GaGaGaGaGa

April 29, 2010 4:45 PM

GaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGa?

I feel that Lady Gaga is a talented artist, and an interesting cultural phenomenon.

But I also feel that the volume of posts on MetaFilter regarding her work is starting to get a bit overwhelming.

posted by ovvl to MetaFilter-Related at 4:45 PM (526 comments total)

And Spoon hasn't made a good album since Girls Can Tell.
posted by anazgnos at 4:47 PM on April 29, 2010 [11 favorites]

I disagree.
posted by Science! at 4:47 PM on April 29, 2010 [24 favorites]

Interesting things keep bubbling up. Interesting enough anyway to apparently qualify as "worth a MetaFilter discussion." You've got to admit the woman is loud and interesting.

I'd love to see more non-Gaga posts, but I'd also love to see more posts with Gaga involved. More posts in general. Sometimes I even run out of links to click and then I cry.

But as long as there's no MetaFilter Quota where Gaga's knocking other posts off the queue for front page, and as long as Gaga keeps doing interesting things, I see no harm in those things being pointed out.
posted by Rory Marinich at 4:49 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Can you point to maybe where you are seeing this? I'm looking at the ladygaga tag and the gaga tag. I guess we've had two in two days but before that? We've pretty much told mccarty.tim he's done posting about her, but I think when you remove his posts, there's really not that many. You did get the memo, right mccarty.tim?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:50 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

An Apple a day doesn't seem to keep the Gaga away.
posted by gman at 4:52 PM on April 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

I've sort of noticed it as well, but they may just stand out to me because I'd never heard of her until people started talking about her here. I don't particularly mind the volume of GaGa posts (in my head, or otherwise), as there's plenty of other stuff on the blue to catch my interest. Even if I don't dig it, I know there are plenty of people who do. I would want tolerance if I decided to flood the front page with posts about dinosaurs and John Carpenter movies.

(I can do that, right?)
posted by brundlefly at 4:54 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I haven't noticed a lot of Gaga posts. But I rarely visit the site, so what do I know?
posted by DU at 4:56 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

What jessamyn said. GaGa is obviously doing a pretty good job of staying visible and generating interest (and creative responses and such) lately, but so it goes and it hasn't really been that great a volume of stuff if you take a step back and look at it in context. And at least its not Britney-style meltdown gossip stuff; most of the posts I can recall have been "here is a neat thing" in one sense or another.

More posts in general. Sometimes I even run out of links to click and then I cry.

There are always more posts.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:58 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

GaGa or Mad Men? You be the judge...
posted by fixedgear at 5:01 PM on April 29, 2010

Perhaps I know nothing about culture and I live under a rock, but I keep wondering: what makes Lady Gaga so interesting? This is not sarcastic: I have no idea why anyone would care about her, so I genuinely want to know.
posted by k. at 5:01 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

Keep your eyes on the riverscuomo tag - I'm crafting a post about the store where he buys his glasses.
posted by mintcake! at 5:01 PM on April 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

GaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGaGa?

Your DNA is stuck.
posted by The otter lady at 5:01 PM on April 29, 2010 [34 favorites]

(I am also tired of Lady Gaga. So I skip those posts.)
posted by mintcake! at 5:02 PM on April 29, 2010

Just for that I'm going to do another Madonna post.
posted by Artw at 5:02 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

A hyper-publicised American pop celebrity is only an interesting cultural phenomenon to the same extent that toothpaste is - ubiquitous, and essentially the exact same thing over & over again, only in different packaging.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:02 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I hate Lady Gaga because she reminds me of the future.
posted by the dief at 5:02 PM on April 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

I'll swap you two Gagas for a Palin. The going rate is 3 Tea Partys to 1 Palin but on the black market you can get 2 Palins for 1 LOLXian.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:04 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

This is perhaps the only time I can say this:

I HAVE NEVER KNOWINGLY LISTENED TO A LADY GAGA SONG AND I COULD NOT NAME OR RECOGNIZE ONE IF YOU PAID ME. IT'S LIKE I DON'T OWN A TV OR SOMETHING.

Of course, my lack of interest in Lady Gaga means I just skip over links about her.... The world seems to keep turning.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:04 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I hate Lady Gaga because she has more money than me.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:06 PM on April 29, 2010

what makes Lady Gaga so interesting?

She's a smart, crafty pop musician. It's kind of a like-that-sort-of-thing-if-you-like-that-sort-of-thing situation.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:08 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

She'd be great if her music was in any way interesting.
posted by Artw at 5:09 PM on April 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

I accidentally listened to Just Dance and got hooked. I was pretty proud of being so "hip" with that the "kids" are "jammin' to", so I made a big point of playing it when my People-reading wife was around. She just rolled her eyes and said "Just Dance?? You can play another Lady Gaga song, but not that one."

Even when I'm hip I'm unhip.
posted by DU at 5:09 PM on April 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

Has the New York Mag article about her been posted? Because that was pretty interesting too.
posted by smackfu at 5:10 PM on April 29, 2010

I am Lady Gaga.

Who does cortex think he is, anyway?
posted by loquacious at 5:10 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I don't understand "there's too many posts about X!" complaints. Unless they're doubles or otherwise don't cover any new ground (in which case the mods almost always delete them), there are enough posts every day that you can totally ignore all posts about X and still have more stuff than you can possible read and discuss. And that's just on the front page. There's a button to dig into the archives (by which I mean yesterday's posts, just in case you've really exhausted today's posts) and everything, not to mention other subsites.
posted by Caduceus at 5:10 PM on April 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

And other websites.
posted by DU at 5:12 PM on April 29, 2010

It is only fitting that in a callout thread for too much Gaga, a new cover of telephone by army dudes in Afghanistan be posted.
posted by litleozy at 5:14 PM on April 29, 2010 [7 favorites]

Anyway, I don't want a moratorium on Lady Gaga posts because that will preclude the big reveal when she peels off her meatsuit and reveals the reptiloid extraterrestrial harbinger of doom beneath and just starts eating people. That's going to be fucking sweet.

Yes, I'm still Lady Gaga. Is that meta enough for you? So hungry. *hisssss*
posted by loquacious at 5:17 PM on April 29, 2010 [13 favorites]

what makes Lady Gaga so interesting?

really, there's a lot of stuff depending on your interests - pop singer who writes her own songs and sings live, performance art, fashion, the medium of the music video during the internet age, gender politics, crossover appeal, entertainment as a business, can you be ironic while selling out, etc...

but when this question gets asked i link to an old comment of mine - this is where i started getting interested in here (and now i'm a full out little monster, as embarrassing as that is).
posted by nadawi at 5:18 PM on April 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

I also feel that the volume of posts on MetaFilter regarding her work is starting to get a bit overwhelming.

I see what you did there.
posted by polymodus at 5:18 PM on April 29, 2010

Symantec recently highlighted Lady GaGa for having one of the worst security records in 2009. We also know first hand that posts about Lady GaGa are the number one reason that Metafilter crashes. We have been working with GaGa to fix these problems, but they have persisted for several years now. We don’t want to reduce the reliability and security of the blue, green, and gray by adding more GaGa.
posted by Kwine at 5:19 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

Does this mean that there is a secret conspiracy between the reptilian ringleaders Lady Gaga and Prince Charles? Because that would be sort of awesome in a mind blowing way. Lady Gaga could eat his ears.
posted by litleozy at 5:19 PM on April 29, 2010

You know what, we have too many post about music in general. Or we don't. Depends on how interested in music/musicians/the music business you are.

Also, we've had too many posts on cupcakes, movies, bacon, and politics. Surprise, these tend to be hot topics in general. I'm guessing up next is how the Whoopie Pie is displacing the cupcake.

People talk about things. the more that do, the more likely someone here is to go digging and come up with enough meat for a post, as well as there being enough meat out there to find. Just the way it happens.

After all, there's only so many Tuvan throat-singing non-gendered rockstar chefs in the world, we have to come up with other things.

Man, I would love to see that post.
posted by pupdog at 5:20 PM on April 29, 2010

wow...this is easy to solve... don't read them.
posted by HuronBob at 5:20 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I still hate her.
posted by jonmc at 5:21 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

also - if amanda palmer is your thing - here she is singing gaga palmer madonna (potentially nsfw, as AFP is wearing a bra and not a shirt)

one of my favorite parts?
"Like Lady Gaga and also Madonna I’m just trying to entertain people, make a living and pay my rent without having to get a job I hate and hopefully find an audience who will love and accept me and not think I’m a narcissist for wanting to be a performer and find inner peace and that’s it."

another of my favorite parts?
"if you’re a pop star and you’re a woman then it’s much more likely that people will say your art sucks"
posted by nadawi at 5:23 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

Cyndi Lauper on Lady Gaga in TIME magazine's curent issue: 'The 2010 TIME 100.'
posted by ericb at 5:23 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

jonmc - it took you 31 minutes this time! i was beginning to get worried.
posted by nadawi at 5:24 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I still hate her.
posted by jonmc at 5:21 PM on April 29 [+] [!]

This is a good place to share that fact, unlike the blue.
posted by Caduceus at 5:24 PM on April 29, 2010

ovvl, I have very similar sentiments to yours except regarding newsfilter update posts on MetaTalk. But instead of thinking they're news- or noteworthy (opposed to your thinking Lady Gaga is talented and interesting) in the face of their maddening regularity, I think they're inappropriate and boring and that people who post them should go outside and leave MetaTalk alone.

jessamyn? cortex? Those updatefilter posts have been showing up about one every other day for the past few whiles now. Any is too many for me, but given there's been indication that a certain amount would be tolerated I'm curious if y'all have some idea of what the threshold is before the discouragement starts.

I realize this is a terrible time for a derail (praying my apologies to Lady Gaga and the Pop Gods shortly) but I'll just go on to say that I think updates should be made to MetaFilter and if it doesn't seem like it's 'worthy' of a post on the blue then it's not worth posting to any part of the site. That's just me.
posted by carsonb at 5:28 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Actually I am thinking it wouldn't surprise me one bit if it turned out La Ga Ga had an account here.

She'd fit right in. With or without a bean plate or pancake on her head.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:33 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I still hate her.

Accelerated decrepitude.

It's funny. I was in a coffee shop the other day and they were playing The Ramones and it just made me feel old. It was like I was listening to Frankie and Annette or something, it all just sounded so innocent, inoffensive and... old. They're now closer (time wise, philosophy wise) to the Beatles than they are to, oh, I don't know. Radiohead or something.

Lady Gaga is actually pretty interesting because even though she's been on a pop-culture track like an ICBM trajectory, even though she's gone from playing tiny festivals and gigs she's also breaking a lot of rules of the music industry. Yeah, maybe the weirdness is calculated marketing, but she's been biting the hands that feed her every step of the way. Maybe that part is calculated, too. I don't know. I don't care. I'm not buying anything.

