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Tag Archives: Born This Way
Monday, January 22, 2018
Hello Dolly! Wins An ATRIOS Award

Limited Series ...
Posted in Awards & Ceremonies, Hello Dolly!
Tagged A Chorus Line, A Sign of the Times, Atlanta, Awards, Beauty And The Beast, black-ish, BoJack Horseman, Born This Way, Broadway, Casting, Come from Away, Dead Poets Society, Fun Home, Great Comet, Groundhog Day, Hairspray Live!, hello dolly, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George, Sunset Boulevard, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Waiting for Godot, Wonder Woman
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Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Lady Gaga: Not Again! Say It Ain’t So!
E Online
Not Again! Did Jo Calderone—Er, Lady Gaga—Rip Off Annie Lennox‘s Gender-Bending Past?!
Today 7:39 AM PDT by GINA SERPE
Photo: Annie Lennox (1984) and Lady Gaga (2011)
Oh, boy.
In what’s become something of a trend this year, the proverbial finger has once again been pointed at Lady Gaga over claims that her innovative and inspired VMA performance art was, well, neither, and instead a blatant rip-off of another artist’s shtick.
The victim of her supposed imitation this time around? Believe it or not, Madonna Bette Midler Annie Lennox.
Just as interesting, however, is her main accuser: none other than our own Kelly Osbourne.
The Fashion Policer was watching and live tweeting her way through the MTV show Sunday night, and, as one would, felt the need to comment on Lady Gaga’s gender-bending Jo Calderone act.
She started off complimentary enough, tweeting at the start of the show, “The reactions to @ladygaga is one of the best things I have ever seen in my life what a brave lady!”
However, later that night after the show, which Kelly called “the best VMAs I have seen in years”—and perhaps after a bit of Googling—she returned to the subject of Gaga’s performance.
“I love lady gaga but i wish she would start giving credit where credit is due! Example…” she tweeted, linking to a video of a nearly three-decade-old clip of Annie Lennox performing “Sweet Dreams”—and looking basically identical to Jo Calderone.
“1984 PEOPLE!” Osbourne added.
The criticism was matched equally with those agreeing with Kelly’s assessment and, of course, with Little Monster pouring out of the Twitter woodwork to slam Kelly for daring to float such an accusation against Mother Monster‘s alter ego.
Kelly, however, let the criticism roll off her back—that is, after pointing out another of Gaga’s alleged influencers…Kelly herself!
When someone hit out at Osbourne for not giving her Ladyship the proper due for her own flirtation with lavender hair (a bandwagon, incidentally, that Katy Perry just jumped onboard), Kelly clarified exactly what the chain of events was on the follicular hue.
“Oh sweetie pie i did it first…but thats ok I consider it a compliment it means we have similar taste :)”
Not on this topic, we’re guessing.
For her part, Gaga hasn’t yet commented on this latest round of identity theft accusations, but yesterday did send out a tweet thanking her Monsters “for supporting @jocalderone attending instead of myself. He came over last night with 2 moonmen, whiskey + we watched VMAs.”
Of course, being accused of, shall we say, liberally borrowing from stars of the past is nothing new in Gaga’s world.
Earlier this year, the newly-hatched superstar had egg all over her face over widespread claims that “Born This Way” was more or less Madonna’s “Express Yourself” for a new generation. Then came her mermaid (what? Like you don’t have one?) alter ego Yuki, who appeared onstage in a wheelchair (in fairness, how else was she supposed to move around onstage with that fin), and back came cries of rip-offs from Bette Midler, who, believe it or not, had gone the mermaid-in-a-wheelchair route years ago onstage.
And just this month, Gaga was sued by an unknown Chicago songwriter, who claims she used bits of their song in “Judas” without properly crediting (or, more to the point, paying).
But it’s not just a one-way street. The Little Monsters were up in arms last month, when Katy Perry posted a picture of herself in a mermaid outfit, planking, drawing cries that she had ripped off Gaga.
Eh, what goes around comes around?




Monday, July 25, 2011
Concerning Lady Gaga, Madonna Tells Bette To Let It Go
Star Magazine
Stargazing
Malene Arpe
July 25, 2011
Bette Midler accuses Lady Gaga of stealing her famous mermaid-in-a-wheelchair act Says Madonna, “Just let it go.”



