I really don’t do drugs. I don’t touch cocaine any more. I don’t smoke. Well, maybe a single cigarette – with whisky – while I’m working, because it just frees my mind a little bit. But I care about my voice. The thrill of my voice being healthy on stage is really special. I take care of myself.”
How do you keep depressive, or panicked, thoughts at bay?
“Prescription medicine,” she says, cheerfully. “I can’t control my thoughts at all. I’m tortured. But I like that,” she laughs, cheerfully. “Lorca says it’s good to be tortured. The thoughts are unstoppable – but so is the music. It comes to me constantly.”
Firstly: don’t do drugs, kids. Secondly; those of us who have trouble spelling our own names after two hours of sleep without a gallon of coffee and a ritalin injection probs wonder how Lady Gaga maintains such a rigorous performance schedule without either: 1) Medication, 2) a Jennifer Beals-esque lifestyle (if you’re unawares, Jennifer Beals does all the things for her body that every human should do, but doesn’t, because we are busy/poor/idiots, like eat organic food, and exercise regularly, and breathe clean air and have inner peace etc.), 3) Complete Mental Breakdown or 4) Superhuman superpowers.
‘Til this article, we’d sort of assumed it was “4.” And I guess it is “4,” mostly. She’s probably kidding, or maybe fucking with the interviewer, and we just-so-happen to personally know her personal trainer so we know that the girl works the fuck out as well, but Jesus Christ if it isn’t refreshing to hear a famous person say “medicine” instead of “pilates.”
Whatever you had us at “Lorca.”
Lady Gaga on the paparazzi:
“You know what I spend most of my money on? Disappearing. I hate the paparazzi. Because the truth is – no matter what people tell you – you can control it. If you put as much money into your security as you put into your cars or your diamonds or your jewellery, you can just… disappear. People who say they can’t get away are lying. They must just like the… big flashes.”
We really really love this part, about feminism — it seems like Gaga’s views have definitely been evolving. We also like that she is checking girls out in the club quite actively.
“Do you know what that girl at the bar said to me?” she says, sipping her Scotch, and taking a single drag off a fag before handing it back. “She said, ‘You’re a feminist. People think it means man-hating, but it doesn’t.’ Isn’t that funny?”
Earlier in the day, conversation had turned to whether Gaga would describe herself as feminist or not. As the very best conversations about feminism often will, it had segued from robust declarations of emancipation and sisterhood (“I am a feminist because I believe in women’s rights, and protecting who we are, down to the core”) to musing on who she fancied. (“In the video to Telephone, the girl I kiss, Heather, lives as a man. And as someone who does like women, something about a more masculine woman makes me feel more… feminine. When we kissed, I got that fuzzy butterfly feeling.”)
We had concluded that it was odd most women “shy away” from declaring themselves feminists, because “it really doesn’t mean ‘man-hating’ ”.
“And now she’s just said the same thing to me! AND she’s hot!” Gaga beams. She points to the girl – who looks like an androgynous, Cupid-mouthed, Jean Paul Gaultier cabin boy. “Gorgeous,” Gaga sighs.
Lady Gaga on Alejandro, described by her as a tribute to gay culture:
“But that’s just for sex. Gaga’s devotion to, and promotion of, every aspect of gay culture is legendary. Bisexual herself, while her musical education might have been classical, her cultural education was homosexual, and comes to a head in the video for her forthcoming single, Alejandro. “
We can’t wait.
GO MAG:
Wheee! It’s the first ever dude on the cover of GO! Magazine (besides the time they had Obama, but he’s NOT A QUEER, so it wasn’t as exciting). Meet Topher Gross, hairstylist, drag queen and apparent cupcake enthusiast. Pretty sure our very own Alex Vega has those same shorts. Hotness! Happy Birthday GO!
COMING OUT:
Are you tired of talking about famous people coming out? The New York Times is pretty sure you are.
Once seen as a defiant and courageous act of such social and political significance that gay rights activists created a holiday for it and recruited prominent gay people to take part (National Coming Out Day, still observed every Oct. 11), coming out has lost some of its potency.
