I'm sad about Gaga rejecting her past achievements

[Rolodex of Hate 1,721]

For me, and most of us, Gaga is my number one idol of all time. And this isn't a hate or 'whining' thread, because I still stan and will always stan - she has meant so much to my life. But it genuinely makes me so upset that Gaga seems to reject her past achievements.

I'm writing my dissertation on 'diva worship' and Gaga is a big part of it. Reliving her past performances (generally from 2009-2014) and reading various scholarly writings, I was nostalgic about how shocking and weird she used to be, and how much she meant to those of us that felt like freaks/like we didn't fit in. I wanted to be Gaga, I wanted her boldness and fearlessness, and her ability to be camp, over-the-top and shocking and not care about what others thought.

I was incredibly touched by her interview with Oprah. It shows how much pain she has gone through, and how much she continues to suffer on a daily basis.

What I really struggle with is how she seems to reject her past weird self, and it feels like she's given into being like everyone else. She explains how she no longer feels the need to shock, and that her past self was, for the public, 'like watching a train wreck.' I can say for certain that for many of my friends, and many of the public, the old Gaga was like a train wreck, but to us, she was nothing of the sort. She knew what she was doing, she was hardworking, a breath of fresh air in the industry and unashamed to be deliciously 'weird'.

In a way, I've always been aware that her weird/flamboyant act was a camp aesthetic to gain attention for her music. I was also generally aware that Gaga was a persona, and not necessarily her complete true self. And I have a newfound respect for her being so shocking and amazing in spite of her physical and mental health issues. That is extremely admirable and inspiring. In fact it's pretty astounding, based on what she's said in the Oprah interview. What I struggle with is the intense emotional connection I had with Gaga, how I fiercely defended her weirdness and the way she was completely different from any other pop singer of the time, but now she seems like a totally different person.

And I know Enigma is still going on, and she is still a fierce performer, perhaps with less shock tactics. I'm not expecting any solution to this, just wanted to see if anyone else feels the same, and mourns this old persona we were all besotted with.

[freemymindARTPOP 2,455]

I have felt the same way

I really miss the times she was the young beautiful superstar who wore crazy high fashion couture and made amazing pop music

Not that she isn’t young and beautiful anymore

She was just so passionate about bringing the super fan back and talking about art and how pop music and culture wasn’t just shallow sellouts but actually pop music would never be low brow

It just kinda feels like she has given up that persona and those ideas which we thought were her, to be this soccer mom who runs a makeup company

But she will ofc always be Lady Gaga, i just miss the old her. 

Yes i know shes the same person, i miss the way she was in 2009-2014

and before everybody attacks me “sHe HaS mAtUrReD!!!” yes i knowbut you are also quite mature when you are 27-28

[derpmonster 22,412]

I mean Gaga is one of the artists that do that the least. You know people grow and change and it's inevitable. Artists often feel like they have to stay true to an older version of themselves for the public. Look at Miley Cyrus. Tip: if you ever run into her, don't tell her Party In The USA is your favorite song.

Even during the Joanne era where she could've changed the most, she served Lady Gaga with the Super Bowl and even in the actual Joanne World Tour. She never stops performing her old songs. And I don't mean JUST JD, PF, BTW. But other less successful ones too. Even deep cuts like Bloody Mary or fan faves like Scheiße.

I'm happy she can balance where she is currently with her legacy. 

[NFRatwell 23,290]

Yeah camp Gaga is dead 

[derpmonster 22,412]

Just now, freemymindARTPOP said:

She was just so passionate about bringing the super fan back and talking about art and how pop music and culture wasn’t just shallow sellouts but actually pop music would never be low brow

It just kinda feels like she has given up that persona and those ideas which we thought were her, to be this soccer mom who runs a makeup company

That girl is still behind the aura. We will see her. If I know anything from her makeup video and Oprah interview, it's that she is tired. It requires inspiration to create art and a whole album. I think she'll be back after rest. When the inspiration hits, it hits. She still cares about art. And pop.

2 minutes ago, freemymindARTPOP said:

but you are also quite mature when you are 27-28

Not when you're a public personality and are forced to live according to the public and fans with little regard for personal growth.