All in all, though, she's musically talented. Which is a lot more than we can say about most of the pop stars over the last ten years whose careers and fame seem to be entirely based on behaving badly.

She's going to be around for a while, just like Madonna has. I fully expect her to keep cashing in for some time, amass a big pile of fuck-off money and then maybe she'll start doing some really weird shit. If I'm right it should be interesting.

If you look at it the right way she's easily at least as punk rock as the Sex Pistols, who were equally contrived and marketed.
posted by loquacious at 5:33 PM on April 29, 2010 [16 favorites]

Mum mum mum mah
Mum mum mum mah

Dont wanna read em' like they do in reddit please
Links find them, filter em' come on, no Lady post for me (I mean it)
Metafilter is not just about fun
And mefites when it's Gaga if it's not fresh it's just wrong

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
It gets me hot to see what she's got
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
It's too much, posters should be shot

Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh
I've had enough this has to stop
Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohhhh, ohh-oh-e-ohh-oh-oh,
It's too much, posters should be shot

Can't deny,
Can't deny
these posts are out of place
(mods need to stop mccarty)
Can't read this
Can't read this
I might just leave this place
(mods need to stop mccarty)

P-p-p-post out of place, p-p-post out of place
(Mum mum mum mah)
P-p-p-post out of place, p-p-post out of place
(Mum mum mum mah)

this is the second time I've been up at night making cheap rip offs of Poker Face to post online. Something must be wrong with me.
posted by litleozy at 5:35 PM on April 29, 2010 [10 favorites]

Just do what do I did, install a plug-in that replaces "Lady Gaga" with "Gordon Freeman"
posted by atrazine at 5:39 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

middle-aged men looking down on young women with artistic ability well i never
posted by DU at 5:40 PM on April 29, 2010 [23 favorites]

jessamyn? cortex? Those updatefilter posts have been showing up about one every other day for the past few whiles now. Any is too many for me, but given there's been indication that a certain amount would be tolerated I'm curious if y'all have some idea of what the threshold is before the discouragement starts.

We've closed some when it felt like it was overly thin or didn't have any reason to be in Metatalk. I agree that it's felt like they're a bit more thick on the ground than usual, and I may be getting to the point personally at least where the bar gets raised a bit if it keeps up, but we haven't really formally talked about it yet. I don't know if Jess has been feeling the same way or not.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:40 PM on April 29, 2010

what makes Lady Gaga so interesting?

Well she wears some wacky outfits, and her music is simply terrible. Just, not even coherent as songs really. And yet she went to college she isn't overly sexual or earnest like Britney and co., so she's spawned this whole industry of semi-ironic over-analyzing and endless "funny" cover versions by people who don't actually like music very much. Because if they did, they'd notice her music isn't a "guilty pleasure" because it's not pleasurable, it's terrible.
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:42 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yeah I'm also feeling like it may be time for the pendulum to swing the other way. If it was a thread that was a Big Deal in the MeFi community, then yeah an update is a great idea. Just an update to update? Not as great, in my opinion.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:42 PM on April 29, 2010

It also needlessly causes shit like this and this.
posted by gman at 5:43 PM on April 29, 2010

The problem isn't that we have too many posts about Lady Gaga. The problem is that we have too few posts about Assück.
posted by "Elbows" O'Donoghue at 5:59 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

"what makes Lady Gaga so interesting?"

The thing is, she's really not so interesting. She's interesting mostly because she's the most popular "transgressive" or "weird" performer/musician. Her transgressions aren't terribly novel in the grand scheme of pop music, but for a whole huge number of people, they are.

The other side of it, and the one that a lot of people forget when they bag on her for not being even to the Bjork level of weird, is that her songs are crazy catchy and a fair amount of them are total club bangers. Not only are they fun music to listen to and dance to, but the milieu that she's most popular in is the gay clubs, which gives her an extra level of sub-culture cred and lets a lot of people who wouldn't normally fit in with gay clubs an entree into the cool and transgression of a subculture without having to identify publicly with it in an earnest way, sometimes not even openly. (I'm sure someone has to have written a decent paper on gay club crossover music and probably even Gaga by now.)
posted by klangklangston at 6:04 PM on April 29, 2010

Lowered expectations.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:08 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well she wears some wacky outfits, and her music is simply terrible. Just, not even coherent as songs really. And yet she went to college she isn't overly sexual or earnest like Britney and co., so she's spawned this whole industry of semi-ironic over-analyzing and endless "funny" cover versions by people who don't actually like music very much. Because if they did, they'd notice her music isn't a "guilty pleasure" because it's not pleasurable, it's terrible.

Yeah, my grandfather feels the same way about the Beatles.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:13 PM on April 29, 2010 [30 favorites]

We can put a man on the moon but there's no pill to get the "la la la la la ga ga ga ga" out of my head?! REALLY?!
posted by cestmoi15 at 6:14 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm sick of hearing about the god-damned fucking Tea Party but you don't see me whingeing about it in Metatalk, apart from here, and probably a few other comments I'll make later.
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:14 PM on April 29, 2010 [10 favorites]

We can put a man on the moon but there's no pill to get the "la la la la la ga ga ga ga" out of my head?! REALLY?!

I know a guy who can hook you up with some Haldol for that.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:16 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I HAVE NEVER KNOWINGLY LISTENED TO A LADY GAGA SONG AND I COULD NOT NAME OR RECOGNIZE ONE IF YOU PAID ME.

I don't know if I'd shout it like that but this is pretty much my Gaga-experience thus far. To which I would add, I find it curious that this is so, given the degree of coverage she seems to be getting. I've certainly known of her, and what she looks like for months now, but either:

A. the music itself is so bland and unremarkable that I have heard it and it just hasn't registered, or

B. it just hasn't percolated through my various filters (the music blogs I visit, the radio stations I listen to, the stuff my friends pass on to me)
posted by philip-random at 6:16 PM on April 29, 2010

I received the call. I was blessed. Soundgarden will outshine her.
posted by Tube at 6:17 PM on April 29, 2010

Also I like Lady Gaga because she's weird, even if it's "hey commodify me!" weird. And she plays her own instruments. And I'd settle for gaga.metafilter.com if I could never see another Tea Party thread again.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:18 PM on April 29, 2010 [24 favorites]

I still hate her.
posted by jonmc at 5:21 PM on April 29 [+] [!]

This is a good place to share that fact, unlike the blue.
posted by Caduceus at 7:24 PM

Maybe, but someone had to say it.
posted by nola at 6:19 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm sick of hearing about the god-damned fucking Tea Party

Yeah, goddamn I hate that band.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:19 PM on April 29, 2010 [8 favorites]

I admire her for her architectural sensibilities.

I still hate her.

Relax and have some cupcakes. Or cookies, if you prefer.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:19 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

What we need is more posts about Gordon Lightfoot, or perhaps Seals and Crofts.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 6:22 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I think there should be more FPPs about things that I like and fewer FPPs about things that I don't like.

And there should be a continual stream of FPPs about things I don't know anything about, because then I can read those FPPs and decide whether or not I like those things.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:22 PM on April 29, 2010 [12 favorites]

uh, sorry to whine, but, we do get a Gaga link every day for the past four days on Metafilter search. I apologize for feeling a bit swamped here.
posted by ovvl at 6:29 PM on April 29, 2010

I don't know if I mind her too much or not, but I really hate her name. It's just one of those vaguely unpleasant terms that I can't stand for no rational reason, like the word blouse.

(*The more you know* graphic)
posted by theredpen at 6:33 PM on April 29, 2010 [6 favorites]

we do get a Gaga link every day for the past four days on Metafilter search

Really not trying to be obtuse here and sorry if this is clear to everyone but me, but this is the search that I'm doing and I see two posts this week [and the mashup post that mentions her, and the Adam Ant link where her name is in the title]. Are people talking about her without using her name?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:39 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm going to have to make myself start liking her music more, because, boy howdy, do I love her.

As a public figure, she's always interesting, and I appreciate her feminist leanings. While I'm not sure if I'd want her as a role-model for young girls, I much prefer her over many of the other female singers out there.

(*The More You Know!*)
posted by Ms. Saint at 6:41 PM on April 29, 2010

I don't know if I mind her too much or not, but I really hate her name. It's just one of those vaguely unpleasant terms that I can't stand for no rational reason, like the word blouse.

That's a really moist thing to say.
posted by loquacious at 6:42 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I still hate her.

She's even better with booze! (And I know you have booze.)
posted by octobersurprise at 6:46 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know... there are ample non-Gaga music posts being posted all the time. I even posted one myself last week. Explore and ye shall find.
posted by zarq at 6:49 PM on April 29, 2010

Making a post on Metafilter about a person you feel is the subject of too many posts on Metafilter is not a good way to reduce the number of posts about that person on Metafilter.
posted by killdevil at 6:49 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

Yeah, goddamn I hate that band.

Hey stop purposely misinterpreting one thing to be another thing that's like something a spinach would do. You're like some kind of...fecal royalty!
posted by turgid dahlia at 6:52 PM on April 29, 2010

Oh ahh yes here is where I should be.


Ahhhh like a hot tub. So, what's the haps?
posted by The Whelk at 6:53 PM on April 29, 2010

This is also the place to say I spent an entire afternoon trying to draw Lady Gaga as a Bruce Timm-Batman The Animated Series Villain who is an ex-neurology student who is implanted hidden hypnotic cues and triggers in people via her catchy pop diddies. The name of the episode? Bat Romance.
posted by The Whelk at 6:59 PM on April 29, 2010 [28 favorites]

I'm ok with GaGa. It's the Rivers Cuomo that scares me. We need to nip that shit right in the bud.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:00 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I have a confession... I feel slightly uncomfortable making it, but I'm among friends, right? ... right?

I find Rihanna really interesting, much more so than Lady Gaga. I mean, I like quite a few Lady Gaga songs, but her personality or weirdness don't really register on my antennae too much. But the stuff Rihanna does gets me thinking. Like, for a recent example, here she is in Marseille a few days ago beating the shit out of a wrecked car. What? I get the connection to the song, but why do it in Marseille? Is it a reference to the spate of automobile burnings in France? That seems unlikely, but it's the kind of thing she does that gets me thinking. What Lady Gaga gets up to doesn't get me thinking in the same way.
posted by Kattullus at 7:04 PM on April 29, 2010

Wait, Lady Gaga? I thought this was a Josh Millard fansite!
posted by briank at 7:05 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

While I'm not sure if I'd want her as a role-model for young girls, I much prefer her over many of the other female singers out there.

young girls aren't the only women who need role models. i think she's really quite fantastic for the 16-100 year old women - a reminder that being weird can be its own reward and to not take ourselves so goddamned seriously all the time. she's one of my role models at least...
posted by nadawi at 7:06 PM on April 29, 2010 [12 favorites]

And this episode, it all comes to a head when Batman has to let Lady Gaga go cause she knows his secret indenity (via a hypnotic implant in Robin's girlfriend who starts acting, talking and dressing like Lady Gaga and who attaches a mind-reader to him just long enough to find out) and she threatens to tell all her hypo-slaces during her performance at the Gotham Opera. She vanishes, the Opera gig is a no-show and she vanishes from the pop music scene ...until we see a nice girl playing piano at a Christian Youth Encounter Group, and the crowd is in love with her, quick smile to the audience and fade out.
posted by The Whelk at 7:07 PM on April 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

That's a really moist thing to say.