While few experts on gay issues would dispute the powerful impact that coming out has on a personal, one-on-one level, there is a growing sense that a celebrity coming out sways few hearts and minds and does relatively little to alter negative perceptions about gay people.
AUSTRALIA IS FILLED WITH GAY PEOPLE!:
Outed Australian MP David Campbell is not alone. A survey says one in five men are gay in Australia: One in five of Australia’s politicians, businessmen, union leaders, labourers, farmers — men in general are either openly gay or leading secret double lives, Sydney anthropologist Stephen Juan claims. (@herald-sun
EFFY:
I bet y’all are in need of a Skins fix. Look at all these pretty pictures of Kaya Scodelario from Nylon! Don’t they make you want to curl up in a crack den with her?
SAME-SEX PARTNER RIGHTS:
Gutierrez wants same-sex partner rights in the immigration reform bill. Such reforms could allow same-sex partners of US citizens to get the same right to stay in the country that married couples get. (@chicago tribune)
EXPEDIA:
Expedia has opened a gay travel store, just in time for summer vacation. (@nyt)
TILA TEQUILA:
So Tila Tequila is allegedly on board for the next season of Celebrity Rehab though there’s no word on if the season or the show will actually happen or if anyone else has signed up or cares. If she is going to be on that show for fucking “internet addiction” I am just going to quit life. I’m just going to quit it.
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” … while her musical education might have been classical, her cultural education was homosexual.”
I just don’t even. <3!
I read that article the other day and half wondered if you guys would pick up on it… I dunno about Gaga, but the writer, Caitlin Moran, is defs my hero.
Wow, I actually read the whole Gaga article. Usually I get bored with most celeb stuff like that, but this one is really great. If I was at a bar with drunk Gaga who was only wearing fishnets and a bra, I’d die. But I’d be in heaven already.
I’m starting to really love Gaga.
Oh, Effy. Even though I caught myself a beautiful, beautiful girl less than 3 hours ago (happiness), I still bloody love Kaya Scodelario. I would definitely curl up in a crack den with her.
So one of my best friend’s birthday is on National Coming Out Day. Her birthday got a lot more fun once she came out! Double the party!
queermo did you notice how lady gaga specified her feminism in this article. i think she is onto you
yes! I posted the feminism quote to you in another thread, but whenever I included the link to the interview it killed the AS comment page for me. :(
But seriously, it’s like I prayed to Lady Godga, and she listened to my prayers! Not only did I get my feminism prayers answered, but she tussled with a hot lady on a yacht.
Let me know what I should pray for next from her, because I’m on a winning streak. Requests?
I enjoy the part where Gaga starts talking about religion and her new album. Strange how those two are paired. I really wouldn’t be surprised if she created a new religion via album. Heck, I’m totally in, it’s like an audio Bible!
I would also be a firm believer of GodGa and make sacrifices in her honor
Effy! I knew she was a real person. She looks amazing in Nylon. Looks like she go over Fred’s death quite well.
Lady Gaga continues to impress – great feature. Firstly, I’ll have to agree with Moran’s “pretentious pop-culture theory” – and secondly, in case anyone out of curiosity wanders to the Lab.Oratory’s website, they have quite the schedule of events.
Since I am currently living in Australia due to a statute here that is very similar to the one that Gutierrez is proposing in the US… yeah, relevant to my interests. I hate that if it were the other way around, we’d be screwed.
Yeah I’m more for immigration reform than any marriage laws. One of my best friends has been separated from her wife for nearly a decade because she can’t get a US Visa. In that respect at least, Australia’s on the right track.
Dear NYT,
I’ll be tired of celebrities coming out when they’re all able to fucking come out.
We’ll talk again when Queen Latifah, Matt Bomer, Zac Quinto, Chase Crawford, etc don’t have to evade so as to protect their livelihoods, OK? And oh, yeah: when everybody else doesn’t, either.
No love,
Molly
I adore Caitlin Moran. Her column has, on occasions, been the only thing that has got me through a Monday.
So when I saw the summary saying best Gaga article ever, and then that it was written by her, I got that wibbly sensation of anticipatory excitement at the prospect of two of my favourite things colliding, tempered by the brief hesitation of a cynical mind’s attempts to regulate expectations. Ah, but I needn’t have worried, it was every bit the raucous delight I could have hoped for.
