Everybody's gaga

You are my number one lady.

And now I appreciate her more since I've just seen Weird Al's new video, "I perform this way" bwahahaha!

She reminds me of a young Iggy pop.

It is a good news for Japanese fans and Americans. Entertainment and charity activities are connected.

Question: How do fans always know arrival times for celebrities at Narita Airport? I would have loved to have gone to see Lady Gaga!

She reminds me of a young Iggy pop.

Iggy was sexy though...

not a fan of gaga, but she has supported the quake victims and thats what I appreciate. That blonde girl btw is not having a good time btw :P

Music is good, although she seems a mental case with all her fashion changes

I hope she makes inquiries about how the $3 million she donated to quake victims is being used.

"she reminds me of a young Iggy Pop"

She does look like Iggy. :)

I think she looks more like a trashy imitation of Madonna.

I do not think she is a woman according to my friends, but at least she has donated a lot more money than SMAP will with their 200 yen per album.

ihavegreatlegs.

SMAP is probably first on my list of most disliked J-pop bands. But that 200yen per album is likely to generate a lot of money too. Artists here routinely sell a half a million copies of their work. SMAP probably more. Just do the math.

Gaga gets points for her donation too, as should anyone who helps out. It has been the one consolation for having to endure her existence.

She's got a shaved head under that cool wig.

" She looks like a Jolly Rancher "

Her album is so so !!!! But at least shes commited to a cause. Shes got a heart.

Artists here routinely sell a half a million copies of their work. SMAP probably more. Just do the math.

1 million dollars if that is the case, the album is selling for near 4000yen, a regular album costs 2500yen where is the rest of the money going? As other posters mentioned Exiles album is selling for 500yen and 100% of the money is being donated, if that sells half a million copies .... well you do the math :)

Until now, I don't know why this Girl is so Famous! Good Music???? her music sucks, she copied everything from Cher and Madonna, she doesn't even write her own songs... what is so cool with" RA RA RA RA RAH" ...Original sense of fashion???(Her Fashion is not new, Iv'e seen this 200 times since the 80s, and from the fetish S and M scenes.... or maybe it's not her, maybe the people of today have Bad music sense anymore, I blame MTV for this! VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR!

I tried to get free tickets to her charity concert, but Lady Luck was not with me. I would have LOVED to see the energy generated among her fans at that concert.

gogogo. Why criticize a band for trying to help? They don't have to do anything at all. Any little bit helps. Where your million dollar donation? Until you can match, why not support any band or person who helps out?

Good for Exile. Good for Gaga for donating more. But still good for SMAP to help too. Be grateful for all of it!

Her music is not my genre of choice, so I don't pay that much attention to her, but from what I have heard, her music owes alot to Madonna (and I'm no Madonna fan). In fact, as I was listening to the radio the other day a song came on that I thought was a new Modonna tune or something, but it was one of hers. Apart from the crazy image, I really don't know what the fuss is all about to be honest.

Why criticize a band for trying to help?

because they deserve it. trying to help? calling it charity to make a huge profit? get scammed if you want. any little bit helps? yeah like choice between a red or yellow handkerchief so some idiots will buy 2 copies of a cd of songs they already own. put 200yen in the charity box and bypass this sham.

nemurenajin, feel free to criticize (what you don't understand) but at least get your facts right, Lady Gaga does write her own songs. Not a fan of her music, but I do admire her and she strikes me as smart and sincere.

Ayler. I dislike J-pop intensely and will not "get scammed", but unless you are donating amounts similar to what SMAP will donate, then I don't think you have much ground to point fingers at them.

Bogart: Ok maybe I was wrong about her not writing her own songs, but who cares? how challenging to write RARARARARA?? with her digital music probably using her laptop, smart and sincere!?Could you tell me , in which of her character shows being "Smart" and Sincerity?

Bogart.

"smart and sincere" as illustrated by the meat suit? Or by illustrating "girl power" as a combination of fetish gear and bitchy attitude? I challenge and question your definition of both sincerity and intelligence.

She is a marketing product top to bottom. If you want to admire her ability to sell herself, then you have something to admire. But artistically she is a rip off of Madonna and style wise she is a rip off of all things 1979-to present as pioneered by many other eccentric artists.

