Gag Me No More?

As many know, I have been a hater of Ms. Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga since the release of her first single, Just Dance. I hated the lyrics, hated her sense of (or lack thereof) style, and mostly hated her scene kid following. I especially hated the lyrics to her second single, Poker Face. What kind of dumbass song includes the phrase "Cause I'm bluffin' with my muffin, I'm not lying I'm just stunnin' with my love-glue-gunning"? We've got 12-year-olds running around singing this nonsense, not having any idea they are singing about oral-sex! It got even better with Love Game. Upon the release of this song, I decided I would just refer to her as Lady Gag-me! Now, we not only have kids unconsciously singing about oral-sex, but now they are blatantly singing about casual sex!?!? Really, "Let's have some fun this beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick"? Not even a little bit subtle and they play it on pop radio 85 times a day? I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea that parents were letting their kids listen to stuff that could make Marilyn Manson blush without a second thought, simply because they didn't bother to really listen!
I am far from a prude and I have no problem with lyrical expression, especially when paired with a great beat. I do, however, have a problem with selling it to the wrong audience (i.e. children). I originally blamed Lady Gaga for this, but that was before I knew her background (as a burlesque dancer and self proclaimed "freak" in high school). I now realize that this insane behavior of hers and her odd fashion choices are nothing more than her self-expression that had to be buried during her days in Catholic school. This dumb campaign to promote and oversaturate the market with her to young people was the very wrong choice of her record label and the PR people in charge. No, she would not be the household name she is now, and she certainly wouldn't be as filthy rich as she is now, but at least her audience would be more appropriate to her style of music and performance. I really hoped she would be a one-hit wonder and quickly fade away!
I rarely do this, but just this once, I will admit that maybe I was too quick to judge and...I don't know if I can do this...alright, here it goes...I...was...wrong! There, I said it! I now compare Lady Gaga to Madonna in the 80's. They both have the same shock factor whenever they leave the house, they were both marketed to audiences much too young for their content, and they both have extremely wacky taste in wardrobes...and neither are one-hit wonders! A comparison to Madonna, especially coming from me (because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Madonna), is extremely high praise. 
I started to come around to her music after Paparazzi and Bad Romance. However, this major change of tune - for lack of a better phrase - came when I saw the video from the Brit Awards, and heard what she did. She was scheduled to perform her usual crazy act, but upon the death of Lee Alexander McQueen, she unselfishly changed her entire performance in tribute. She did a much more subdued acoustic version of Telephone and followed by Dance in the Dark and dedicated the performance to him. Check out the video below.     







Though I credit her with a great performance, I have little praise for her choice of outfit that evening, since in one photo I got a clear shot of her bare ass!

    

Dear Lady Gaga,


I'm still not going to "chase you down until you love me," but I will show you the respect you have earned. You've proven yourself as a real artist and not just a contrived sideshow. You are actually quite talented and honestly, if you hadn't have been picked up by the scene kid market in the first place, I probably would have been a fan from the beginning. I love shock art, I love originality, and I love real musical talent. You actually have all of that, it just took a while to see it through all the teens praising you for the past 2 years. I now realize your fashion choices are for you and not for the press it generates. I might not get it, but from now on, I won't criticize what I don't understand. 
One bit of advice though before I sign off - you really should smile more often - enjoy your success!


Sincerely,
The Anti-Fashionista 


P.S. I still have NO love for Ke$ha or Justin Beiber...and that is not likely to EVER change! 

Alexander McQueen, A True Master - WWD.com

Check out this fantastic article from WWD. It truly describes the man, the artist, and the friend the designers knew.

Alexander McQueen, A True Master - WWD.com

RIP Lee Alexander McQueen (March 16, 1969 - February 11, 2010)

As stated in previous posts, Alexander McQueen was one of my all-time favorite designers. His much-too-soon passing came as a shock to the entire fashion industry today as they mourn the loss of this creative genius. He was found in his London flat after apparently committing suicide. He was the king of thinking outside the box. He was one of those people that just had an undeniable natural talent - who, luckily for us, found a way to share it with the world.

The designer lost a dear friend and stylist, Isabella Blow, to suicide just three years ago. He was also mourning the loss of his mother just last week. He kept his fans on Twitter aware of his heartache, "had a ----- awful week, but now my friends have been great but some how I have to pull myself together." His Twitter page has since been shut down.

As designers show their Fall 2010 collections this week in NYC, their hearts are undoubtedly with the friends and family of Mr. McQueen. His Fall 2010 line was scheduled to debut in Paris in just a few weeks.

Karl Lagerfeld, designer for Chanel, said it best, "I found his work very interesting and never banal. There was always some attraction to death, his designs were sometimes dehumanized. Who knows, perhaps after flirting with death too often, death attracts you."

Below are just a few of my very favorite recent McQueen creations. Feel free to post your favorites in the comments!

From Fall 2008 & 2009

From Spring 2008 & 2009

RIP to the brilliant mind who obviously had an excellent sense of humor (how else can you explain ending your Spring 2009 show in a bunny suit?)! You and your creations will be greatly missed!





If you or somebody you know is in crisis and may be contemplating suicide, there is help. Please call 1-800-273-TALK or go to http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

MAKE IT STOP!

As many of you are aware, I have a deep hatred for all things Christian Audigier and Ed Hardy! They clearly have no grasp on what Kustom Kulture actually is. If they had even the slightest clue, they would never commercialize this crap so hard, nor would they promote it among the social groups they do (the judges on Americas Best Dance Crew probably can't even tell you what Kustom Kulture is)! It was bad enough before Jon Gosselin and the brilliant cast of Jersey Shore got their grimey hands on it, but they certainly did their best to crucify an already dead trend. If there was any life remaining in the Ed Hardy brand, what I found on the shelves at Target the other day should certainly put the nail in the coffin (at least I hope this means the end for this disaster).

Grammy Awards Fashion Continued...

John Legend in Prada looks great from a distance. However, once you realize that the vest is mesh, the entire look falls apart. There is no reason for any man that is not the bartender at the local gay strip club to be wearing a mesh vest! You are better than that John - get it together!

Carrie Underwood in Edition by Georges Chakra. I'm a little torn on this one. I love the geometric metallic neckline. I don't love the cut of the bodice though. This girl has far too great of a figure to wear such a tent dress! I think I would love the head to toe look if it were more fitted through the mid-section.

Ashanti is proof that even the best designer screws up. This Tony Ward Couture gown is said to cost somewhere near $300,000! First of all, the dress isn't even that cute! Second, as far as I'm concerned, Ashanti has no relevance in the music industry any more. Why she is even there stumps me, much less why somebody thought it was necessary to put her in the most expensive gown there! (I credit Tony Ward with the fantastic beading detail, but the cut is all wrong and I hate the frilly skirt/train.)

Beyonce in Stephane Rolland confuses me a bit. It's a pretty gown, but it just doesn't work for me on her. For some reason, it looks like she has a tiny head and that her body is way bigger than it really is. She's not a big girl, she's actually quite fit. I just believe that it's the really bad pose and the fact that it seems any movement is completely restricted in this gown.

Colbie Caillat in Nicolas Jebran. My issue with this look is not solely based on the gown itself, but the appropriateness of sporting such a sexy look when your dad is your date. It just looked a little strange when they were interviewed together on the red carpet (I am certainly not suggesting that their relationship is at all inappropriate - just that the dress and a dad don't mix). I don't particularly care for the dress anyway. The wavy beach hair with the dress, the black open-toe sandals, and the cheap looking sheer skirt just don't create a good overall look. This girl is 24 years old and was raised in the music industry. She should know better by now!