Wait. Is this a thing? Does everyone think that moist is the most unpleasant word EVER? So happy I'm not the only one...
posted by hapax_legomenon at 7:08 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Also in this episode, Lady Gaga of Gotham City is publicly obsessed with batman and wrote a pop song, Bat Romance, about him.
posted by The Whelk at 7:09 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I mean c'mon, it's like she's asking to team up with Poison Ivy and the Riddler.
posted by The Whelk at 7:11 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

this also seems like a good place to put this:

lady gaga, the illuminati puppet
posted by nadawi at 7:12 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

t is only fitting that in a callout thread for too much Gaga, a new cover of telephone by army dudes in Afghanistan be posted.

Goddamn that was awesome. I'm trying to figure out how to say "that's the gayest thing I've ever seen" while making it clear that 1) that's a good thing and 2) I don't intend to imply any sort of steers / queers / texas idea.
posted by KathrynT at 7:12 PM on April 29, 2010

hapax_legomenon: Does everyone think that moist is the most unpleasant word EVER

I believe it's been established that "moist towelette" is the most unpleasant phrase to say in any language past, present and (most likely) future.
posted by Kattullus at 7:14 PM on April 29, 2010 [9 favorites]

That's a really moist thing to say.

Wait. Is this a thing? Does everyone think that moist is the most unpleasant word EVER? So happy I'm not the only one...
posted by hapax_legomenon

I don't like the word moist, or the word Succulent.
posted by nola at 7:14 PM on April 29, 2010

KathrynT: I'm trying to figure out how to say "that's the gayest thing I've ever seen" while making it clear that 1) that's a good thing and 2) I don't intend to imply any sort of steers / queers / texas idea.

That's easy enough. We won't ask, you won't tell.
posted by Kattullus at 7:15 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Crap, for got the italics
posted by nola at 7:15 PM on April 29, 2010

I believe it's been established that "moist towelette" is the most unpleasant phrase to say in any language past, present and (most likely) future.

And the anti-moist towelette is of course "warm leatherette". It will smooth away those icky word echoes.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:16 PM on April 29, 2010

and I put a space in forgot . . . nola signing off!
posted by nola at 7:16 PM on April 29, 2010

Moist. MOIST. moist. Moist moist. MoIST. moist. Moist.


Yah it's an awful word. Ugh
posted by The Whelk at 7:18 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

WARM LEATHERETTE
posted by The Whelk at 7:19 PM on April 29, 2010

this also seems like a good place to put this:

lady gaga, the illuminati puppet

I, um, already FPPed that.
posted by Artw at 7:21 PM on April 29, 2010

Artw...just have some fun this beat is sick.


WARM...LEATHERETTE
posted by The Whelk at 7:21 PM on April 29, 2010

The rhythm is both the song's manacle and it's demonic charge
posted by The Whelk at 7:22 PM on April 29, 2010

There are elements of her public persona that remind me of Prince, and others that remind me of David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust era). The comparison to Madonna is inevitable and a little unfortunate, as Madonna was always very much more overtly about sexuality than Lady Gaga seems to be.

And that's why she's interesting to me.
posted by Mister_A at 7:23 PM on April 29, 2010

we do get a Gaga link every day for the past four days on Metafilter search

Really not trying to be obtuse here and sorry if this is clear to everyone but me, but this is the search that I'm doing and I see two posts this week [and the mashup post that mentions her, and the Adam Ant link where her name is in the title]. Are people talking about her without using her name?

Sorry Jessamyn, seeing four links over four days, that added up to four for me, I stand corrected.
posted by ovvl at 7:24 PM on April 29, 2010

Daniel Miller's original version is loads better than that jazzed up Grace Jones version. Yeah, it has Grace Jones...good for it. But Miller was one of the coolest people making music in the early 1980s. He founded Mute Records for goodness sake!
posted by Burhanistan at 7:27 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dude already did Madonna Vs. Gaga start there, It doesn't come out good for Mads.
posted by The Whelk at 7:28 PM on April 29, 2010

This thread needs more warm leatherette.
posted by Mister_A at 7:29 PM on April 29, 2010

My advice stands
posted by The Whelk at 7:30 PM on April 29, 2010

nadawi: "also - if amanda palmer is your thing .

Not since she complained about GaGa by saying product placement was only ironic somehow if Gaga gave money from her video to the KKK.

That doesn't include the previous bilge that was/is the Evelyn/Evelyn project.
posted by ShawnStruck at 7:31 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dude already did Madonna Vs. Gaga start there, It doesn't come out good for Mads.

I agree with your claim that "Express Yourself" was the height point of Cicone's musical output. The song was tight and clear, her body was toned but not freakish nor visibly altered, and the visuals of the video mercilessly assaulted those who watched it and they had no choice but to submit.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:32 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

My advice stands

Now, I disagree with that claim. Her kiss was like the passing of a torch or an initiation. We're not sure who she got it from, but she decided to make it public. Spears simply didn't have the energy matrix within to support and nurture the initiation that Madonna gave her. Rather than flower, it destroyed her. This is why you need to start the Jedi training when you are very young. The Mickey Mouse Club was a false training, like Reiki. She was cheated out of developing her capacity.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:35 PM on April 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

"Also in this episode, Lady Gaga of Gotham City is publicly obsessed with batman and wrote a pop song, Bat Romance, about him."

What is she, the female Prince?
posted by klangklangston at 7:35 PM on April 29, 2010

See? He thinks she's Prince too.
posted by Mister_A at 7:36 PM on April 29, 2010

You've been a very bad MeFite. A very very bad bad MeFite, ovvl.
posted by Lady Gaga at 7:41 PM on April 29, 2010 [22 favorites]

The diamond gate keeps the fire out.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:45 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

You've been a very bad MeFite. A very very bad bad MeFite, ovvl.
posted by Lady Gaga

You could've donated your 5 bucks two threads down.
posted by gman at 7:46 PM on April 29, 2010

Sorry Jessamyn, seeing four links over four days, that added up to four for me, I stand corrected.

This may be semantic headbutting is all. I look at the search results and see two actual GaGa posts (one an essay, the other a GaGa parody that's as much a Palin post as anything as far as that goes) and two posts that mention her name incidentally (one about Adam Ant, one about mashups of asian pop music). If you're counting that as four GaGa posts, that's four. It seems a bit mushy, I wouldn't do the accounting that way.

You say links, I think "hyperlinks to content directly concerning", you may just mean "posts that in some way reference".
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:48 PM on April 29, 2010

A separate event, a growing optimism
posted by Burhanistan at 7:51 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

It seems a bit mushy, I wouldn't do the accounting that way.

That's why you're not on Wall St.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:53 PM on April 29, 2010

shawnstruck - the gaga/product placement/kkk thing was part of a much larger conversation and taking that one reply out of context isn't really fair. one of the things i really like about AFP is that she doesn't filter herself through what someone should or shouldn't say. also, if i remember correctly, that night she was up late, possibly already taken an ambien. was it a smart thing to say? no. did it even make sense? no. she was trying to prove her point that you couldn't do ironic product placement and pocket the money. i don't really agree, but i don't have to agree with everything someone says to like their art.

and evelyn/evelyn - well, i really like that art project and again, i think the outrage comes from either too-sensitive-filter and that it's being taken out of context of who she is as a performer. she started her "career" as a living statue, a street performer - like the "freak shows" of old, she peddled her wares for dimes and pennies. i view E/E as a recognition of the performers that came before. i don't get any indication that she's making fun of siamese twins. this actually reminds me of the bruhaha about lady gaga and the trans movement - some say her video telephone makes transfolk a joke, that she's making fun of them and proving herself to be more "real" because she's a CISfemale. again, i don't happen to agree and i think that conclusion comes from taking an isolated incident and extrapolating an opinion from there, instead of taking her as a whole and using the trans and butch imagery as another data point to form an opinion on.

it's easy to find one or two things about an artist you like that makes you mad. but sooner or later there will be no art to consume. i prefer to take performers as a whole and decide if things that bloggers titter about have any merit rather than trying to find the thing to crucify the performers with.
posted by nadawi at 7:57 PM on April 29, 2010

The red tent is a tomb.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:58 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Burhanistan: I agree with your claim that "Express Yourself" was the height point of Cicone's musical output. The song was tight and clear, her body was toned but not freakish nor visibly altered, and the visuals of the video mercilessly assaulted those who watched it and they had no choice but to submit.

One think Madonna used to have, which Lady Gaga conspicuously lacks, is a class consciousness. That element may have faded in recent years (has she been made a Baroness yet by the English? it seems only a matter of time) Madonna was very clear about her working-class background, and her videos, such as Express Yourself and Papa Don't Preach, clearly signified that she came from a working class background, Papa Don't Preach by stressing her biography, and Express Yourself more obliquely (she's shackled by creepy tycoon-guy but she longs for hunky laborer).
posted by Kattullus at 8:03 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

You "I want more weird costumes and personae and showmanship with my catchy music" people all saw the Janelle Monae post, right? Go watch the Tightrope video and be healed. She has a concept album about emancipating dancing androids coming, and dance and voicewise has it all over Lady Gaga.
posted by LobsterMitten at 8:18 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

nadawi: no, she was pretty much being a jerk. Her only follow-up to that twitter pst and the matter was:

"for those of you out there who can't bear the thought of the ku klux klan used ironically...you'll LOVE this!!: http://bit.ly/awIOOX " screencap The link is to video from a play about the Jerry Springer Show which shows the KKK being invited on to the show.

That's deeply, deeply messed up.

"too-sensitive-filter "

That's also kind of an easy way to dismiss someone's feelings. Disabled and diabled allies sharing why the E/E project is misappropriative and oogy and wrong... that issue is nothing but personal.
posted by ShawnStruck at 8:20 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

should have been screencap
posted by ShawnStruck at 8:21 PM on April 29, 2010

I'll likely never buy any of her albums or singles. I'm certain that I'll never attend any of her concerts. And I can see where people would not like her.

But I like her and her handful of popular singles. Weird, I know.

Those darn kids? They can play on my lawn.

Just as long as they keep their disco sticks to themselves, that is.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:26 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

Ten bucks to Kiva says that Lady Gaga is mccarty.tim's sockpuppet.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 8:29 PM on April 29, 2010

"hyperlinks to content directly concerning"

Uh, sorry, I think I just used the word "links", not "posts".

