What was it like as a little monster from 2008-11

[Yo GagaGaga 6,541]

I became a stan really late in the game, like right after the C2C era ended () and I never experienced a pop Gaga era in full drive, and I may never. I fear that from ARTPOP on, since Lady Gaga isn't new, the world most likely won't be in another Gaga mania, or it at least won't be as intense as it was from 2008-2011. I want to know from the Monsters that were there in the Fame/Monster and Born This Way eras, what being a little monster was like. This could mean anything, you could talk about how excited you and so many other people were or your reactions when she released huge singles, or when a new era started, or seeing all the fake fans leave during BTW and AP. Or you could talk about how GGD was compared to now and in the ARTPOP era. It could be anything, I just want to know what it was like back then since I missed my chance to experience it

[Iwontell 7,312]

Just as hellish as today...

Not at first, actually, but when BTW and Femme Fatale were released close to each other, the eternal fighting begun...

She was so active too, back in the day...every other week you'd get a nice performance, or a new video, or Gaga visions, photoshoots, maybe a song would leak...

[HOTNebraskaGuy 19,547]

I became a LM right when ARTPOP was released.  

A bit curious too.

[Yo GagaGaga 6,541]

applaud my spectacular timing of making this thread right as Britneys new video leaked 

[JustAnotherDay 8,402]

I'm not really a good example since I was too young to really be following her but I remember seeing her everywhere and always finding new performances when I searched her on YouTube, she was everywhere and I was in love with everything about her

[FATCAT 55,820]

If you were around for TFM and BTW's release, you'd understand why so many people have a problem with ARTPOP. It's basically a failed era, in comparison to every other album.

[ReidOne 12,427]

I've been a LM literally since the beginning... I remember falling in love with Just Dance in May/June 2008 and then becoming a full blown stan when the international edition of 'The Fame' was released in August. And first hearing "Poker Face"  

2008-2009-2010 was definitely the most exhilarating time. I also lived in Missouri at the time (midwest USA), so getting to see the shift take place from virtually NO dance music on Top 40 radio whatsoever, to Gaga's arrival, and then all the copycats that came after was truly mindblowing. 

I am a lifelong dance-pop music die hard. So this was like the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ to me. Gaga resurrected dance music on US pop radio!!! Right before my very eyes. 

The entire world was captivated by her outlandish fashion. She had as many haters as she did fans since the very beginning. But, there was something the haters could not deny --- EVERYONE in the pop game changed their approach after Gaga arrived. Suddenly all pop stars were wearing "crazy" outfits and spending lots more money on their music videos. 

Gaga's every move was literally followed by mainstream America. I would go to my office for work and I would have co-workers of all ages telling me about seeing her on TV, etc... And most of them saying how much they were surprised that they really enjoyed her music. 

---------

In summary, Gaga's "reign" at the top may have only sustained itself for 3 and a half years, but that was enough time to cement her place in history as one of the most impactful pop artists to ever emerge. We joke about "ha impact" but in all seriousness ---- Gaga's impact is matched by very few. 

[Zilla 13,343]

2009-10 was the best time. Nobody was fighting that I can remember and we were able to have legit discussions without the attitude or sassy gifs. 

[Pierre 10,480]

I follow GGD since late 2010/early 2011, and the start of BTW was EVERYTHING. 

 

The music previews, gagavision, tons of pictures almost everyday, the outfits, the appearences, fashion shows, tv shows,  the inteviews,the magazines, the photoshoots  Nick Knight, Mariano Vivanco, Mario Testino, Terry, she was on Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, the New York promo on the subway, the buildings. Everything was amazing, and I really hope LG5 is at that level too. 

[ReidOne 12,427]

3 minutes ago, Zilla said:

2009-10 was the best time. Nobody was fighting that I can remember and we were able to have legit discussions without the attitude or sassy gifs. 

Wholeheartedly agree. No personal offense meant to the current GGD crowd, but I really miss those days as well. Gaga approaches her art as if it is a literary masterpiece. There are layers upon layers of meaning, symbolism, references, etc... And much of it is very much under the radar. It takes lots of minds coming together to unravel it all. I long for the days when those ideas could be explored without everyone jumping on you saying "REACH" the second you try to explore what she was trying to say. 

[Phlop 4,773]

I'm still a fan because of the memories from 2008-2011. It was legit the golden age to be a Gaga fan. 

[Robo Ga 14,483]

All I can say is that being a little monster in 2008-2011 was extremely satisfying because there was an incredible flow of CONTENT from Gaga (music, videos, social media posts, fashion, award show performances, talk shows, EVERYTHING) almost every single day. There was always something new coming forward. And she was just so COOL. Everything about her seemed so otherworldly. She knew how to captivate pop culture. And something tells me she is about to do it again. I think she can still achieve that popularity. I just don't think we will ever get that volume of content again from her, because it burned her out in the end. I think from now on the content we get from Gaga will be more controlled and spaced out to allow her to live and stay in touch with her creativity. 

[Babel 40,887]

She was at the top of her game, so were her fanbase. 