As for the other things, I don’t think I’m tired of coming out stories in the slightest, apart from when they are used as lazy plot devices in TV/film. With genuine real-people comings-out, there’s something about them that exposes the vulnerability of humanity and, in the ones with the happy endings, showcases the best of love and acceptance. To be honest, I think I’m just a sucker for a good bit of sexuality-fuelled pop-psychoanalysis and am open to warm feelings on the subject because it’s my coming out anniversary this weekend.
Oh oh, also, here is a link that I think could be classed as this excitant word that you use, a call for papers for an encyclopedia of women and american pop culture. Even as a non-american this sounds like the best reference book ever.
That Times article was great. I didn’t think it was possible to like Gaga anymore than I already did but it happened.
wait, what, tila tequila is still around?
I can’t believe the Times article
One of the local free papers here made it sound like Lady Gaga was abusing prescription drugs to control her anxiety. ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, PEOPLE, THEY ARE LEGAL.
I wonder how she manages to channel her “torture” into creativity. Seriously, I’d love to know. I’m so sick of my own internal mindspace being so shaky. Some days I just wish I was a normal boring but content and peaceful person. The intensity is painful.
(can we have an Autostraddle Mental Health roundtable? Apparently mental health issues are MAJOR within queer communities, so it’d be a good idea anyhoo)
“something about a more masculine woman makes me feel more… feminine. When we kissed, I got that fuzzy butterfly feeling.”
More feminine compared to what? To how she feels with a less masculine woman? Or compared to how she feels with a man?
I would hope the latter but I think she meant the former.
I think I can grok what Gaga’s getting at with that statement. There was this girl I had a (too!)brief thing with, and while she didn’t seem especially masculine or feminine, she does butch VERY well, and she somehow managed to embrace the masculine enough that it brought out the femme in me. Not just the feminine – the _woman_. And I’m not usually very femme. But with her I suddenly found power in the feminine that I had discredited before.
The odd thing is, I’m with a man now, and I don’t feel quite the same way. You’d think there’d be more of a contrast, since he is a pretty typical dude (not especially macho, but not fey either – just a regular guy) but asides from random moments of domesticity I don’t feel especially feminine next to him. I’m just another mishmash. I do still feel empowered in myself and comfortable with myself, but I don’t get that especially strong womanly power as I did with my girl.
This is interesting. I would like to know what Gaga exactly meant, because I had boyfriends once; and now I no longer define myself bisexual because, while I feel very masculine at times, women are able to make me feel much more feminine than I’ve ever felt with a man.
Re: that comment, I was wondering about her pronoun use and the phrase ‘lives as a man’ – struck a problem chord with me.
I thought about this too, when she was talking about Heather “living as a man”. But then I realized, Lady Gaga is probably quite familiar with trans people (I make this assumption because she utilized them in the Telephone video and she’s spoken about trans folks in particular). I assume she probably checked with Heather about pronoun use while they were working together. There are probably a lot of butch women out there who pass as men, but do not designate as male or trans. A rare breed, these days.
Goddess Gaga came to New Zealand so many stars ignore New Zealand, even if it was the North Island, Gaga come to the South Island next time, we are building a stadium in Dunedin just for you – Love love love
I haven’t been able to load the whole article to read it. I am hoping to find it in it’s entirety. I have to agree 100% with Gaga and this unnamed woman at the bar: being a feminist doesn’t mean being a man hater! I LOATHE that insinuation that it does! Nor does being a gay mean hating men either! Without going into detail on what is a very deep subject, I was reminded of the feminism views of Camille Paglia. Though I don’t agree with EVERYTHING Ms. Paglia says, who is a VERY intelligent woman, I have to say that her views on modern feminism reflect the same theory, and women like Gaga (Madonna as well) are NOT setting the feminist movement back as some feminists would think, but is actually moving it forward because they dare to be comfortable as the performers they are expressing their art and themselves with no apologies. It’s nice to hear this kind of talk. As I said, the subject is deep and involved, but I felt the need to say hurrah to non-man hating feminism!