Really, I'm just just waiting for you to say "Never Ever Ever Enuf Gaga on MeFi!... 4-Evah!"

Then I'll stand corrected.
posted by ovvl at 8:30 PM on April 29, 2010

No. Express Yourself is not even in the top three Madonna songs ever, which are Into The Groove, Burning Up and Vogue. A reasonable person may differ upon the order of Burning Up and Vogue, but to have any other opinion at all, you had better be kissing me right then and there.
posted by klangklangston at 8:32 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Klang, I was going with video, if you want just Madonna SONGS I love, then well....it's DIFFERENT
posted by The Whelk at 8:36 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm actually a big fan of Deeper And Deeper.
posted by The Whelk at 8:36 PM on April 29, 2010

Get! into the GROOVE boy!


For childhood memory reasons, I like Who's That Girl?


Also, Money and Sooner Or Later are good songs kinda ruined by the fact that Madonna can't really sing.

Mostly Sooner or Later, i keep wanting a real torch singer belt it out.
posted by The Whelk at 8:40 PM on April 29, 2010

I think it's time to link the Official Rules of Gaga.
posted by tellurian at 8:43 PM on April 29, 2010

thought this was going to be about Spoon
posted by ludwig_van at 8:44 PM on April 29, 2010

I think my entire mind can be explained from seeing this, this, and this all at the right age.
posted by The Whelk at 8:47 PM on April 29, 2010

The red tent sings like a choir
posted by Burhanistan at 8:48 PM on April 29, 2010

Here you go!
posted by klangklangston at 8:49 PM on April 29, 2010

Oh, but I did use the word "posts" in the original line back at the top, but I did not count them then. Sorry.

I am looking at the page: "Search All Posts & Comments". For some odd reason, the Adam Ant post comes up without mentioning Gaga directly. Other than that, I seem to be staring at at least three quotes marked "Gaga" in front pages in the past four days, with what looks like at least a dozen since the beginning of the year. My apologies if my use of the semantics involved are incorrect, or if I am misunderstanding this system.
posted by ovvl at 8:49 PM on April 29, 2010

...and this of course, which warped more young minds then pinball and syphilis combined
posted by The Whelk at 8:51 PM on April 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

Not tagged, though.
posted by ovvl at 8:52 PM on April 29, 2010

Seriously, Janelle Monae is some sort of deity. If we had a post about her every day, it would not be too many. Possibly if we made Metafilter have a professional white background with black images which would resemble those saddle shoes she rocks it would be more fantastic, but really we just need lots and lots of posts about Janelle Monae. I do not yet know what her favorite toothpaste flavor is, and that hurts my heart.

We could even have a little music flash player that would play some of her songs on every page, except the Music page, which could have a bunch of tributes to Janelle Monae in song format.

Have I mentioned how, when I saw that Many Moons video with the Metropolis themed androids, my heart fluttered like a little girl beholding a bunny rabbit? A winged, rainbow-colored sparkling bunny rabbit singing in angelic voices about how to get free ice cream forever from Coldstone Creamery and scattering thousand dollar bills in its wake? I should have, because that's the kind of thing we need more of around here.

Lady GaGa longs in her heart to be as talented and wonderful as even Janelle Monae's saddle shoes are. And the saddle shoes know, deep in their shoe-y hearts, that it is only their proximity to Ms Monae that makes them special.

Forgive my exuberance, but it is the end of the semester and I have escaped the Finance class without flinging myself under a van.
posted by winna at 8:52 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I was just imagining a world in which everyone had an emergency card in their wallet of their top three Madonna songs, just in case something happened.
posted by klangklangston at 8:53 PM on April 29, 2010 [7 favorites]

For Winna so we know what she's talking about, cause Janelle Monae is like ....just so much fun
posted by The Whelk at 8:57 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Klangklangston, anyone who has "Music" on the card we can kill without fear of attack, also La Isle Bontina, right?
posted by The Whelk at 8:58 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

And yeah, I'll totally grant that Express Yourself is the best Madonna video ever. And may, on rewatching it, be Mads #4 best.
posted by klangklangston at 9:01 PM on April 29, 2010

Ahhh those darling saddle shoes! She is the cutest thing on earth. That Prince circa Purple Rain hair! That voice! Those dimples! That weird dance where you move your feet but not the rest of you!

Maybe we shouldn't have a professional white background, but a wallpaper of Ms Monae. We could switch it up with some different pictures of her to keep it fresh.

I would make a MeTa post demand, but it would be horribly self-referential and we'd all go down the rabbit hole to bat country.

Sincerely Jane makes me want to do a dance. Listen to how marvelously her voice melts into the brass! It's like chocolate and peanut butter!
posted by winna at 9:01 PM on April 29, 2010

Into The Groove, Burning Up and Vogue. A reasonable person may differ upon the order of Burning Up and Vogue, but to have any other opinion at all, you had better be kissing me right then and there.

Ciccone Youth's Into The Groovey is arguably the greatest single record of the 1980s. Madonna's best is Never Tell.

You really should shave or something.
posted by philip-random at 9:02 PM on April 29, 2010

More Janelle Monae cause seriously,
posted by The Whelk at 9:02 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I want to hear Ms Monae's cover of Pirate Jenny.

I think the people demand it.
posted by winna at 9:04 PM on April 29, 2010

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away while on LSD, someone slowly drove past the front yard where we were sitting listening to the trees. They were blaring "Lucky Star" from their stereo. I was on dilated time, and the synth wash prior to the words "star light, star bright" seemed to take about 5 minutes to cycle, complete with polysynasthesic color bar light pulses. The actual rhythm and bassline didn't resolve itself as some kind of linear song until the car was 50 yards down the street. Good times.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:04 PM on April 29, 2010

"Klangklangston, anyone who has "Music" on the card we can kill without fear of attack, also La Isle Bontina, right?"

My girlfriend reps hard for "La Isla Bonita," but "Music" is a bus ticket to the Madonna Reeducation Camps.
posted by klangklangston at 9:05 PM on April 29, 2010

This is pretty good too, in an evil sort of way.
posted by philip-random at 9:06 PM on April 29, 2010

I'm ambivalent about Lady Gaga (though apparently I'm going to her Houston show in July). Her music is mostly harmless dance pop, and her videos are generally pretty hilarious.

Although "Telephone" was a bit much.

Anyway, I just came here to say "Warm Leatherette" sucks.
posted by total warfare frown at 9:07 PM on April 29, 2010

Hit me with your disco stick.
Hit me slowly, hit me quick.
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!
posted by loquacious at 9:07 PM on April 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

Madonna's best is Never Tell.

Got the link right but not the name. Live To Tell by Ms. Ciccone. Never Tell by the Violent Femmes, which is magnitudes better than anything Madonna's ever done.

Arguably.
posted by philip-random at 9:09 PM on April 29, 2010

Janelle Monae with awesome glasses. The trailer for her upcoming album.

oh my god i want so badly for it to be may 18 already
posted by bewilderbeast at 9:09 PM on April 29, 2010

You've all forced me to like Lady GaGa.
posted by crataegus at 9:10 PM on April 29, 2010

Nellie McKay's cover of Pirate Jenny was both hilarious and terrifying. Which is, I think, how it should be.

I love Janelle Monae and want her rise to fame to be as meteoric as Lady Gaga's, but if we're using "Smile" as any indication of her ability to cover previously done songs, then I have to veto any more covers she has planned. It's not that Smile is awful. It's actually a nice version of an otherwise kind of hokey song. But in terms of her current - albeit small - corpus, it's the weakest link.
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:11 PM on April 29, 2010

As someone who has posted a Insane Clown Posse FPP recently, I'm going to also say that there's really been waaaay too many posts about ICP on Metafilter recently, as well.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:12 PM on April 29, 2010

Fools, all of you. Madonna's best was Live to Tell.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:13 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I thought this thread was about me. Are you seriously talking about me in the same breath as you talk about someone whose entire costuming is a well-tailored tuxedo and saddle shoes? I am wearing a fucking replica of Mir as I type this. Well. As Honey Bee types this. I'm finding it a little hard to move my arms right now.
posted by Lady Gaga at 9:15 PM on April 29, 2010 [12 favorites]

Oh.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:16 PM on April 29, 2010

It's okay Steph, they're just internet people.
posted by The Whelk at 9:16 PM on April 29, 2010

I'd like to think there is a harmonica attached to that towel rack in front of crucified Madonna's face.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:17 PM on April 29, 2010

Ms. Saint: "I'm going to have to make myself start liking her music more, because, boy howdy, do I love her."

teeth is her best song and possibly her only good song, but you have to play it really loud
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 9:18 PM on April 29, 2010

Fools, all of you. Madonna's best was Live to Tell.

I said that already, in a sideways sorta way. This is a pretty cool mashup.
posted by philip-random at 9:18 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I would wear those glasses to work, but it would excite remark. I must admire them from afar.

Observe that this is live, and she's not being autotuned all to hell like most of the young people these days.

I want to also hear her do 'Air Mail Special'. She can totally do scat as well as Ella Fitzgerald, and that is high praise indeed. I am writing a letter tomorrow.

Dear Ms Monae;

Normally I abominate it when young people attempt the standards, because they do not have the ability to sing in the musical wake of the luminaries of our past. Nonetheless, I would like to sincerely request that you record the Cole Porter Songbook, as well as 'Air Mail Special', 'The Lady is a Tramp', 'Brazil' and possibly a Patsy Cline cover album if you have time to spare. You may feel free to orchestrate these musical offerings as you desire, but if you do not comply with my request I will be heartbroken. Also, God assures me he will kill an innocent puppy if my plea goes unheard.

sincerely,
a fan

ps what is your favorite toothpaste.
posted by winna at 9:20 PM on April 29, 2010

I love Janelle Monae and want her rise to fame to be as meteoric as Lady Gaga's, but if we're using "Smile" as any indication of her ability to cover previously done songs, then I have to veto any more covers she has planned. It's not that Smile is awful. It's actually a nice version of an otherwise kind of hokey song. But in terms of her current - albeit small - corpus, it's the weakest link.

greekphilosophy is correct. 'Smile' is as terrible as any musical product of a musical goddess can be. I retract my letter.
posted by winna at 9:22 PM on April 29, 2010

you know it strikes me that Madonna spent so much time disavowing and distancing herslef from her "Material Girl" personae when really should she have ran with it, just be that Hollywood Blonde who eats diamonds and is naked without a fur wrap, it worked for Eartha Kitt (for a while)
posted by The Whelk at 9:22 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I thought this thread was about me. Are you seriously talking about me in the same breath as you talk about someone whose entire costuming is a well-tailored tuxedo and saddle shoes?