There is nothing new here with Gaga. She is the western equivalent of J-pop. Packaged fluff intent upon convincing the masses of some notion of what is "cool" while providing the intellectual and cultural depth of a plastic teaspoon.

nemurenajin, an inabilty to get simple facts right undermines your whole argument. As for being smart and sincere, just read any indepth interview with her. I suggest the one with Stephen Fry in the Financial Times would be a good place to start.

Bogart: It's depressing to know that the society thinks Lady Gaga is a patron of Intelligence, Now I don't know what would I feel if somebody calls me "Smart". Check out this link and might change your defenition of SMART/ INTELLIGENCE :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWF3GhS_WQA

unless you are donating amounts similar to what SMAP will donate, then I don't think you have much ground to point fingers at them.

what nonsense. you dislike jpop 'intensely'? by your logic unless you make better jpop you can't say dick about it.

as tkoinid2 correctly points out gaga is simply taking bits here & there of what others have already done, dont begrudge her for it just pointing it out.

As to the donations by gaga & smap while its good I wud prefer to see 100% after COSTS go to Tohoku, especially if the music is being put together for relief, otherwise while good is done there are people behind the scenes getting rich off the disaster which is pretty low imo.

Bogart,

My issue with Gaga is that I would not want my daughter emulating her. I would prefer that she look to someone who represents real "girl power", the kind that does not require a g-string and permanently bitchy attitude.

Gaga tries to sell women's empowerment as being able to strap on a corset and dominate men. Really? Is that what women aspire to today? Some sexed up clown who dons meat for national TV shows? Is that what we expect from empowered, intelligent women?

Barnum said "there`s a sucker born every minute" and people like Gaga have long capitalized upon this to sell the world a package so that they can take your money.

Gaga rips off Madonna down to the base melody line and everyone ignores that because of her successful marketing.

Good on her for donating money. But come on, if you really think that this sales package is representative of sincerity, then I have a wonderful bridge in Brooklyn that I can sell you for a killer price. Gaga just wants your money.

Look. SMAP is giving money, enough said. More than you or I am giving. If the logic of that argument escapes you, I can`t help you.

My point about J-pop. That you clearly missed. Was this... I don't like SMAP any more than I like GAGA. I would rather have a root canal than listen to either of these artists. But they both are giving money which is a nice thing to do. And they will both be giving a lot of money, which is even more helpful. Got it now?

GW. I think they are being honest about how much will go to charity. Can we really demand more?　If they wanted to do more that would be great, but we have no right to expect them to do anything at all. I am happy they are doing something.

The public are not foolish, they have read the same thing. If they buy the CD knowing that 200yen will go, then that is a choice for each person to make.

It is far better that other artists are doing more. But again it is a choice.

About Gaga. My main issue with her is the "girl power" thing. To be fair, most of recent pop has been a rip off of the last 30yrs or so. But marketing "bitchy" as empowered is sick. I would not want my daughter thinking she needs to be a bitchy girl in a corset and g-string to get ahead in the world or to demonstrate her independence. I would far prefer to have her emulate a woman who can demonstrate a girl power while being a warm, intelligent and kind person in any clothing she chooses.

tkoind2: I am not criticizing , I am just saying SMAP are profiting many times over their donation... lets say that 50% of the money goes to the stores selling the CDs and making the CD itself... that is around 20 dollars per CD, so SMAP donate 1 million and pocket 9 million dollars?

IF they were making a regular CD and donating the money from it then I would have no problem at all, but they are making this album as a donation CD, therefore profiting from a natural disaster which is totally not cool!

Lady gaga on the other hand donated straight up 3 million dollars from her own pocket... now that's a real donation without any hangups.

tkoind2, as I said above, dig a little deeper and try to see beyond the media image. She is definitely a lot more than the western equivalent of J-Pop.

Thank you gogogo. I did the math too.

And a thumbs up for you too gogogo

gogogo. Still, is is a priced product that the public can choose to support or not. It isn't up to us to define what other people give. And it isn't fair to compare to others. Charity comes from the heart. And we should be grateful they are giving at all. There are so many out there who are not.

Bogart. Maybe behind the marketing she is on ok person. I don`t know. But her image and the image she sells to the public, and especially to women, is not one I can support. If she were truly sincere, why not show us her real personality in who she is as a performer too? My guess is, because it would not sell. Which says a lot about the taste and desires of our society doesn't it?

