Topic: Don't call my name...

[Bonk]

Lady Gaga - Alejandro (NSFW!!!)

[Roychipoqua_Mace]

Haha, glad you posted this. I'm not a huge fan of the song itself (I like her other stuff better), but the video is interesting.

[knightstorm]

Maybe I'm being a little old fashioned, but I find it kind of disturbing that the video opens up with a group of cross-dressing nazis goose stepping while carrying something that resembles the star of David.  And while I admit I haven't been the most observant Catholic, I was offended by the way she interpersed religious imagery with scenes of her in undergarments and engaging in acts of bondage.

[Centurus]

I like the song, have it on my Zune.  Lady GaGa is butt ugly though.  I'd rather do Madonna.

[knightstorm]

I'd rather do Madonna.

Maybe as she was 20 years ago.  She's only a few years younger than my mother, and at this point, I'm old enough where that isn't an attractive thing.

[Centurus]

Na, I'd rather do Madonna as she is now rather than look at Lady GaGa.  At least I won't want to castrate myself before and after the deed.

[Bonk]

@knightstorm - perhaps you are too young to get it, but this is Cabaret 2010. Cabaret is a story set in pre-war Nazi Berlin starring Liza Minnelli in the popular movie version. Did you not see Inglorious Basterds? This shares a similar (though dog buried much deeper) tone. If I'm not mistaken the dancers are in traditional Israeli military summer haircuts and wrestling garb.

In general, I find the "I'd do so and so.." comparisons ironic. As the song, in her own words is: “... a celebration and an admiration of gay love. It confesses my envy of the courage and bravery they require to be together. I’ve been unable to find that with a straight man in my life ...”. The significance of the Cabaret/Minnelli reference should reinforce that interpretation.

Androgeny and ambiguous sexuality works well for musical entertainers as it puts them in an objective songwriting and performance position.

It doesn't really matter what she looks like. This is 2010, makeup, video and surgery can take care of that, the image is a deliberately created one. She is very Bowie, Mercury, Jagger, Jackson, Madonna, Nicks... The theatrics and storytelling of Bowie, Mercury and Jackson are what we are seeing here. It has been missing from pop for some time now, and obviously missed. And I think she is equally as screwed up. Pain creates art. She is driven by a broken heart, as I'm sure many can relate.

There are several layers of symbolism, the religious imagery (current sexual issues in catholic church - I think Catholics are meant to be a little perturbed - into thinking), the wrestling, Cabaret/Minnelli, Joan of Arc...

The girl is just baked. (and probably more than little half-baked) but I just love her unceremonious temerity ... and the whole Jerry Seinfeld thing. I half think he is in on it as a stunt. It is so similar to the Seinfeld episode where Elaine wears the wrong team's cap in Jerry's friend's primo season ticket seats and makes a big scene... I'm amazed no one has made the comparison (or caught on) yet.

Some claim she is derivative, and well technically she is, almost entirely, but it is a brilliant synthesis of some of the best elements of performers we have seen in recent decades.

The photographic composition of the video is excellent throughout. The choreography is a combination of absurd, titilating and fascinating. The stroboscopic tribute to Minnelli's Cabaret at the bridge is very well done.

It is weird for me to accept a pop song as legitimate art as an eclectic folk and prog rock listener, but every once in a while one like this comes along. It is repetitive, but in a tape-loopy more-sounds-than-just-the-words kind of way. The use of the phaser in the track is the best I've heard in a long time. I need to hear this on a full set of club speakers and horns. The key and time signature changes  characteristic of prog rock are there but more subtle. The TR-909 backbeat from 1988 that used to drive me so nuts has evolved considerably, or I have grown more tolerant.

[Centurus]

I wasn't commenting on the video.  I was talking about Lady GaGa overall.  Butt ugly.   

[knightstorm]

There are several layers of symbolism, the religious imagery (current sexual issues in catholic church - I think Catholics are meant to be a little perturbed - into thinking)

There you go showing that you've been indoctrinated by the media.  I do not defend the way the church tried to cover up the sexual abuse, and I certainly do not defend how in many instances, they lost track of problem priests and left them in a position to do it again.  However, if you look at the real numbers instead of the scandalous headlines, you'll find that not only is the church not teaming with pedophiles, but that the clergy of other denominations has also been involved in sexual abuse.

[Bonk]

Indoctrinated by the media? No. I often have to be informed of major current events by people in person as I am so tuned out. Of course the numbers play out the same in every religion, class, race, or however one decides to break it down.

I'm pretty ambivalent on the whole issue personally. The only way that it has affected me (being a baptised but totally inactive Catholic, but still Christian) was seeing a friend from grade four in the headlines one day as a victim. I did not know quite what to make of it. The other way I've noticed it is the effect on my grandmother (a devout Catholic), her faith is untouched, but she is embarrassed and angry for all the good and decent colleagues of hers that are members of her church and her diocese.

There is a phrase here known locally as "butt money" (the fabrication or exaggeration of abuse to get on the settlement gravy train). These situations have also been exploited.

It is the administration and leadership of the Catholic church that needs to confront these issues, not the followers. I think it is a question of survival for the Catholic church in modern times. Or the mark of its extinction.

Anyway, that's pretty much H&S territory. I'd like to keep this to art.

[knightstorm]

Indoctrinated by the media? No. I often have to be informed of major current events by people in person as I am so tuned out. Of course the numbers play out the same in every religion, class, race, or however one decides to break it down.