Will no one rid me of this over exposed diva?
posted by nola at 9:22 PM on April 29, 2010

Now I am seriously going to bed, because obviously not failing that class has made me into one of those interneting under the influence people and we can't be having with that.
posted by winna at 9:22 PM on April 29, 2010

Or, we respect cartoons that don't want to be liked.
posted by The Whelk at 9:24 PM on April 29, 2010

Ballads are boring. No ballad can be Madonna's best song. That's like saying her boyfriend was Vanilla Ice.
posted by klangklangston at 9:26 PM on April 29, 2010

This is neither here nor there, but it's interesting to me that "Bad Romance" seems to be a rewrite (admittedly a mildly compelling one) of Electric Light Orchestra's "Don't Let Me Down." Somebody needs to get on it and mash that shit up.
posted by koeselitz at 9:33 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

The thing is that Janelle Monae's shoes aren't really saddle shoes, they just have asymmetric stripes across the middle.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:48 PM on April 29, 2010

I would pay good money to see Gaga and say, I don't know, Adam Lambert re-enact this scene from the movie Xanadu... with full, bejumpsuitted backup band and Andrews Sisters-impersonating trio jazz orchestra.

I retract this statement if it can only happen on American Idol because god, no. And yes I realize how that sounds in context... but NO
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:48 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

koeselitz, Don't Bring Me Romance

It's really good. :)
posted by zarq at 9:51 PM on April 29, 2010 [10 favorites]

You really should have titled this post 'All We Hear Is Radio GaGa'

Then I'd've been down with it, man. That Freddy Mercury -- what a card!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:03 PM on April 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

Is this something I have to be sober to understand?

cos I ain't
posted by special-k at 10:03 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I am wearing a fucking replica of Mir as I type this.

Is it made out of hair, assorted deli meats or both?

Can I stroke your keytar? I want to CLK your MIDI THRU.
posted by loquacious at 10:07 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Ga Ga
posted by The Whelk at 10:08 PM on April 29, 2010

Note the common Metropolis references
posted by The Whelk at 10:11 PM on April 29, 2010

Janelle Monae's shoes from the Tightrope video = not saddle shoes but something altogether more odd and neat.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:13 PM on April 29, 2010

But in the end it comes down to this
posted by The Whelk at 10:14 PM on April 29, 2010

(and that pic is from mefi's own ocherdraco, by coincidence. right on!)
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:14 PM on April 29, 2010

Then I'd've been down with it, man. That Freddy Mercury -- what a card!

* Radio Ga Ga
posted by zarq at 10:17 PM on April 29, 2010

I put on an 8 track...
posted by The Whelk at 10:18 PM on April 29, 2010

Liking lady gaga is cool.
Metafiltering about her is getting rather lame. Its pretty much on the same level as "Can I eat this piece of food that I forgot about for two weeks?"

Lame.
posted by hal_c_on at 10:29 PM on April 29, 2010

"Can I eat wear this piece of food that I forgot about for two weeks?"

Fixed that for you.
posted by loquacious at 11:05 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

In case of a Madonna-Related Emergency, please play:

1. Open Your Heart
2. Crazy for You
3. Borderline
posted by 23skidoo at 11:07 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

What we need is more posts about Gordon Lightfoot

Whatever happened to the plans for metafilter.gordon.lightfoot? I for one was really stoked and looking forward to that.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:13 PM on April 29, 2010

Still waiting for ICANN approval for the .lightfoot TLD.
posted by Burhanistan at 11:17 PM on April 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

ShawnStruck:

the comment didn't happen in a vacuum. and that wasn't her last or only other comment about it that night. she's the type of artist that will often say the most outlandish thing to stop a conversation dead. more than anything, i think the kkk comment makes no sense, the jerry springer clip extends the making no sense. we'll have to agree to disagree on this point.

as to re: too sensitive filter - well, you're doing the thing that i was getting to in my comment - taking one thing out of context without discussing it as part of the whole. i know it's an easy way to argue on the internet, but it's not one i'm particularly interested in.

as to the disabled and disabled allies discussing it - well, there are also groups of disabled people discussing why they like the E/E project, and making fan art, and feeling empowered. furthermore - sometimes there's an issue that's personally sensitive and because of that there's no leeway for comedy or art. that's all fine and good. and it's something i've fallen into before.* but it doesn't mean it's suddenly an end to the discussion or that i can't disagree with them. i could have chosen my words better, i agree.



* (sarah mclaughlin said something shitty about dyke music festivals and how her lilith fair basically sprang up from the ether with no influences. i'm sure she was pushed into that statement and it probably came from a larger discussion - but one of my sensitive-filters are straight girls co-opting dyke culture and pretending like it's a shiny new snowflake. to me it's crass and gross - so to me, i just couldn't enjoy her after that - my loss, i'm sure. but there it is.)
posted by nadawi at 11:26 PM on April 29, 2010

Can I do a post when Weird Al releases a Lady GaGa parody?

Please?
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:45 PM on April 29, 2010

one of my sensitive-filters are straight girls co-opting dyke culture and pretending like it's a shiny new snowflake

Wait, I thought we were talking about Lady Gaga, not Pink.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:51 PM on April 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hit me with your disco stick.
Hit me slowly, hit me quick.
Hit me! Hit me! Hit me!

Ah, Ian Dury and Blockheads.

My dad has that single. I used to play it over and over as a kid, jumping around like an idiot. Then I'd move the record needle back and play it again.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:03 AM on April 30, 2010 [4 favorites]

Today I was fixing the sink, something I've never done before. I had my little set of tools out and was getting my hands dirty. By the end of it I had sufficiently cleaned the drain's clog. Yay me.

The entire time, Lady Gaga's "Telephone" was stuck in my head. So much for masculinity.
posted by hellojed at 12:07 AM on April 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

Rihanna did illuminati before illuminati was cool
posted by empath at 12:13 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Klangklangston, anyone who has "Music" on the card we can kill without fear of attack, also La Isle Bontina, right?

I like Music, but it's not anywhere near the top 3.

My top 3:

Lucky Star
Bedroom Stories
Vogue
posted by empath at 12:18 AM on April 30, 2010

Wait. Is this a thing? Does everyone think that moist is the most unpleasant word EVER? So happy I'm not the only one...

You are not alone. Previously on AskMe
posted by clearly at 12:26 AM on April 30, 2010

in jr high i readmitted to myself, and really accepted, that i was sexually attracted to women. it was partially due to some dreams i was having (kissing boys, nothing, close my eyes, open them to see a girl, fireworks) and then one day, express yourself came on mtv. i was half asleep and i realized i was, um, enjoying myself. so for life changing moments alone, it has to be in my top three.
posted by nadawi at 12:33 AM on April 30, 2010

fuck, i mean human nature, not express yourself.
posted by nadawi at 12:35 AM on April 30, 2010

I only like Madonna videos if they were banned from MTV.
posted by box at 2:34 AM on April 30, 2010

01. Deeper & Deeper
02. Get Into the Groove
03. Hung Up

Also the Kruder & Dorfmeister remix of Nothing Really Matters is awesome beyond words.
posted by elizardbits at 4:09 AM on April 30, 2010

'Hung Up' was mostly Stuart Price AKA Jaques Lu Cont/Thin White Duke/Les Rythmes Digitales. He's a genius.

He also did the best Madonna song that Madonna didn't do:

Silver Screen Shower Scene
posted by empath at 4:29 AM on April 30, 2010

wait ... i thought this was the cortex protest thread.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 4:57 AM on April 30, 2010

Oooh, is this a callout? Sorry guys!
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:03 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

BTW, I didn't get the memo, but I can take a hint. No more Gaga posts. I'll let someone else make the thread on her next video.

Unfortunately, my head can only hold seven things. Right now they include:

1. Lady Gaga (Attempting to replace with Janelle Monae)
2. Beer
3. Canning
4. Stained Glass Cake
5. Homebrewing
6. Coursework
7. Juggalos

And there's already an open Juggalo thread. And this community is stained glass-ist.
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:10 AM on April 30, 2010

BTW, I wish I were smart and rich enough to have a Lady Gaga sock puppet. College and homebrew are expensive, eh.
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:12 AM on April 30, 2010

My Madonna card looks like this:

Burnin' up
Like a Prayer (I like the chorus, OK?)
Into the Groove
posted by Mister_A at 5:27 AM on April 30, 2010

Yeah, the main reason I love Confessions on a Dancefloor is because of Stuart. His remix of Schoolly D's "Skool's Out" is glorious.

I used to work with him in Ibiza - he is an utterly lovely and charming goofball.
posted by elizardbits at 5:43 AM on April 30, 2010

I don't like Madonna. THERE. I said it.

I know I'm a horrible, bad, awful person, but there it is.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:52 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

mccarty.tim: "BTW, I didn't get the memo, but I can take a hint.

Sorry, I was sleeping.
posted by Memo at 5:54 AM on April 30, 2010

What? No love for Ray of Light? Few things remind me more of the shiny, shiny dot-com-y Y2K-y fin de siècle more than the songs off Ray of Light.

• Express Yourself
• Vogue and
• Ray of Light

are on my Madonna card (subject to change without notice).
posted by octobersurprise at 6:04 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Bat Romance strikes me as something Batman would walk in on Robbin lipsynching to for Youtube on the Batputer.

Meme ensues.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:18 AM on April 30, 2010

I don't like Madonna. THERE. I said it.

I know I'm a horrible, bad, awful person, but there it is.

*GASP* FLAGGED AS INCONCEIVABLE.
posted by elizardbits at 6:21 AM on April 30, 2010

metafilter.gordon.lightfoot?

♫ ♬ Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee.... ♫ ♪
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:25 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is a pretty cool mashup.

That was the coolest fucking thing I've heard in a long time.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:29 AM on April 30, 2010

BTW The Whelk or other artistically inclined MeFites, feel free to draw the mods dealing with me if it makes you feel better.

Also, I'd rather see how Joel Schumacher would handle Lady Gaga as a Batman villain.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:31 AM on April 30, 2010

Also mccarty.tim I was mostly kidding about the memo. But not more Lady Gaga please. What's wrong with stained glass again?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:33 AM on April 30, 2010

I've read about 2/3 o fthis thread, and for the first time in a log time, I feel......old. And I read my own flesh&blood's posts and it seems to be a foreign language. I have entered the wrong door--I'll be going now.



That said, I saw a Janelle Monae clip at St. Andrew's Hall while waiting for Patti Smith to come on stage, and I was awestruck. In a good way.


Going now...
posted by beelzbubba at 6:35 AM on April 30, 2010

Sorry 'bout your lawn there, beelzbubba...
posted by Mister_A at 6:40 AM on April 30, 2010

*Sniff* We was talking on MetaTalk about what we were going to make for desert on Easter, and then I said I was gonna make a stained glass cake. Then everyone was mean and said that my Jell-O confection was scary and like a housewife in pearls. WAAH!

