Rant: Why does Gaga complicate things?

[Didymus 32,702]

1 minute ago, Bel Esprit said:

I felt Gaga should've had her first major acting role following BTW era. I think ASIB era is a course correction of something that should've began earlier, and now I believe Gaga's overall career will stabilize to some extent, instead of the constant rollercoaster that was the first ten years. 

Yup, I do too.

She's proven a lot of stuff she always wanted to prove in one big, epic showdown: she can act, she can sing, she doesn't require antics, make-up, fashion, etc. to be amazing, she can still sell songs (even ones that sound like nothing on the radio), she doesn't need vocal editing (**** you, Interscope) to sound amazing to the public, and she can still surprise us after so many years of thinking she was over and done with

In short, there's no way anyone can prove now that she isn't a sedimented name and star. From now on she can stop trying to convince everyone and simply be great and sit back and reap the fruits from her projects. God knows she's struggled long enough to get here.

I just hope she chooses her projects wisely

[Reality 65,693]

8 hours ago, Didymus said:

But that happens to everyone in life Like, why are so many fans writing this stuff, pretending it's supposed to be a eureka moment? Do you think Rihanna or Mariah don't feel the exact same way? When you're a celebrity, you are automatically perceived in a way different from who you are, and when you're a pop star you are just expected to play the part, Gaga isn't special here

 

But Gaga is different in this aspect, though. Rihanna and Mariah never changed their name or created a whole different persona. Sure, Rihanna, Mariah, and every other pop singer does have a "professional" and "personal" life, but with Gaga it's different. Her persona was so outrageous and out-there that even the littlest differences caused people to be in an uproar like, "OH THIS ISN'T GAGA ANYMORE!", "SHE'S CHANGED!", "I WANT OLD GAGA BACK!", etc. 

8 hours ago, Didymus said:

This whole "Stefani", "Gaga" thing is a waste of time for us to focus on. What the fans are actually bummed about is that they have to listen to songs Selena Gomez could've released on her last album, while Gaga is pretending it's her best work Sorry, but that's the truth. It's not about Gaga being "Gaga", it's about Gaga justifying why we pay so much attention to her.

And after tons of side projects and a lackluster solo album, some fans are just fed up with her pretending we should take that **** as seriously as we did TF(M) or BTW It's just not enough for a lot of fans, and they don't have a substitute for her, so they stay here and whine about it. I know that must be annoying for the fans who keep enjoying her (or make excuses for her) but it's totally understandable, esp. when she has, like it or not, completely switched up her game in just a few years' time.

The way I see it, it's only the people who always considered her artistic work to be less important than just glorifying everything she does, whatever the quality, who were unaffected by all the changes in her career But I sure am glad to not be part of you guys...

1

This, to me, sounds like a personal issue. Correct me if I'm wrong, but essentially you just don't like the stuff she's been doing post-ARTPOP and now you're trying to find a way to justify why you don't like something instead of just saying, "Yeah, this isn't for me...".

I compare Gaga to an essay. The thesis of the paper would be something like, "Gaga is an ever-changing artist and she will continue to grow, evolve, and change depending upon her life experiences and whatever artistic endeavor she's interested in at the time." The body paragraphs represent the different eras and how each era influenced her personally, but also artistically, creatively, and professionally. You can go in and edit, change, remove, or add paragraphs as much as you want, but you can't change the whole damn thesis.

The fans who are fed up with side projects need to grow up and realize that she will do whatever she wants to with her career. Now I'm not someone who completely loves and adores everything she does, but I recognize the fact that she will grow and change as a person. Change is just a part of human nature and if you can't accept that she's going to change her art, presentation, even ideals from time to time, then you are stanning the wrong artist. 

[Dilwyn 4,090]

40 minutes ago, geopang said:

It’s sad, but I think she’s really been trying to seek approval for the last 4 years. Everything has been palatable for the GP. I find it sad because this is coming from the same girl who years ago stood on stage and said “this is not a joke. This is really who the f**k I am”.

Like i said in the other thread, you guys forget that

How you guys expect her not to change, she almost gave up all of this until tony came along.

No wonder she loves him so much.