Posted in Articles/Essays
Tagged Bette Midler, BetteMidler, Born This Way, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Mermaid, Twitter, Wheelchair, YouTube
7 Comments
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Others Lady Gaga Has Been Accused Of Copying Besides Bette!
OMG!
Bette Midler is One of Many Artists Lady Gaga Has Been Accused of Copying
By Aida Ekberg, Yahoo! Contributor Network – July 22, 2011 8:46 PM PDT
Bette Midler was not going to let Lady Gaga get away with copying her ol’ mermaid-in-a-wheelchair act, so she took to Twitter to let the pop princess know that she’s the queen of the sea. Fortunately, this fishy feud ended with Midler inviting Gaga to have a drink with her at the Emmys. However, Bette is just one of many artists that Mama Monster has been accused of copying over the years. Here’s a quick rundown of a few other musicians she may have borrowed from:
Grace Jones
This model/musician has been especially annoyed by the Lady’s quirky looks. She seems to believe that the superstar has stolen her signature style that includes hoods, hats, collars, and other kooky costume-ish pieces of clothing, so when asked how she feels about Gaga, Grace was rather gruff. She said of the singer, “I’ve seen some things she’s worn that I’ve worn, and that does kind of piss me off.” Jones also turned down Gaga’s offer to collaborate with her and even said that she would not go watch her in concert (ouch!).
Kylie Minogue
This Aussie star also thinks that Mama Monster has looked to her for inspiration in the past, saying of her influence on the “Born This Way” singer, “I set the benchmark for Gaga. We’ve done it before, with all our creative shows, and now the new artists are following us.” However, she was more gracious than Grace, saying that she’s inspired by Gaga and loves what she does (so perhaps there’s a chance that Aphrodite and Yuyi the mermaid will collaborate someday).
Roisin Murphy
In 2009 this Irish singer accused Gaga of stealing her look, saying of their similarities, “Lady Gaga is just a poor imitation of me. She has copied my style.” She really did seem to have a point — side-by-side photos of the musicians show them sporting strikingly similar mirror-covered headgear, nearly-identical blonde wigs, and other comparable pieces of clothing. Unfortunately for Roisin, it’s safe to say that a lot more people are aware of Gaga’s fantastical fashions.
Madonna
Mama Monster was accused of stealing this ambitious blonde’s musical style earlier this year when she released her single “Born This Way,” which did bear more than a passing resemblance to Madge‘s hit song “Express Yourself.” However, the Lady took the high road, calling plagiarism accusations “retarded.” (Using that word is definitely not the best way to express yourself, Gaga.)
Lina Morgana
According to a grieving mother, Gaga even stole from her dead daughter. Once upon a time before she was the biggest pop star in the world, Stefani Germanotta worked with Lina on a few songs. The aspiring artist sadly committed suicide at age 19, and Morgana’s mother believes that Gaga stole her look and story to become a star. She said of Germanotta, “Every other word she says is from Lina. She talks about having a dark and tragic life, but she had everything she wanted in the world. She went to [the same] high school as Nicky Hilton, her parents were rich. But Lina did have a tough life, and she often talked about her tragic life.” She also seems to believe that Gaga is holding on to Lina’s soul and needs to set it free (so sad!).
So what say you, readers? Do you think Gaga is really stealing from so many different stars, or is it just a coincidence when some of her strange style choices turn out to be similar to something someone else has worn before? And are other artists just jealous of Mama Monster’s popularity? Sound off in the comments!



Posted in Articles/Essays
Tagged Bette Midler, BetteMidler, Born This Way, Express Yourself (Madonna song), Grace Jones, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Nicky Hilton, Twitter
1 Comment
Monday, July 18, 2011
‘Mermaidgate’ Goes International;Bette Offers Olive Branch;Gaga’s Silent;Little Monsters In Denial