That said, I do think gelatin is kind of gross, and I will probably consider using agar agar in the future. Maybe I could float some fruit caviar in the panna cotta... Or eat normal cakes.

Understood re: Lady Gaga
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:43 AM on April 30, 2010

I don't like most of Gaga's music, but I do like reading about her antics and ideas.

That said, maybe we should have more posts about Gor-Gor, instead.
posted by ignignokt at 7:09 AM on April 30, 2010

I don't like Madonna either. Or Kylie Minogue. Having said that, hooray to them both for having extremely successful careers for decades in the fickle business they've chosen to be a part of.

Lady Gaga has serious earworm factor but I'm not going to get caught up in the mania surrounding her until she releases at least one more album. Kudos to her for getting everyone to look at her costumes and not just her tits, though.

I really think everyone should be loving PJ Harvey more - that woman should be a major fucking superstar by now. And Bjork is sublime. I thank Metafilter every day for having given me the gift that is this.
posted by h00py at 7:14 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Also, I'd rather see how Joel Schumacher would handle Lady Gaga as a Batman villain.

I'd rather see how Joel Schumacher would handle being punched in the face repeatedly as a Batman director.

And, yeah, Janelle Monae is pretty great.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:21 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

1. Live to Tell
2. Lucky Star
3. Beautiful Stranger

It's unclear to me what would count as a cool top three Madonna list, but I suspect mine ain't it.
posted by Kwine at 7:35 AM on April 30, 2010

No love for Like A Virgin?
posted by Sailormom at 7:37 AM on April 30, 2010

I think the metric that The Whelk and I were perhaps using when saying that "Express Yourself" was the pinnacle of Madonna's output was not personal affinity to the song, but rather that it and the video had the strongest cohesion of bombast, sex, rhythm, visual impact, and popular acceptability. There are certainly better songs by her, but that one seems to show the machine running at its optimum power output RPM.

Then again, I don't disagree with this assessment.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:42 AM on April 30, 2010

Has anybody seen my disco stick?

Does anybody really want to?
posted by owtytrof at 7:52 AM on April 30, 2010

"'Hung Up' was mostly Stuart Price AKA Jaques Lu Cont/Thin White Duke/Les Rythmes Digitales. He's a genius."

His FabricLive09 was basically what got me back into caring about dance music. (But "Hung Up" was mostly Abba.)
posted by klangklangston at 7:56 AM on April 30, 2010

Indeed Burhanistan, although Vouge is a close second.
posted by The Whelk at 7:57 AM on April 30, 2010

(But "Hung Up" was mostly Abba.)

Well, sure the samples. But he produced it. It sounds like every other song he's ever done.
posted by empath at 8:00 AM on April 30, 2010

Using an ABBA sample is just cheating cause at any given time one third of the Earth's population is humming an ABBA tune.
posted by The Whelk at 8:03 AM on April 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

We need to get Lady Gaga together with George Clooney.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:05 AM on April 30, 2010

1. Deeper and Deeper
2. Love Tried to Welcome Me
3. Forbidden Love (off Confessions, not Bedtime Stories)

And "Bad Girl" for best video.
posted by Prospero at 8:08 AM on April 30, 2010

I don't know if I mind her too much or not, but I really hate her name. It's just one of those vaguely unpleasant terms that I can't stand for no rational reason, like the word blouse.

I love her name because whenever I hear it, I think of Queen, and like all rational, tasteful people, I love thinking about Queen. Also, every time I see another ridiculously enjoyable GaGa video, I realize how much Madonna cannot sing and cannot dance and is not sexy.

Still missing Freddie
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:12 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

You know what never gets any love?

True Blue

that song comes on and you can smell the sunscreen and squint at the shore and it's Sandy Hook in the 80s all over again
posted by The Whelk at 8:14 AM on April 30, 2010

Top three Madonna:

1. Live to Tell
2. Material Girl
3. Vogue

But "True Blue" is also very nice. I think I'm the only person who likes "La Isla Bonita."
posted by FelliniBlank at 8:17 AM on April 30, 2010

Yeah True Blue is fun.

And I'm with h00py re: PJ Harvey.
posted by Mister_A at 8:19 AM on April 30, 2010

PJ is a-ok with me
posted by The Whelk at 8:25 AM on April 30, 2010

La Isla Bonita is a nice little song and all but I grew up knowing it as La Isla Gilligan by Guns 'N Moses, so it kind of got fucked out of the gate as something I could take seriously.

And I am appalled to find that the parody basically doesn't exist in audio form on the internet. I'm currently downloading the sole mp3 I could find, at 8.7KB/s. In about six minutes I'll be able to actually listen to it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:29 AM on April 30, 2010

And I am appalled to find that the parody basically doesn't exist in audio form on the internet. I'm currently downloading the sole mp3 I could find, at 8.7KB/s. In about six minutes I'll be able to actually listen to it.

Etiquette of the modern internet requires you to upload that to YouTube, complete with a wacky image overlay.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:31 AM on April 30, 2010

Are you people thinking what I'm thinking?


Madonna cover contest in MeMu?


That's what I am thinking.
posted by The Whelk at 8:31 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

No. No one should ever cover any song ever again.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:33 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Okay, safety first, let's slow it down to, say, 4.7KB/s.

Etiquette of the modern internet requires you to upload that to YouTube, complete with a wacky image overlay.

Seriously considering it. And I'd clearly have time to do some photoshopping while I wait.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:34 AM on April 30, 2010

"But "True Blue" is also very nice. I think I'm the only person who likes "La Isla Bonita.""

My girlfriend loves it, even though the long haired flamenco dude looks like a tool.
posted by klangklangston at 8:38 AM on April 30, 2010

La Isla Bonita still has my favourite misheard lyric of all time: "Young girls with eyes like potatoes"
posted by patricio at 8:39 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Fully supporting the notion of more PJ Harvey and Bjork FPPs.
posted by Artw at 8:41 AM on April 30, 2010 [4 favorites]

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but DUDE WTF? LOOK AT HIS HEAD!!!
posted by Mister_A at 8:51 AM on April 30, 2010

I thought was kind of super-gaga-saturated, but then I went back to some of nadawi's links of her vamping and just basically being FUCKING AWESOME, and I'm all in again.
posted by everichon at 8:52 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Madonna cover contest in MeMu?

I'm still hoping for a Bohemian Rhapsody contest.

Although I'd settle for Radio GaGa.
posted by zarq at 8:56 AM on April 30, 2010

Using an ABBA sample is just cheating cause at any given time one third of the Earth's population is humming an ABBA tune.

Has any sci-fi author mined this for a trope yet? ETs scan our signals and determine that the global language is ABBAese and subsequently attempt to communicate with us through ABBA lyrics alone? You can call it "Take A Chance on We" if I get a 10% cut
posted by joe lisboa at 9:06 AM on April 30, 2010

1. Into the Groove
2. La Isla Bonita
3. Vogue
posted by josher71 at 9:13 AM on April 30, 2010

there are VERY good reasons to hate her. a multiyear gazillion dollar product design contract for one. GRARS LOUDLY
posted by infini at 9:30 AM on April 30, 2010

01 Angel
02 Into the Groove
03 Physical Attraction (or pretty much anything off Erotica except for the execrable cover of "Fever")

As for Ms Gaga, I don't like her shtick, but she's not going away anytime soon, get used to it. She will probably have more staying power than Britney and Xtina, who is as we speak dressed up in leather and posing on all fours with teeth bared in front of a cat bowl to get attention.
posted by blucevalo at 9:30 AM on April 30, 2010

It ain't that deep, Mister_A. I'm just tend to wander past a GaGalicious thread. I don't get apoplectic if others want to--I save that for Kenny Gorelick fans.
posted by beelzbubba at 9:35 AM on April 30, 2010

I kid because I love, beelzbubba.
posted by Mister_A at 9:38 AM on April 30, 2010

On selling out
posted by infini at 9:51 AM on April 30, 2010

My halloween costume this year is going to be Lady DaDa. I will have a lobsterphone hairpiece.
posted by piratebowling at 9:57 AM on April 30, 2010 [7 favorites]

La Isla Bonita gets a lot of crap for being "The worst Madonna single" but really, have you listened to this?

What the fuck? That's barely a song. It sounds like it was done in hour, over the phone, with a toddler playing with protools.
posted by The Whelk at 10:00 AM on April 30, 2010

On the back of my driver's license, I have written in red Sharpie:

Organ Donor

DNR

1. Burning Up
2. Get Into The Groove
3. La Isla Bonita
posted by George Clooney at 10:15 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Etiquette of the modern internet requires you to upload that to YouTube, complete with a wacky image overlay.

IT IS ACCOMPLISHED
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:16 AM on April 30, 2010 [8 favorites]

Cortex Vouge Shop +30 points.
posted by The Whelk at 10:17 AM on April 30, 2010

Also this exists - and it's good!
posted by The Whelk at 10:19 AM on April 30, 2010

see this is why we need a cover contest
posted by The Whelk at 10:19 AM on April 30, 2010

I'm so glad you're here, George Clooney!
posted by shakespeherian at 10:21 AM on April 30, 2010

What the fuck? That's barely a song. It sounds like it was done in hour, over the phone, with a toddler playing with protools.

So does her remake of "American Pie."
posted by blucevalo at 10:22 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh god don't remind me.
posted by The Whelk at 10:22 AM on April 30, 2010

Vouge. Vouge. Pronounced "vooooooooooozhh." Like "rouge."
posted by koeselitz at 10:25 AM on April 30, 2010

"La Isla Bonita gets a lot of crap for being "The worst Madonna single" but really, have you listened to this?

What the fuck? That's barely a song. It sounds like it was done in hour, over the phone, with a toddler playing with protools."

"Sigmund Freud… Analyze this!"
posted by klangklangston at 10:25 AM on April 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

Clearly Madonna anticipated water boarding.
posted by The Whelk at 10:28 AM on April 30, 2010

So does her remake of "American Pie."

I had finally forgotten about that.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:33 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Also if we are going to hurt each other with Madonna: Make sure you get to the part where she raps.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:34 AM on April 30, 2010

So, Holy Shit I have not seen that video for Die Another Day and I'm kinda floored by it. Yay it's more Madonna All Alone but she's FIGHTING HERSELF with SWORDS in what looks like the Ancient Weapons hall of the Death Star and she's being tortured? I- whoa. I have clearly misjudged your later videos there Mads, this is GOOD BANANAS. (pity about the song)

Also, with the ponytail Evil Madonna kinda looks like Buffy Summers which put my enjoyment of this video over the top.


it also answers the question as to why you never see Madonna in the daylight
posted by The Whelk at 10:35 AM on April 30, 2010

oh hey, Stuart Price remixed Paparazzi.
posted by empath at 10:36 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well thanks, I'm glad to be here. I should mention adding my top 3 Madonna songs to the back of my driver's license in case of emergency was actually klangklangston's idea.