 

[Didymus 32,702]

11 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

But Gaga is different in this aspect, though. Rihanna and Mariah never changed their name or created a whole different persona. Sure, Rihanna, Mariah, and every other pop singer does have a "professional" and "personal" life, but with Gaga it's different. Her persona was so outrageous and out-there that even the littlest differences caused people to be in an uproar like, "OH THIS ISN'T GAGA ANYMORE!", "SHE'S CHANGED!", "I WANT OLD GAGA BACK!", etc.

Hmm... I don't know, doesn't that happen with most artists? Granted, I listen more to rock and metal bands, but it happens all the time. It's happened with Madonna, Katy and Miley too tbh

But I get your point.

11 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

This, to me, sounds like a personal issue. Correct me if I'm wrong, but essentially you just don't like the stuff she's been doing post-ARTPOP and now you're trying to find a way to justify why you don't like something instead of just saying, "Yeah, this isn't for me...".

Well, no, I enjoyed C2C but I absolutely loathed Joanne and was just generally put off by the way she presented herself in interviews from C2C till now, really But I love ASIB and I think some of the songs on that soundtrack are the best she's recorded in her entire career, so no, I'm still here cheering her on. I also loved her cover of Your Song and the performance of it, loved her tribute performances to Sting, Stevie Wonder and Sinatra etc., I've been very pleased still I've already accepted she'll never become the The Fame chick I fell in love with so much.

11 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

The fans who are fed up with side projects need to grow up and realize that she will do whatever she wants to with her career. Now I'm not someone who completely loves and adores everything she does, but I recognize the fact that she will grow and change as a person. Change is just a part of human nature and if you can't accept that she's going to change her art, presentation, even ideals from time to time, then you are stanning the wrong artist. 

I can definitely accept that, some changes are just harder to swallow than others Core values and ideals are a little tough to accept transforming.

But you're essentially right, of course. On the other hand, sometimes I'm like, but we're on a forum discussing some pop star who doesn't give a **** about us, why shouldn't we just complain and say what's on our minds? Why always the twisted need of so many fans to immediately come to her defense like they're paid by her or somehow connected to her personal life, lol she doesn't give a **** about you, we're just some lonely ass people on a website talking to each other. So maybe we should complain a little less, got that, but maybe you guys need to back off with the whole "get out of here, this is the defend everything Gaga does club" like that is a more admirable way to waste your time online

[Reality 65,693]

3 minutes ago, Didymus said:

But you're essentially right, of course. On the other hand, sometimes I'm like, but we're on a forum discussing some pop star who doesn't give a **** about us, why shouldn't we just complain and say what's on our minds? Why always the twisted need of so many fans to immediately come to her defense like they're paid by her or somehow connected to her personal life, lol she doesn't give a **** about you, we're just some lonely ass people on a website talking to each other. So maybe we should complain a little less, got that, but maybe you guys need to back off with the whole "get out of here, this is the defend everything Gaga does club" like that is a more admirable way to waste your time online

1

It's not that this is a "defend everything Gaga does club", it's more like "Here, I'm presenting you reasons as to why Gaga thinks a certain way or believes a certain thing." While I am interjecting my own opinion into my arguments, a large portion of it is stuff that comes straight from Gaga's mouth. 

All I've been basically saying [in this particular discussion] is that Gaga will change and evolve, and that's just the truth. Sure, you can 100% have your own opinions on what you like or dislike about what she's done, but as I mentioned before, she's going to change and that's that. 

[Itsbrenda 2,983]

54 minutes ago, DCgaga said:

No, she hates Hollywood, she wouldn't let them control her for the world 

Yeh.. sure jan 

[Didymus 32,702]

6 minutes ago, M Monstre said:

It's not that this is a "defend everything Gaga does club", it's more like "Here, I'm presenting you reasons as to why Gaga thinks a certain way or believes a certain thing." While I am interjecting my own opinion into my arguments, a large portion of it is stuff that comes straight from Gaga's mouth. 

All I've been basically saying [in this particular discussion] is that Gaga will change and evolve, and that's just the truth. Sure, you can 100% have your own opinions on what you like or dislike about what she's done, but as I mentioned before, she's going to change and that's that.  

