The Fabric of Gaga(ness)

[crisTEAne 21,059]

two days ago, as i was getting ready for the last day of my summer job as a translator, i was listening to gaga's google interview because hearing her voice gets me in my english mood and, somehow, it relaxes me. (btw, i highly recommend rewatching her old interviews. all the years that gone by give you a certain perspective from which revisiting the frequently recurring questions/themes/motifs of gagzness is a more complex and, thus, more exciting experience.)

at one point during the interview, audience members had the chance to ask gagz a question. we all know that there is a question in particular—the question, if you will—that everybody, both GP members and LMs, love asking her: what is the difference between stefani and gagz? unsurprisingly, a girl (around 42:45) and a guy (around 48:10) asked this question but phrased it differently. gagz half-seriously said that she loves this question. by now all LMs know, or should know, that there is absolutely no separation whatsoever between stefani and gagz: they are the same person. the question was recently addressed by gagz in her variety interview when jamie lee curtis wanted to know if gagz is a character. the concept behind her answer was not that hard to grasp, i think. essentially, she said that from her point of view, gagz is not a character, there is no difference between stefani and gagz, she has as much stefani in her as gagz; from the GP's point of view, however, there is a difference. what she meant is that the way she perceives herself and the way the GP perceives her differ a great deal. in the former case, there is no separation; in contrast, in the latter case, there is. it means that there is an artificial gagz character that the GP constructed with which she cannot identify as that is not the way she views herself.

for her and for LMs, gagz is not a character. during the interview, she points out (one of) the reason(s): immunity. according to her, LMs—especially those who have seen her perform live—are immune to her avantgarde fashion pieces and, thus, able to see the girl behind the aura. this made me think of a phrase: the fabric of gagz. the word 'fabric' can be used both in a literal and in a figurative sense: one the one hand, it can refer to the out-of-this-world-galaxy-space-and-time garments that exteriorly make stefani gagz (GP view); on the other hand, it can refer to the very personality/identity that interiorly makes gagz stefani (LM view). 

there are quite a number of topics created on a daily basis that focus on the former and neglect the latter. i think, as LMs, it's time to be part of a reverse gagzness expedition and apply the following moral code to the LG5 era: as gagz put her trust in us, LMs, to see, understand, and appreciate who she really is, it is our duty to find gagz in stefani and stefani in gagz. when you miss and bitch about the lack of avantgarde clothes, try to find her inner gagzness in stefani's music and actions; in turn, when you are confronted with an over-the-top-vomit-on-it-****-on-it art piece, try to find gaga's inner stefani. i can assure you that both are present, because she puts all that she can offer, both as a human being and as an artist, in her work—for which, you all know damn well, she bleeds. don't question her authenticity and integrity when you are unable to find either gagz or stefani, question your dedication, as a LM, and, again, ability to see the girl behind the aura.

(my intention behind this thread was not to create another true fan vs. fake fan topic; i just wanted to share this idea that has been forming for two days in my head and, you know, i just took gaga's advice: i honored my vomit. plus, i was really happy that god called me with the twofold fabric thing and that i managed to pick up the phone. )

[The Surrealist 27,470]

I think of "Lady Gaga" as an extended version of Stefani. Like it's her cape and mask, her superhero outfit, but she still is Stefani underneath it.

[crisTEAne 21,059]

20 minutes ago, Sycamore said:

I think of "Lady Gaga" as an extended version of Stefani. Like it's her cape and mask, her superhero outfit, but she still is Stefani underneath it.

yep. i also like thinking of gagz as a blank canvas that stefani allows her to be so that stefani's insecurities have a platform onto which all her insecurities can be projected, then reflected by LMs, and finally transformed into something magical. you know, as she put it, she's like a shiny disco ball and LMs are the tiny little mirrors that reflect who she is. when she said that "i am my fans," i believe that she truly meant it.   

[SilkSpectre0 547]

Well your 'vomit' as, gaga would put it, was spot on 

my favourite thing about gaga is how she can switch between the two - being completely avante garde or wearing something we could get ourselves - and yet it changes nothing about her essence for me. Plus it shows how she isn't manufactured because no team would plan someone as spontaneous/ ever changing as gaga.

[crisTEAne 21,059]

1 minute ago, SilkSpectre0 said:

Well your 'vomit' as, gaga would put it, was spot on 

thank you, that's so nice of you. 

1 minute ago, SilkSpectre0 said:

my favourite thing about gaga is how she can switch between the two - being completely avante garde or wearing something we could get ourselves - and yet it changes nothing about her essence for me. Plus it shows how she isn't manufactured because no team would plan someone as spontaneous/ ever changing as gaga.

exactly. that's why i have a hard time understanding those questioning her integrity. she's always been the same, ffs. 

[SilkSpectre0 547]

11 minutes ago, T E A said:

thank you, that's so nice of you. 

exactly. that's why i have a hard time understanding those questioning her integrity. she's always been the same, ffs. 

I know right. You only need to look at the span of her career to see she's constantly changing up which side of herself to reveal or exaggerate. But she's never fake and she's always the same gaga to those that know and appreciate her as a person/artist rather than just an image. 

[NewUsername 10,373]

I think Gaga is an aspect of Stefani. Just like we all have different aspects to our personality and identity and 'versions' of ourselves in different environments/situations.

[crisTEAne 21,059]

5 minutes ago, Driezewies said:

I think Gaga is an aspect of Stefani. Just like we all have different aspects to our personality and identity and 'versions' of ourselves in different environments/situations.

yeah, my english lit prof talked a little bit about subject theory and he did mention identity inflections. i think researching this theoretical framework and then situating gagz as a case study in it would be such scholarly fun. 

[AphroditeLaydee 1,230]

This was an amazing read Thank you! And I agree.