[derpmonster 22,412]

Just now, NFRockwell said:

Yeah camp Gaga is dead 

This. The girl doesn't have to live like that 24x7 to prove she cares about it. it's exhausting. 

[freemymindARTPOP 2,455]

Just now, derpmonster said:

That girl is still behind the aura. We will see her. If I know anything from her makeup video and Oprah interview, it's that she is tired. It requires inspiration to create art and a whole album. I think she'll be back after rest. When the inspiration hits, it hits. She still cares about art. And pop.

omg all the ARTPOP references i LOVE. she has talked about before being tired of her music career and wanting to quit music but i just wish she would go back to something like BTW or AP and give us a experimental and heavy produced pop album with a high fashion era like she did in the 2010-2014 days. i think in 2015 she finally made the decision to quit “young popstar” and turn around into “soccer mom”

Not when you're a public personality and are forced to live according to the public and fans with little regard for personal growth.

i know, but she has definitely grown over the years

 

[Rolodex of Hate 1,721]

3 minutes ago, derpmonster said:

This. The girl doesn't have to live like that 24x7 to prove she cares about it. it's exhausting. 

This is true, and like I said I wouldn't expect her to be in performance mode all the time, and the earlier years were Gaga playing a character really. But it's the way she talks now as if since coming to terms with her illness, she has realised with hindsight that her old character was 'superficial' and a 'train wreck', when to us it was performance art.

[freemymindARTPOP 2,455]

13 minutes ago, derpmonster said:

This. The girl doesn't have to live like that 24x7 to prove she cares about it. it's exhausting. 

we just miss the times she would give us amazing looks just to leave a hotel

when you build a whole image saying that your whole life and mind evolves around art, pop and fashion and you go non pop for like 4 years and goes through an era wearing blonde hair with a root, a croptop and booty shorts it just feel kinda like ughlike kinda letdown

and i know Joanne has her cool moments too ( JW mv looking at u )

[whore 11,440]

[redacted] 

[freemymindARTPOP 2,455]

1 minute ago, Rolodex of Hate said:

she has realised with hindsight that her old character was 'superficial' and a 'train wreck', when to us it was performance art

exactly! she was so performance art perfection from 2010-2014 ish and for her to look back at it like she was some sellout popstar idiot is really sad

like i know she went through alot but still 

[Jose P 23,341]

8 minutes ago, NFRockwell said:

Yeah camp Gaga is dead 

For real, 99% of Enigma is pure camp Gaga.

[nenhures 12,846]

13 minutes ago, Rolodex of Hate said:

This is true, and like I said I wouldn't expect her to be in performance mode all the time, and the earlier years were Gaga playing a character really. But it's the way she talks now as if since coming to terms with her illness, she has realised with hindsight that her old character was 'superficial' and a 'train wreck', when to us it was performance art.

I don't think that's what she meant. She said that it might've seemed superficial to some not that that's how she feels about it and the train wreck was her health and personal life. She still sees it as performance art and has never denied it.

She's changed over the years and sure you can feel a certain way about it but I don't think she's rejecting her past achievements in any way, just embracing them and evolving as a person and as a performer

I mean, hell look at her MET Gala performance and how passionately she talked about camp and performance art in general, not to mention how much effort her and her team put on it. She's not the same person she was years ago and honestly, good for her because she's in a much better state of mind but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about her craft anymore or is undermining what happened in the past.

[derpmonster 22,412]

2 minutes ago, Rolodex of Hate said:

This is true, and like I said I wouldn't expect her to be in performance mode all the time, and the earlier years were Gaga playing a character really. But it's the way she talks now as if since coming to terms with her illness, she has realised with hindsight that her old character was 'superficial' and a 'train wreck', when to us it was performance art.

Yes I agree that part is a little disappointing but I don't think she's calling the dressing up and the performance art trainwreck. I think she's calling what she was going through a trainwreck. Her mind and thinking during the era.

I mean in FF2 she still recalled the VMA Paparazzi performance fondly. 

[derpmonster 22,412]

1 minute ago, Jose P said:

For real, 99% of Enigma is pure camp Gaga.

Well the difference is that in Enigma everyone knows (including her) she's playing a character whereas earlier she presented the tour performances as her "real self". Not sure how to explain it better.