Well, obviously I agree with you on that

I definitely want her to keep changing, and I genuinely don't think anyone wants her to replicate something she's already done. I think many fans are just feeling like there's a significant drop in quality when it comes to her overall output, and that it's like something was "lost" in recent years that's hard to replace, even if she dresses up as a crazy bitch once in a while again. I relate to that, because it's how I started feeling since 2010 already (esp. after 2013 though), and I know it's hard to get over that disappointment.

But that doesn't mean those critical voices are right. And I get it, it's annoying. I just read it differently. For me those voices of complaint aren't harshful attacks on Gaga, they're signs of how much she touched all of us with her previous projects, and how that's left a mark. It's proof of love, and passion, and gratitude. But people are greedy and they want that injection of inspiration and fulfillment time and time again. Gaga's hard to replace, so that often turns into bitterness.

But essentially, yes, you're absolutely right. I just hope you guys don't forget that the fans who may now be disappointed supported her very devotedly for years on end, and that they deserve respect for that reason.

[S0436 10,215]

The OP just reiterates the danger of stans thinking they own an artist.  

[Chromatislaps 34,558]

The song Aura is very much a prophecy: 

I killed my former and, put her in a trunk on highway 10

a TRUE reverse warholian expedition  

[Reality 65,693]

5 minutes ago, Didymus said:

Well, obviously I agree with you on that

I definitely want her to keep changing, and I genuinely don't think anyone wants her to replicate something she's already done. I think many fans are just feeling like there's a significant drop in quality when it comes to her overall output, and that it's like something was "lost" in recent years that's hard to replace, even if she dresses up as a crazy bitch once in a while again. I relate to that, because it's how I started feeling since 2010 already (esp. after 2013 though), and I know it's hard to get over that disappointment.

But that doesn't mean those critical voices are right. And I get it, it's annoying. I just read it differently. For me those voices of complaint aren't harshful attacks on Gaga, they're signs of how much she touched all of us with her previous projects, and how that's left a mark. It's proof of love, and passion, and gratitude. But people are greedy and they want that injection of inspiration and fulfillment time and time again. Gaga's hard to replace, so that often turns into bitterness.

But essentially, yes, you're absolutely right. I just hope you guys don't forget that the fans who may now be disappointed supported her very devotedly for years on end, and that they deserve respect for that reason.

And you know, the quality of her work is subjective. I can't argue with you on that, but I do see where you're coming from. Whenever I read about people who complain, it's not like I see it as an attack on Gaga. I agree with you. I see it as someone who has been so touched by an individual. That said, I also agree with you when you say that sometimes that love and be taken the wrong way. Often times I feel like while people have the best of intentions, the way they go about executing their opinion just seems bitter and annoyed. That's not to say you can't have those feelings, but sometimes we could just have a discussion about instead of screaming at the heavens. 

There is one thing though that I do sort of disagree on, and that's the very last point you mentioned. Now, I haven't been a fan since the beginning of her career (I became a fan during ARTPOP), so perhaps my own personal bias is going to affect how I interpreted that last sentence, but I don't necessarily believe that just because you were a fan for 'x' amount of years means that you deserve respect. I think no matter if you've been a fan since Day 1 or if you've been a fan since yesterday, people should just have equal amounts of respect for each other. 

Don't know if that's entirely what you mean by that last point, but that was my take away. 

[Bambino 23,630]

2 hours ago, Jed said:

I think if you’re getting that worked up over something so trivial but also so personal you need to take a healthy step back from “stanning” and maybe just try and be a fan. I imagine when she wanted to be an actress she wanted to see her name in lights and that name wasn’t lady Gaga. It’s obviously very personal to her and I think you need to look at it from her point of view instead of your own. You’re a Stan who doesn’t want Gaga to go away. She’s someone who’s had to go through a lot of different “personas” to navigate the industry. I don’t think it’s crazy for her to talk about that on a public level. Doesn’t mean your beloved Gaga goes away because obviously she never will.

 

55 minutes ago, S0436 said:

The OP just reiterates the danger of stans thinking they own an artist.  