Back when we were shooting The Facts of Life, I'd be on the set, actin' all handsome and sexy and manly and shit, but then I'd go back to my dressing room and turn up the boombox, singin' ♫ ♬ "You just keep on push-in' MY LOVE! Over the borrrr-derr-line!" ♫ ♬
posted by George Clooney at 10:37 AM on April 30, 2010

So does her remake of "American Pie."

SHE NEVER DID A REMAKE. I HAVE SCRUBBED THAT MEMORY THOROUGHLY FROM MY BRAIN WITH DRANO AND STEEL WOOL.
posted by zarq at 10:42 AM on April 30, 2010

MetaFilter: We are going to hurt each other with Madonna
posted by everichon at 10:43 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Here's Lady Gaga rocking a fucking KEYTAR
posted by empath at 10:43 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Is this name-of-celebrity shit going to get somebody sued someday?
posted by box at 10:43 AM on April 30, 2010

MetaFilter: We are going to hurt each other with Madonna

God damn you I vowed never to like one of these tagline jokes.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:47 AM on April 30, 2010

Too many Gaga posts? How about Apple posts? ;)
posted by caddis at 10:47 AM on April 30, 2010

MetaFilter: We are going to hurt each other with Madonna
posted by The Whelk at 10:47 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Also if we are going to hurt each other with Madonna: Make sure you get to the part where she raps."

At my house, we call these "Cat, we need u 2 rap!"
posted by klangklangston at 10:49 AM on April 30, 2010

Though American Life and the album after that are indeed terrible, they were actually the basis of some pretty neat live shows which featured far better mixes of that music. Even the ones that were tuneless masses sound better.
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on April 30, 2010

In high school drama class, we had to do a live action interpretation of a pop song, and a nutty stoner dude wrapped himself in a blanket and stumbled around the stage aimlessly to "Justify my Love".
posted by Burhanistan at 10:53 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

as with apple, i think a lot of times people dislike lady gaga simply because other people like her. which makes me love her all the more.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 10:54 AM on April 30, 2010

I'm assuming I'm the last person on the planet to see this but Bananaphone is pretty funny for a gimme parody.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:55 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Cortex, you cannot just slip this by us and expect us not to notice.
posted by The Whelk at 10:57 AM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Fact: my ring tone is Bananaphone. Specifcally Bananaphone on speed.

(You have no idea the amount of effort that needlessly went in to making that happen.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:05 AM on April 30, 2010

I liked Madonna fine back in the 80's, but when I listen to her now, all I hear is old fashioned marketing. Even though she did eventually learn to sing mostly on key.

Lady Gaga, though, I've really been getting in to lately. Yes, she can sing and actually play an instrument, her songs have lines that just grab me, I like the way she plays with gender and sexual orientation, but what made me in to a monster is that her videos always disturb me. She has an edge. There is something that leaves me thinking, "wait...why do I like this? What does it say about me?"
posted by QIbHom at 11:11 AM on April 30, 2010

Ugh, Madonna American Pie hurts. Is that what it feels like to not like Lady Gaga? If so, I'm so sorry.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:11 AM on April 30, 2010

uh oh linking cortex music is a no no ... we'll have whoosis whatsisname dropping by to give us all the "tut tut" again for never criticizing cortex

(obligatory, hey cortex you ever gonna reply to my memail? ;p)
posted by infini at 11:11 AM on April 30, 2010

Sorry, infini, it gets a little backed up sometimes. I'll see what I can do.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:14 AM on April 30, 2010

1. Human Nature
2. Live to Tell
3. Papa Don't Preach

3. because it was like a primer on how to have that conversation if it arose.
posted by goo at 11:18 AM on April 30, 2010

It was only a couple weeks ago that I figured out that Lady Gaga has no connection to Lady Marmalade.

This is what happens when you get all your news from NPR.
posted by nickmark at 11:18 AM on April 30, 2010

Gah, I went link-hopping on youtube and now I've got La Isla Bonita firmly planted in my brain. Also it is apparently a song that lots of people like to sing karaoke and/or dance to and then upload film of same.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:20 AM on April 30, 2010

Am I correct that MetaFilter worships cortex and Lady Gaga for approximately the same reasons?
posted by found missing at 11:20 AM on April 30, 2010

And Love Don't Live Here Anymore - Mad's version of that is beautiful.
posted by goo at 11:21 AM on April 30, 2010

seriously cool, dude, np, i was picking on you to put in the obligatory criticism :) you rock, cortex and I'd better stop gushing before this thread gets closed ;p










hugbucket
posted by infini at 11:25 AM on April 30, 2010

i think we should go ahead and name lady gaga the metafilter 2010 artist of the year. you know she deserves it.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:25 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

and we should have a lady gaga day, with all-gaga posts and streaming music.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:27 AM on April 30, 2010

and the img tag should come back just for that day.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:28 AM on April 30, 2010

fallacy of the beard, oh how aptly named thou art. if any of your suggestions come to pass I'll banhammer myself
posted by infini at 11:29 AM on April 30, 2010

see, the potential advantages are piling up...
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:30 AM on April 30, 2010

Is this name-of-celebrity shit going to get somebody sued someday?

Gosh golly gee, I hope not. I've totally blasted any respectability the WCC might have had with my Satanic bi-sexual rant orgies.

I also Love The Lady.

And, for the record, think there are too many recommendations of the Mountain Goats (I tried, but failed to love them like every other mefite) and was slightly appalled to read a Juggalo article in the FREAKING NY TIMES today.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 11:30 AM on April 30, 2010

ooooooooooo burn
posted by infini at 11:30 AM on April 30, 2010

Personally, I'm squatting on this MeFi account for the day a Tim McCarty does become famous.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:33 AM on April 30, 2010

Where am I? Who are you guys? What am I doing here?

*swoons*
posted by The Lady is a designer at 11:37 AM on April 30, 2010

I really like the new Spoon album.
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas at 11:37 AM on April 30, 2010

WTF?
posted by infini at 11:43 AM on April 30, 2010

What if ovvl's the real Lady Gaga and she just made this thread to throw us off her trail?

If not ovvl, then it's definitely jonmc.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:43 AM on April 30, 2010

You know what's totally weird is how good new music stopped coming out right around when my first child was born. Also, I discovered how truly rad Thomas the Tank Engine is. It's weird, though, how that happened all at once...

I guess I should slap him for making the music stop. Pretty sure that's what Jesus would do.
posted by Mister_A at 11:44 AM on April 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

The problem is that we have too few posts about Assück.

This.

As a kid in Tampa, Steve always scared me just a little bit. But 403 Chaos was awesome.
posted by functionequalsform at 11:44 AM on April 30, 2010

When people describe Lady Gaga as weird and original, it makes me feel like I'm the same outsider music nerd I was in high school and should get back where I belong, being quiet and sitting at the listening station in the local indie record shop, ignoring pop culture phenomena like Gaga. Gaga is really what's weird and original these days? There's nothing weird or original about writing a standard pop tune using all of today's most commonly used equipment, sounds, structures and musical cliches. The weirdness is the public persona, but then that's not new in pop either. Cyndi Lauper and Bjork immediately spring to mind, not to mention Elton John and Liberace on the male side. She's also not the first to apply "irony" to their fame, U2 probably put out 2 full albums dealing with this idea. It sounds like we're admiring her for actively pursuing fame and attention, which is fine I guess, but I'm not sure about the "weird and original" bit.
posted by Kirk Grim at 11:46 AM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

lady gaga is a one-woman cure for cynicism and bitter irony. you literally cannot see or listen to her and simultaneously hate another person and not want to move your body. some people are threatened by that, because snarky depths and contempt are the only world they know. we should not give up on these lost, forlorn souls. we should be strong in our resolve until they see the way.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:49 AM on April 30, 2010 [6 favorites]

Fallacy of the beard, your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:52 AM on April 30, 2010

metafilter will serve quite adequately as my newsletter.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:54 AM on April 30, 2010

you are all subscribed!
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:55 AM on April 30, 2010

you literally cannot see or listen to her and simultaneously hate another person and not want to move your body.

That's what they tried to tell me about that band you don't like.
posted by box at 11:57 AM on April 30, 2010

Dude I'm makin' a mixtape of Lady Gaga tunes and "Warm Leatherette" and Madonna and Love and Rockets. That'll show 'em!
posted by Mister_A at 11:57 AM on April 30, 2010

Gah, I went link-hopping on youtube and now I've got La Isla Bonita firmly planted in my brain. Also it is apparently a song that lots of people like to sing karaoke and/or dance to and then upload film of same.

Selena Gomez' songs seem to attract the same.
posted by zarq at 12:02 PM on April 30, 2010

1. Ray of Light
2. Into the Groove
3. Lucky Star

I'm not huge on Gordon Lightfoot, but I love "Sundown."
posted by Bookhouse at 12:10 PM on April 30, 2010

Kudos to her for getting everyone to look at her costumes and not just her tits, though.

Her butt is prominently on display in most of her videos.
posted by zarq at 12:28 PM on April 30, 2010

Not to hate on Lady Gaga, who I'm mostly indifferent to, but didn't she basically first get famous for never wearing pants? The only thing I've seen of hers is the Telephone video, catchy song, but the first thing that happens is she gets stripped by bulldyke prison guards in a women's prison and calls her hottie lover Beyonce to bust her out -- I get that this is ironic repurposing of porn standards but it's uh, still her getting stripped and wearing sexy outfits (even if they're costumey silly sexy) and kissing hot women and what not. So it's not exactly post-titillation, you know? Not that it needs to be, but it's weird to me that her fans are saying thigns like 'she's different from britney in that she's not all about sex and revealing outfits' or whatever.
posted by LobsterMitten at 12:37 PM on April 30, 2010

Kudos to her for getting everyone to look at her costumes and not just her tits, though.

She's flashed her tits at many concerts, though.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:41 PM on April 30, 2010

If Lady GaGa shows up at a Tea Party rally in Juggalo makeup, toting an iPad, that's the MeFi Eschaton right fucking there and never mind about 2012.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:46 PM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Her butt is prominently on display in most of her videos.

And here we have the reason I can totally support Gaga posts on Metafilter. No, not because of her ass, but because of the lack of pants. I've been down with no-pants for so long now, it's refreshing to see the lifestyle finally getting some mainstream attention.

On the first day I moved into an apartment with no roommates, the first thing I did was to crack open a beer and take off my pants and sit in my chair in my drawers. I haven't looked back. It's just so damned comfortable and natural. I'm at the point where my wife knows not to bring anyone by the apartment unannounced, because hey, I'm probably not wearing any god-damned pants dammit.