I'm pretty ambivalent on the whole issue personally. The only way that it has affected me (being a baptised but totally inactive Catholic, but still Christian) was seeing a friend from grade four in the headlines one day as a victim. I did not know quite what to make of it. The other way I've noticed it is the effect on my grandmother (a devout Catholic), her faith is untouched, but she is embarrassed and angry for all the good and decent colleagues of hers that are members of her church and her diocese.

There is a phrase here known locally as "butt money" (the fabrication or exaggeration of abuse to get on the settlement gravy train). These situations have also been exploited.

It is the administration and leadership of the Catholic church that needs to confront these issues, not the followers. I think it is a question of survival for the Catholic church in modern times. Or the mark of its extinction.

Anyway, that's pretty much H&S territory. I'd like to keep this to art.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the church was wrong to try to cover this up,and definitely needs to change its way of addressing complaints, but the media is going out of its way to sensationalize things.  Children have a greater chance of being molested by their public school teachers than they do by priests.

[FoaS_XC]

I'll admit that Lady Gaga is a talented performance artist, but she's never really hit close to what styles I prefer.

I gots no problem with racy, its an integral part of any society for some to be offensive, risky, or make-your-stomach-do-backflips. For a lot of us, it gets us thinking, or better yet, it makes it 5% less taboo, which means then we can start to talk about it. etc.

[Bonk]

Don't get me wrong, I think that the church was wrong to try to cover this up,and definitely needs to change its way of addressing complaints, but the media is going out of its way to sensationalize things.  Children have a greater chance of being molested by their public school teachers than they do by priests.

Yes, I've heard that stat. (possibly because more have teachers than priests?) The reason it stands out so much with the Catholic church is the hypocrisy I guess? I don't see it so much as a cover-up as a confession.

Come to think of it, my family has been active enough in the upper levels of print, radio, TV media, PR and politics in the last 50 years to say that we're the ones doing the indoctrinating (or anti-indoctrinating). Not Fox journalism but traditional Canadian journalism. (I can't believe this whole Fox North thing...) But we're pretty much done fighting the good fight. It literally killed most of us. Like Devo, anything we produce now must be Something for Everybody.

I was gonna say a bunch of other stuff but again it's H&S ground. All I really wanted to get across here is: interesting, controversial, artistic and good quality production. A refreshing thing to see in pop today.

And excellent use of the phaser on the track. (not the Star Trek phaser but the audio effect algorithm, like the flanger) Or is it a flanger effect? I'd have to listen to both back to back now to say.

[knightstorm]

Yes, I've heard that stat. (possibly because more have teachers than priests?) The reason it stands out so much with the Catholic church is the hypocrisy I guess? I don't see it so much as a cover-up as a confession.

The most commonly sited statistic for priest sex abuse is under 2%, the highest sited that I was able to find places the max at 6%.  The only statistic I was able to find on public school teachers places the number at a max of 5% so I feel comfortable saying my earlier statistic wasn't some smoke and mirror's falsification.  Instances involving molestation in the Catholic church are no less hypocritical than instances in other denominations.  The church's mistakes involved pulling a Clinton (covering something up to avoid embarrassment, thus breaking the law, and leading to an even bigger scandal when it becomes public), which it compounded by it by being reckless in defrocking problem priests, and in some instances continuing to place them in positions where they could abuse again.

[stoneyface]

hmm, the cultural phenomenon known as lady gaga... or lady gaygay as i call her. at first i wasn't really impressed with her music as i thought she was just another pop music madonna clone but then a strange thing happened. she became a gay culture icon (just like madonna, cher, and others). her sense of style is very unique and very out of this world and not to mention refreshing. she has a way to combine pop music themes with multi-layered imagery and symbolism. she has a way about her that trancends artist or labels of any kind really. she is her own person and does exactly what she wants to do and says  exactly what she wants to say, just like marilyn manson. like her or not, she has made a huge impact on many peoples lives and she is here to stay. i enjoy her pushing boundaries and i enjoy her sense of style and avant-garde. i don't listen to her on my own but when i am with friends i always enjoy the majority of her music. it is nice to see artists be artists and let the nay-sayers be damned. she IS the new madonna

[Sirgod]

The first time I heard about her,someone had linked some 20 minute music video, that had like 19 minutes of soft core prison porn.  Not only did I not care for her music, I sure didn't want to waste my time watching that crap. If I want to watch a dirty movie, I'll watch a dirty movie.

If I want to listen to music, I'll listen to music. But that stuff was just horrible. I have dubbed her Lady Gag.

No offense to those who like her, to each their own, I always say, But she just does nothing for me at all.

Stephen

[FoaS_XC]

Stoney, I think you and I are on the same level. Like Manson, I have to respect her, but it just doesn't fit my own sense of style.

[stoneyface]

i now know the stephen saw the video for "telephone" lol great video, not really soft core porn, more a spoof of "girls in prison" exploitation movies. it featured quentin tarantino's personal truck (the pussy wagon). i thought it was a great video, right down to the conspicuous consumption display with the "cigarette glasses". cigarettes are money on the inside as we all know and that was a great image.

[FA Frey XC]

Why am I not surprised at Bonks or Stoney's comments of this individual?

And why are we posting this type of crap in a Starfleet Command forum?

I know the answer, but I just wanted to see if anyone had the balls to say it.

Regards,

[marstone]

Well, it is in the off topic area.  It also gives us something to read while waitting for the official dynaverse update.