Wow...lots of negitivity towards someone who is trying to aid Japan even though she isn't from here. Maybe you don't like her music, image or personality but the fact is that she is putting money up to help Japan...EVEN THOUGH SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO. No one is obligated to donate but she has found the will to do so. If it is a marketing scheme, at least some of the money will be going to people who need it. So for a moment, why don't we ignore the negitivity and be happy that someone outside of Japan is actually putting money along with their sympathy messages.

AKB48 are going to be the MCs at this event? I can just imagine them introducing Lady Gaga, like little girls next to a real woman. They'll wet their little knickers. Ha Ha.

Gaga isnt "ripping off" Madonna, she is very open about the fact that she draws much of her inspiration from her..... dont see a need to hate there. U like the muisc/fashion or you dont, it is your choice.

@gogogoJUN. 22, 2011 - 12:08PM JST tkoind2: I am not criticizing , I am just saying SMAP are profiting many times over their donation... lets say that 50% of the money goes to the stores selling the CDs and making the CD itself... that is around 20 dollars per CD, so SMAP donate 1 million and pocket 9 million dollars?

IF they were making a regular CD and donating the money from it then I would have no problem at all, but they are making this album as a donation CD, therefore profiting from a natural disaster which is totally not cool!

gogogo you're spot on right on the ball with that one. No doubt these guys are profiteering heavily from this so called "charity album for the disaster".

tkoind2JUN. 22, 2011 - 11:48AM JST Look. SMAP is giving money, enough said. More than you or I am giving. If the logic of that argument escapes you, I can`t help you.

Sorry tkoind but that's not really the point who can give more and who gives less. Yes the SMAP members has made a great amount of donations from there own pockets towards the disaster and that is very good of them.

... but this album is different altogether. It's supposed to be a charity album. Last I heard if you're holding a charity album or any charity type of event, all the proceeds should go to the charity in question. Less expenses? ok fine cool - Just don't profit from it!

People will be flocking to buy this CD with the good hope and thoughts that the money they are spending will go towards to victims of the disaster, not just Yen 200.

Sorry but SMAP is profiteering from this disaster plain and simple and that just ain't right. These guys have all the money in the world.

Respect to Lady Gaga !

Readers, the topic is Lady Gaga, not SMAP. No further references to SMAP here please. There is another thread fir discussing that group.

The bodyguard in the foreground is either HUGE, or Gaga and all the fans are munchkins

A few people have sworn to me that this performer is a ladyboy, with even clues to her real identity in some of her lyrics. Does anyone else have any word on that? She seems very androgynous to me - something just doesn't look "right".

Ivan, I have heard that as well but also heard it is to create an air of mystery, similar in the way Bowie and Jagger did in the early 70's regrading their sexuality.

I wonder if she will don a dress made of Kobe Beef during the tour.

You just don't get it. They should be publicly called out for this shameful marketing stunt. They are giving more than me so are above criticism? wake up looney toons.

The real test is how they perform LIVE. This girl CAN sing (even when dancing) and she CAN play the piano. The problem is that her outrageous costumes divert attention from her talents. I actually enjoy some of her performances, but that meat dress really was disgusting.

Was that dress made of real meat? I thought it was just latex made to look like meat. If it was real, then it's disgusting on so many levels.

Was that dress made of real meat?

Yes, it was real meat.

If it is real meat it was disgusting. Meat eating vegetable here. ;) I am all for making a statement, etc but there is good taste and going overboard.

Madonna, Suzzi Quattro, etc all pushed the limits to promote themselves.

Personally I don't think she is sexy at all and just trying to ride a wave of controversy and we know how those end up.

Now if she can do ballads, etc like Madonna did for Evita, Pretty League, etc I might rethink.

A lot of Gaga fans weren't even born during Madonna's heyday. And maybe some of our older parents would say that Madonna just copied someone else during before we ourselves were born, haha.

But Lady Gaga seem to do things her way, like openly supporting gay rights and showing up on gay rights rallies, impromptu visiting her fans (like that young Canadian girl singing her songs or in the same stage as that Lady Gaga lookalike performer), etc.

She does have talent beyond her pop music though, if you watch Youtube videos of her performing live unplugged/acoustic editions of her songs, that are appreciated by even other respected musicians.