GAGASITEONLINE: July 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Lady Gaga photo book to be published in November

By Lindsay Deutsch, USA TODAY
Fans of the Fame Monster will soon have another bit of pop culture to swoon over, a book of never-before-seen photos of Lady Gaga taken by photographer Terry Richardson.

Lady Gaga, to be published on Nov. 22 (Grand Central Publishing), features more than 350 color and black-and-white photos and a foreword written by the pop star.

Richardson had complete access and shot more than 100,000 photos.

His documentation begins in August 2010 with footage from Gaga's headlining Lollapalooza show (imagine fake blood and fireworks), to the 2011 Grammy Awards (remember "the egg," the premiere of chart-topper "Born this Way," and her two wins for pop song and pop album), to the final shows of her massive Monster Ball tour.

At its best, the book could reveal a provocative, stripped-down version of Gaga's glittery pop persona. And then there are those meat dresses and prosthetic face implants.

Lady Gaga on SYTYCD - The Edge Of Glory & Yoü And I Performance

Lady Gaga on So You Think You Can Dance.

The Do Something! Awards will air on VH1, August 8th at 9/8c. Vote by clicking here. Lady Gaga has been nominated in 3 categories:

Lady Gaga called for the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, walking the VMAs red carpet with service members and speaking at a rally, as well as hosting the Hands up for Marriage Equality event supporting same-sex marriage, as well as being the face of the MAC Viva Glam campaign, with 100% of proceeds going to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Not only do a portion of the proceeds from Gaga's single "Born This Way" support the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which strives to eliminate sexual orientation or gender identity/expression bias in school communities, but a "Born this Way" remix was released on the "Songs for Japan" artist compilation album, which benefits relief efforts in Japan in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

After joining forces, the Robin Hood Foundation and Lady Gaga launched a contest on Facebook for a $1 million giveaway to support New York City teens living in poverty. The objective was to raise awareness of needs that exists in the city for homeless teens, while allowing fans to vote for one of the five organizations up for the grand prize. Within a week they garnered over 1,036,000 votes and a tremendous amount of support.

Click here to vote now.

Friday, July 8, 2011

V MAGAZINE GAGA MEMORANDUM No. 2

Art is a lie. And every day I kill to make it true. It is my destiny to exist halfway between reality and fantasy at all times. They call me “theatrical,” but I posit profusely that I am theatre, and that theatre is me. I am a show with no intermission. It is this thing that summons me from the depths of reality and reminds me that the power of transformation is endless. That I (we) possess something magical and transformative inside — a uniqueness and specialness waiting to be exiled from the depths of our identity. I have said before that I am a master of escapism, which many attribute to my wigs, performances, and my natural inclination to be grand, but perhaps that is also a lie. Maybe I am not escaping. Maybe I am just being. Being myself.

The arrival at this revelation revises my previous escapist philosophies, as my entire being, thus far, as wholly artist and wholly human, has been propelled by the idea that I must effortlessly vacillate between two worlds: out of the real and into the surreal. Out of the ordinary, into the extraordinary.

“I DON’T SPEAK GERMAN BUT I CAN IF YOU LIKE.”

But as I delved quite deeply into this topic for my current album, I’ve reckoned that perhaps there is no pendulum. No need to distinguish between artifice and consciousness. The “notion” of escapism may be a lie, but for some of us this lie is our truth. You must desire the reality of fantasy so profusely that it becomes necessity, not accessory.

The lines for myself have become so blurred now, I know not the difference between a moment of performance and a moment of honesty. If you were to ask me to remove my Philip Treacy hat at a party, in truth it is the emotional and physical equivalent of requesting I remove my liver. Talk about giving “clutching her pearls” a new meaning! I know not the difference between the hair that grows from my head and the teal wigs that grow from my imagination. They are the same. They are both honest, and always have been. So maybe I know nothing of “the art of escapism.” I was just Born This Way. I revere the dream to be real. I am always, and shall forever be, private in public.

In this lies one of many books in the Bible of Fashion: in order for the FANTASY OF YOU to become the REALITY OF YOU, you must commit to the fantasy as wholeheartedly as you commit to your humanness. Wear out your vision. Proclaim your mission. Amen, Fashion! Style can transform and release your internal superstar. Whether it be one pair of shoes, some vintage sunglasses, a family heirloom, or a hair color that makes you feel as electric on the outside as you do on the inside. Acknowledge that this choice is a manifestation of an internal magic and the potential of your spirit. You are fan-tas-tic. And this fantasy is part of the real and honest you. It is a lie inside, waiting to be unlocked to become true. Scheiße. I just spoke some German.