Both of you just stop it right there. I'm not exactly following everything she does nowadays but the recent speech got my attention. Read the OP again and you'll understand that I have no problem with her choosing whatever identity she wants for herself, but I just don't want her to belittle any of the things she did in the past in favor of what she's doing now. It always seemed to me that she was proud of her Gaga persona and everything she achieved with it but when she's giving more credit to Stefani while purposely insisting that Gaga is just a character kinda looks meaning to the whole Gaga thing.

[JazzGa 14,348]

2 hours ago, DCgaga said:

No, she hates Hollywood, she wouldn't let them control her for the world 

Correction: She used to hate Hollywood. Now she's smooching its golden booty like a good little Oscar campaigner should

OT: In my opinion, she is changing a LOT right now because she is suddenly embracing/truly believing that her career is capable of much more than being a "weird 2000s pop girl" 

I feel like a lot of stans expect Gaga to never ever change her mind or go back on anything she's ever said or any position she has ever held since she was 23 years old and that's ridiculous. 

I agree with Didymus's sentiment that something in Gaga changed during C2C and hasn't changed again since, though she has somewhat gone through the motions of different presentations for each era. But I disagree with the cynicism over her "losing" something as the reason she changed. She just grew up some and wanted to enjoy her fkin life more lol. (Not saying she was immature before but just that people's priorities change as they age) Why wouldn't she desire less controversy and more respect?  I get that it makes her less interesting, but I guess shaking the cage is for the young and hungry.

I think that at first, this change will have its moments where she divorces herself from her past work, such as in her recent Cinemathetique Awards speech. But I also think monsters are taking that speech way too out of context   She has referred to Gaga as her armor or mask before, superhero cape is just another metaphor like that. It doesn't mean she disowns her past self or thinks it was bad. She isn't going back either though.

[Killa 14,403]

This is so true, and the first reply went straight as an arrow, shot in the middle.

Her insecurity has made her say things that really over complicate her life. Basically this is all uncalled for, it would be so good if she finally feels like she belongs, she is loved, but she has a need of approval that's way out of hand.

She did went too far back in the day, but she could have slowed down and changed. Ofc she did not do it in a natural, spontaneous opened way..

It seems to me she felt like people weren't appreciative of her talent, so she had to strip it all, make no mistake this is me, etc et al. But it's like it's never enough. Is an Oscar gonna be enough? She's chasing a ghost, and it's her ego.

As a fan, i just wish her the best, and ofc i want good stuff to cheer. I hope she feels she can make it, because she'll only blow my mind with her project the way she use to do if she truly goes out there, and not out there being crazy...no, just being fearless, without so much pretext, for me Joanne is a painful album, i just feel constraint. I'm happy this one lets me breathe and some more.

[HairBow 531]

I'm not so interested in debating whether "Stefani is Gaga" or not as much as I'm interested in expressing that she has completely changed (which, btw, she vowed to never change).  It comes across as disingenuous to hear her talk about her past so dismissively these days, IMO.  Granted, there are rabid and cringey fans that I don't think she needs to answer to at all, but I am questioning her authenticity.  I think she's drawn a line in the sand and has finally stated that she's a business woman first.  Look at that part in Five Foot Two, when she's talking about the image and the fashion for Joanne.  If anybody says that wasn't manufactured, then they're lying to themselves.

When Gaga was more "Gaga," it came across as far more genuine than these past few years have.  Sorry not sorry.  Also, Gaga was so much more fun back in 2008-2012.  Her persona these days ... She comes across as someone who takes herself too seriously, and it's off-putting for me.  Look at her recent interview with Ellen and compare that to her 2009 interview ... Her recent interview was boring and flaccid.  Again sorry not sorry.  I think she bought into her own hype, and then got pissed with what happened during the ARTPOP era because not everyone was kissing her feet.  She clearly gives a **** about what the GP thinks of her and what the Hollywood Elite think of her now. Back in the day, she really pulled off the "I don't give a ****" vibe, and that was absolutely what drew most people into her.

I still stan the music.  As albums, I loved Cheek to Cheek and Joanne.  And the soundtrack to A Star Is Born is incredible.  I turn in my stan card when it comes to being interested in the persona, though.  As an entertainer, Lady Stefani is great.  To me, though, I'm not interested in anything other than that these days, though.  To me, she's just like every other celebrity these days.  Yawn.

[ALGAYDO 26,291]

The amount of overreacting, OhMyGod