Not About Lady Gaga

In the effort to get back to blogging after a fortnight of ennui, I was preparing a post on Lady Gaga at the MTV VMAs (you can tell that is the fruit of the laziest research ever, since her meat dress is Everywhere Marinated in Over-exposure).  Fortunately, I realized my foolishness in time.  I searched the rest of the VMAs for Pretty inspiration - before realizing that there is almost never anything pretty at the VMAs (with the exception of Sofia Vergara).

So before moving on, three things:
1)  I found Lady Gaga's matambre meat dress stunt funny but only in the aftermath, because this is the first and probably only time ever PETA and I will agree.  But on the, "Ew" factor, not the "So let us take this opportunity to place whatever animal we are talking about upon its rightful alter of worship and sacrifice human babies in Thanks- oh, are we not saying that out loud yet?  Nothing!"
2)  It's symbolic: "And I am not just a piece of meat."  Seriously, yo.

3)  Since I had seen the Japanese Vogue cover with her even ickier meat bikini, when I saw the award's photos I was all, "Sheesh, Gaga, that is so last week.  Give me something new."  I do not think that I turned into a fashion snob after viewing one international fashion magazine cover; no indeed, I believe therein lies Lady Gaga's greatest weakness as a performer.  She is talented, her songs are catchy, I get the whole "she's like a living, breathing Andy Warhol exhibit!" fascination and, holy fishnets, Batman, she is committed to her image.  I was actually starting to warm up to her until this meat clothing debacle made her as exciting to me as last night's microwaved pizza.  As savvy as she is with the media there is one obvious element that seems to escape her completely: shock-based careers are a bad idea and the reason for this is: there is only so far to go with shock tactics before verging on the criminal.  With simple artistry or grace there is a liberality that expands interests on and on; it is effortless and sincere.  Shock-based anything is more like digging a hole in the ground, no matter how far and how deep you go you eventually have to stop digging...and then how are you going to get back? *   

 

P.S.  I do not think Lady Gaga is the Pied Piper leading today's youth into Hades, but I do think she is painting herself into a corner with her current strategy.       

P.P.S.  I did not put up any pictures!  OK, I was going to post a picture of the meat shoes, but really, does anyone even want to see a picture of raw meat touching both the floor and a person's shoes?  Seriously, gross.  Not on my blog.  So here instead, is Will.I.Am's Hair-Hat-Sculpture thingy which I found weirdly awesome in an early 90s way, like if Sonic the Hedgehog married a My Little Pony.

* Also and more importantly, it's tiresome.  For everyone.  The ability to be shocked wears out faster than cheap tire treads under a constant and vapid barrage.