This “tiff†is creating quite a stir. It’s now on the front page of AOL with a story on Huffington Post’s showbiz section: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/18/bette-midler-lady-gaga-wheelchair-mermaid-fight_n_901453.html I think Bette has really shown class with her last tweet of reconciliation: “let’s have a drink together at the Emmy’s….mermaids can coexistâ€.. Having read numerous blogs on the topic, the controversy is definitely mixed: Gaga fans saying Bette is over the hill and needs to retire and make room for the younger generation, and Bette fans saying Gaga stole her act (very true–Gaga was also accused of stealing a Madonna song as well–so much for the originality!). I have to agree with the blogger that said at minimum Gaga should apologize to Bette for the intentional plagiarism. Also, it would have been a nice gesture on Gaga’s part to acknowledge Bette for the mermaid/wheelchair bit. A “tip of the hat†to Bette, would have been the appropriate thing for Gaga to do–but then that would require that Gaga was a “Ladyâ€. It’s not too late for Gaga to do so. All she has to tweet is: “I’ve always been a huge admirer of Bette’s, and my mermaid/wheelchair bit is my way of paying homage to one of the greatest singer/actor/comediennes of all time–Bette Midlerâ€. It really is time that people start crediting Bette for paving the way for their successes. Demonstrating admiration and tribute to someone can only enhance one’s reputation. Show a little class, Gaga, and share some of the credit.
Divine Grace: Bette Midler “opened the door for trashy singers with bad taste and big titsâ€â€¦and fins. I’m a Lady Gaga fan but am having to eat some serious crow here after defending her during the “Express Yourselfâ€/ “Born This Way†chord progression clone wars. There’s nothing left out there that’s truly original; I get that. But Lady Gaga isn’t even trying to make her art look like her own anymore. I half expect her to start wearing a single rhinestone glove and moonwalking any day now. She’s a gifted musician but people are going to stop paying attention to her art if she keeps painting with other artists’ colors. ...
Posted in Articles/Essays
Tagged AOL, Bette Midler, BetteMidler, Born This Way, Express Yourself (Madonna song), Huffington Post, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Wheelchair
2 Comments
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Divas And The Cheese Factor
Quad-Cities Online
Lady Gaga isn’t the first diva to cut the cheese
By Hunter Hauk
March 13, 2011
Singer Lady Gaga performs in concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York in January 2010.
Lady Gaga is back, touring with her Monster Ball extravaganza. This time, she’s armed with a much-talked-about new single, “Born This Way,” which is sure to be a highlight of her updated set list.
We’ve seen her Grammy performance and off-the-wall music video, and we’ve debated the song’s possibly purposeful aping of Madonna’s “Express Yourself.” But how does it compare — in effectiveness and cheesiness — to other self-empowerment anthems that have come before it? Read on.
– Katy Perry, “Firework”
The message: Within all of us, there’s a spark that can grow into a magnificent firework, or whatever.
How it’s delivered: In melodramatic fashion. A bouncy, life-affirming string section backs Perry as she sings/bellows lyrical metaphors.
Key lyric: “You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine / Just own the night like the Fourth of July.”
Effective? Depends on who’s listening. If you’re a kid having a hard time of it at school, you can find hope in the simple message. A grown-up fighting a long-term funk might need something more nuanced.
Cheese factor: Mild cheddar
– Mariah Carey, “Hero”
The message: Before you lose all hope, look to yourself to save, uh, yourself.
How it’s delivered: In a saccharine piano ballad, with vocal runs around every corner.
Key lyric: “You can find love if you search within yourself / And the emptiness you felt will disappear.”
Effective? It can be. But you can’t listen to it in the presence of other people. Ever. It’s an empowerment anthem, but strictly a headphones-behind-closed-doors empowerment anthem.
Cheese factor: Velveeta, melted.
– Whitney Houston, “Greatest Love of All”
The message: The children, who are our future, need to learn to love themselves. It’s the greatest love of … yeah, you get it.
How it’s delivered: In a soft, pleasing melody with a comfortably familiar lyric. And Whitney’s vocal isn’t too over the top when compared to, say, “I Will Always Love You.”
Key lyric: “No matter what they take from me / They can’t take away my dignity.”
Effective? Oh yeah. As much as it’s been used for humorous effect in pop culture (“Coming to America,” “American Psycho”), its chorus still packs an emotional punch.
Cheese factor: Philadelphia cream. Indulgent, but oh, so good.
– Bette Midler, “The Rose”
The message: Don’t let fear keep you from living, loving and … wait for it … blooming.
How it’s delivered: In a simple, hymn-like ballad with a nice dramatic arc in the middle.
Key lyric: “It’s the heart, afraid of breaking / That never learns to dance.”
Effective? Yeah, if you’ve actually heard it (it did come out 32 years ago). It’s got the ’70s, up-with-people vibe, but it’s among the more poetic love-yourself tunes.
Cheese factor: Subtly rich gouda
– Lee Ann Womack, “I Hope You Dance”
The message: Here’s some advice, kids: Don’t sit it out. Dance, dammit!
How it’s delivered: With a slightly twangy country voice, over a string-laden adult contempo track.
Key lyric: “Don’t let some hellbent heart leave you bitter/When you come close to selling out, reconsider.”
Effective? Parents are likely to feel it a little deeper than single people, if only because it reflects the kind of wishes one would have for his or her offspring. But, trite or not, it’s full of advice worth taking. And loving might be a mistake, but it’s worth making. (Sorry, had to.)
Cheese factor: Cracker Barrel White Colby
– Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive”
The message: Save your love for someone who’ll treat you with respect.
How it’s delivered: With disco-era defiance and one of the most memorable first verses ever (“First I was afraid, I was petrified …”)
Key lyric: “But I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong / I grew strong, I learned how to get along.”
Effective? Damn straight. There aren’t many who haven’t surrendered to at least the idea of this song after a bad relationship led them to Dumpsville.
Cheese factor: Sharp cheddar
– Madonna, “Express Yourself”
The message: If you can’t communicate with your lover, you’re better (baby) on your own.
How it’s delivered: With a crisp, Shep Pettibone beat and soulful vocal vamping by a top-form Madonna.
Key lyric: “Don’t go for second best, baby / Put your love to the test / Make him express how he feels / And baby, then you’ll know your love is real.”
Effective? The effectivest. The words are powerful if you’re not too busy dancing with your hands above your head to hear them.
Cheese factor: Funky limburger, in the best way
– Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”
The message: Accept yourself, no matter whom you love or what you look like. Oh, and being a queen is preferable to being a drag.
How it’s delivered: With a thumping, chaotic dance track, an undeniable chorus breakdown (“Ooh there ain’t no other way …”) and a complete disregard for lyrical subtlety.
Key lyric: “Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set / I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way.”
Effective? Say what you will about “Born This Way” borrowing themes and song structures from other empowerment anthems. It’s still damn near impossible to extract the melody from the earworm farm in your brain. That’s Gaga’s gift.
Cheese factor: Blue. A little tough to take at first, but you eventually embrace it.