But in all seriousness, in terms of interest and excitement, there was news about her every. single. day. It felt like a full time job to follow her steps those days. I became a full time fan in early 2009 and there still are candids, outfits, interviews and performances that I haven't watch yet.  It was crazy.  But it was great! Those were the days. Maybe that's why some people call her lazy and things like that nowadays, cause she set up such a high standard for every single thing. From appareances to looks to performances.

I liked ARTPOP and C2C but deep down I'm hoping more shocking value for LG5, or something to be excited for. I'm in LOVE with the new vocal-centered-Gaga (unlike what some ungrateful ones say, C2C-2016 was top-notch and a dream come true in terms of her as a singer) but I can't help to miss her crazy costumes and that mystery aura I felt around her everytime during 2008-early 2012. She was an art piece alive. 

 

[LStephens11 15]

It was really great for me, being from a small town in East Texas (I graduated high school with 45 people), and dance/electronic music was not a thing here at all. I remember the first time I saw her was in a magazine and she was wearing that white origami dress and I recall thinking "what the hell is she wearing?!" then the Just Dance visual came out and she was in the pool with the blow up whale and I was all "WHAT THE ****" this is so weird. And when she did the VMAs in 2009 I was hooked after that performance, and I'm not sure what it was specifically, but it was captivating for me. Mentally and visually stimulating that someone would take their craft so seriously to do something so physically demanding and strange for the time. Although I think her performances have gotten better, Paparazzi was still barrier breaking for the time.

The forum was much better back then, too. After ARTPOP and the entire fanbase having a MELTDOWN over it (seriously, it wasn't that bad, y'all) this site got real out of pocket and people started getting bitchy and the feuds were ridiculous. The fanbase isn't referred to as "Little Managers" for nothing. And let's not even speak about the Cheek to Cheek campaign... you'd think she did something awful.

 

[Savage 1,677]

For one thing, the hype leading up to the release of Born This Way was unexplainable exciting. Gaga was just finishing up The Monster Ball, and the whole world was still in love with her. She would talk about the album as the best of the decade, and we all believed it. After all, it was really the first era that we had to wait for new music. (The Fame Monster came out very quickly.) We were so involved in her creative process—Gagavision allowed for this. When Judas came out, GagaDaily ERUPTED. The actual era was the most social media oriented: we got joke conversations between her and Tara frequently. // As for The Fame Monster era, Gaga hadn't been famous for very long, so EVERYTHING she did was brand new. Her outfits were CRAZY, and we all looked forward to seeing what she would wear and do at each appearance she made. Her shock value was at its absolute peak. The hype for her music videos, ESPECIALLY Alejando, was HUGE. We were as thirsty for that music video alone as we are now for LG5. // The Fame era was basically Gaga as the new "it" girl. It was her most successful era on the radio; she was on it ALL the time. // We waited a long time for ARTPOP; it was the first time Gaga made us really wait for information while not giving us anything else. And believe it or not, as absent as she is right now, she was more unheard from during the months leading up to ARTPOP. She was silent. It was as if she didn't exist. The most we got as a fanbase was the occasional picture of her hiding her face, which would either be taken by a fan or a paparazzo. Monsters questioned her loyalty to us, just as they are doing now. (I am proud to say that I have stuck by her.) A month or two before the announcement of Applause's and ARTPOP's respective release dates, though, we got a few pictures posted by Gaga herself. Other than that, we got virtually nothing until the day that that infamous picture of Gaga with the ARTPOP mask was uploaded to her website. It was a surprise announcement; no one was expecting it. During the months leading up to November 11th, we heard all but two or three songs from the album. (I think this hurt her sales, as there was little excitement when the album actually came out.) At the time, Gaga and Troy were having creative differences, which ultimately led them to split. Powers higher than Gaga screwed the era's success in the eyes of the GP. The whole era was messy. No DWUW music video, Venus was scrapped as a single at the last minute, and G.U.Y. was an unsuccessful attempt at a recovery on the radio. The tour didn't feature acting and was said to be low budget. Nevertheless, I LOVE ARTPOP. The album is phenomenal, and I hold it as high as her other albums. It's not The Fame Monster—it's ARTPOP. It's different. I went to both The Monster Ball and artRAVE: the ARTPOP ball, and I can honestly say I had WAY more fun at the artRAVE. No matter what it looks like online, the ARTPOP Ball consumed you when you were there. It was all around you, and the energy was BEYOND BREATHTAKING. When Gaga announced that Applause was the last song, (Swine and Gyspy were a surprise, and I didn't watch the show before attending, as doing so for TMB made it less exciting,) I was SHOCKED that two hours had gone by. My heart was pounding. // As much as people make fun of the C2C era, it was really nice. It was relaxing, to be honest. I went and saw her and Tony on its supporting tour, and I had so much fun. I even rushed the stage and got Tony's autograph at the end! (Gaga didn't sign, and now that I have watched her talk at the Emotion Revolution online, I know why.) Still, that night was a LOT of fun. It was filled with great music and class, as well as SUPERB vocals. And Gaga was SO SO HAPPY. I loved every minute of it. And that brings us to the end of the era, when you became a stan. I really hope this helps, (let me know if it does,) I put a lot of effort into it!  Paws up!