So even if it means links to music I don't like and a lot of people claiming she's something deep and different when she's not really, I don't mind because I'm sitting here typing in my drawers and she's lending popular legitimacy and cred to my decision to not wear pants, too.
posted by Kirk Grim at 12:46 PM on April 30, 2010 [6 favorites]

My three donor card tunes:

1. Angels & Demons at Play
2. Lights on a Satellite
3. It's After the End of the World

back when Madonna was known as Sun Ra.
posted by beelzbubba at 12:51 PM on April 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

but didn't she basically first get famous for never wearing pants The only thing I've seen of hers is the Telephone video

at least you're willing to admit that you don't know what you're talking about.


ironic repurposing of porn standards

um, no. if anything - it's a nod to women in prison exploitation films


it's weird to me that her fans are saying thigns like 'she's different from britney in that she's not all about sex and revealing outfits' or whatever.

well, she is different than britney in that she's not all about sex and revealing outfits. sure, she wears no pants or one legged pants. sure, she'll get naked from time to time. but she'll also wear an outfit covered in kermit heads, or a huge red lace thing, or a hat of telephones. britney, jessica simpson, et all only bring sex to the party - and the sex they bring is very much in the (god i hate this term) male gaze. i don't think you'll find lady gaga in a school girl outfit unless half of it was on fire or covered in slugs or something.
posted by nadawi at 1:05 PM on April 30, 2010

Hole has a new album coming out.

Just saying.
posted by Splunge at 1:06 PM on April 30, 2010

at least you're willing to admit that you don't know what you're talking about.


If you find yourself getting defensive about someone else's remarks about Lady GaGa trading on sexuality, you might want to reexamine your investment in subject.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:08 PM on April 30, 2010

i wasn't being defensive. but thanks for your concern.
posted by nadawi at 1:15 PM on April 30, 2010

you might want to reexamine your investment in subject

The ticker symbol is GAGASX, which advanced today amid heavy trading to 69.00.
posted by everichon at 1:17 PM on April 30, 2010

You'll know she's irrelevant when they satirize her on South Park.
posted by Mister_A at 1:20 PM on April 30, 2010

Man, don't be surprised if there is a GAGA IPO.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:22 PM on April 30, 2010

can't get away from gaga today!

http://twitter.com/ConanOBrien/status/13146245563
posted by nadawi at 1:22 PM on April 30, 2010

Hole has a new album coming out.


Ugh Courtney's voice is totally shot. The Coney Island show was a disaster if you hear people say it.
posted by The Whelk at 1:39 PM on April 30, 2010

Hole has a new album coming out.

Let us never speak of this again.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:44 PM on April 30, 2010

Hole has a new album coming out.

A new album just crawled out of a Hole.
posted by Kirk Grim at 1:45 PM on April 30, 2010

Hole: Lotta Love.
posted by Mister_A at 1:47 PM on April 30, 2010

Too much ga-ga, needs more ra-ma-ma.
posted by infinitywaltz at 1:49 PM on April 30, 2010

Man designing an outfit for Cartoon Villain Gaga is hard, like for it to be a believable bit of animation it has to be kinda streamlined and iconic and it's ...hard to do that and still keep it looking like her. Stupid sunglasses.
posted by The Whelk at 1:51 PM on April 30, 2010

I'm kind of picturing something like Doctor Mrs. The Monarch.
posted by Artw at 1:56 PM on April 30, 2010

Dude she totally is Doctor Ms. The Monarch.
posted by The Whelk at 1:58 PM on April 30, 2010

(goes off and day-dreams about a Venture Brothers episodes where yes, Lady Gaga IS a tool of Illuminati and they're using Rusty's mind control device which he left at a bar after failing to use it to for more disgusting purposes)
posted by The Whelk at 2:03 PM on April 30, 2010

RUSTY: WHAT! THERE REALLY IS AN ILLUMINATI?

BROCK: YEAH BUT, IT"S NOT THESE GUYS. THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP BROKE UP in '69, THESE GUYS ARE LIKE ...ILLUMINATI STARSHIP.
posted by The Whelk at 2:04 PM on April 30, 2010 [4 favorites]

Doctor Ms. The Monarch has some cartoon action going on that is hard to pull off in real life.

though perhaps I've said too much. I know. It's sad.
posted by GuyZero at 2:08 PM on April 30, 2010

My wife and I saw Conan O'Brien's show at the Masonic Auditorium in Nob Hill, and Jane Wiedlin was there. Lady GaGa was not.

So we saw Coco, a Go-Go, at the NobMa, no GaGa.
posted by mattdidthat at 2:12 PM on April 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

Coco, a Go-Go, at the NobMa, no GaGa ....PANAMA
posted by The Whelk at 2:13 PM on April 30, 2010

Whatev, I saw a bandersnatch operating a zamboni at the aud.
posted by Mister_A at 2:24 PM on April 30, 2010

Everything got all mimsy all of a sudden.
posted by The Whelk at 2:25 PM on April 30, 2010

There's an uffish thought.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:28 PM on April 30, 2010

Reminds me, I've got to trim the borogroves.
posted by Mister_A at 2:31 PM on April 30, 2010

Oh, go whiffle up a tree.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:41 PM on April 30, 2010

I don't know Lady Gaga from a discarded shoe, but this is kind of funny. If it has been posted somewhere in the thread already I apologize.
posted by edgeways at 2:56 PM on April 30, 2010

"but didn't she basically first get famous for never wearing pants The only thing I've seen of hers is the Telephone video"

at least you're willing to admit that you don't know what you're talking about.

What I'm saying is, the first time I heard of her, over a period of maybe six months or something longish like that, was in fashion blogs saying "here is this celebrity you've never heard of and her schtick is that she wears crazy stuff and doesn't wear pants". I know she wears weird architectural outfits, I know what people have said on Mefi about her being this avante garge gender-messer-with, today's conceptual performer, etc. The only video of hers I've seen is the Telephone one.

What I'm saying is that I understand people like the weird. I applaud the weird. Go weird! It's great that she does weird stuff and has ideas and is more than a pretty face, etc.

But I just don't think it's right to say that sex, boobies, butts, titillation, etc are not a major part of her act. Now, if you think based on your much more in-depth knowledge about her, that sex etc are not a major part of her act, I'm happy to admit that I'm no expert. (I'm not criticizing her or saying it's bad to have sex etc be a big part of your act. I'm just saying it seems incorrect to characterize her as sex-not-a-big-part-of-the-act.)


"ironic repurposing of porn standards"

um, no. if anything - it's a nod to women in prison exploitation films

I don't understand the distinction you're drawing here between "porn standards" (eg women's prison) and "women in prison exploitation films".
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:57 PM on April 30, 2010

LobsterMitten, it comes down to taters.
posted by Mister_A at 3:12 PM on April 30, 2010

i am conflicted. one person says I have to choose between hawaii adn las vegas and another says its neither. do they know my tickets are already booked to both, silly people? they don't know what rss is, what do you expect?
posted by infini at 3:26 PM on April 30, 2010

oh and btw, the hugbuckets been put away in the attic. you're all way to weird for me - no, wait, i didn't mean that
posted by infini at 3:27 PM on April 30, 2010

You've got to admit the woman is loud and interesting.

Well, she's certainly one of those.
posted by spaltavian at 4:33 PM on April 30, 2010

All this talk about Madonna's best songs and only one mention of "Borderline"? At #3? hey c'mon now.
posted by First Post at 4:39 PM on April 30, 2010

I will say, however, that the frequency of GaGa posts has not exceeded by ability to ignore them, and I have no problem with the posts. It's slightly harder, of course, because unlike something I'm just not interested in, I find her* annoying and vapid. This is compounded by her fans lauding her for the things I specifically think she's not: smart*, interesting, provocative. But like anything else on Metafilter I don't care about, I can ignore it. When there are posts that discuss the merits of GaGa, I think it's fair for posters to, in non-derail-ly ways to discuss her lack of merit.

In the same way, I am a fan of Mad Men. I think it's fair to for those who don't care to ignore those posts, and when the merits of the show are discussed, it's fair for people who disagree with me to explain why Mad Men sucks.

When Gaga or Mad Men posts exceed a limit- posts have nothing new to say about them yet are pop up, or they really can no longer be ignored by those who don't care- then there's a problem. We're probably getting withing the ballpark of this limit with GaGa stuff, but I don't feel, as someone who hates the whole routine, we are there yet.


*I both cases do not mean the woman herself, but her shtick/work.
posted by spaltavian at 4:51 PM on April 30, 2010

Do not mix up the Hugbucket and the Slop Bucket. Trust me


Now where is My Bukkit?
posted by The Whelk at 4:56 PM on April 30, 2010

I'm confused. Is the hugbucket a bucket full of people who hug you and you jump in, or is it full of disembodied hugs that get poured on you? Or is it disembodied hugs that you just wallow around in?

And I'm not allowed in, right?
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:59 PM on April 30, 2010

We've not had a Mad Men post in a while, and the problem is that Gaga and Mad Men cannot coexist. Mad Men reinforce the limits in both fashion and society that Gaga push. Luckily, Gaga and bacon go great together.
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:01 PM on April 30, 2010

the hugbucket cannot be explained, it can only be ....experienced.
posted by The Whelk at 5:03 PM on April 30, 2010

I don't understand the distinction you're drawing here between "porn standards" (eg women's prison) and "women in prison exploitation films".

Exploitation films are not really the same thing as porn (even though many of them were X rated), and the women's prison theme is much more of a trope of 70s exploitation films than porn from any era. The telephone video in particular is almost a second-hand allusion to those films, because it draws as much from Quentin Tarantino's exploitation-inspired films as it does from the originals.
posted by burnmp3s at 5:06 PM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Exploitation Film:Porn::Taters:?
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:08 PM on April 30, 2010

Hardcore Taters
posted by burnmp3s at 5:09 PM on April 30, 2010

Actually the guards were miffed about the lack of taters.
posted by The Whelk at 5:11 PM on April 30, 2010

Wait so hold on here:

Lady Gaga
Mad Men

Lady :: Men
Gaga :: Mad

This is some serious yin yang shit right here.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:32 PM on April 30, 2010 [4 favorites]

Lady::Mad
Men::Gaga
posted by Mister_A at 5:42 PM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Lady Gaga Guest Stars on Mad Men as an experimental downtown artist hired to bring a youthful sensibility to the current campaign who responds by pouring molten plastic down Don Draper's gullet and spanking Betty with a Barbie Doll fan. Peggy gets stoned.
posted by The Whelk at 5:44 PM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Am I correct that MetaFilter worships cortex and Lady Gaga for approximately the same reasons?

Similar wardrobes ? You are correct, sir!
posted by y2karl at 6:10 PM on April 30, 2010

Ladies and gentlemen, your Spanish lullaby.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:18 PM on April 30, 2010 [5 favorites]

Cortex, did I ever tell you you are my hero, that you're everything I'd want to be?
posted by The Whelk at 6:20 PM on April 30, 2010

I love LOVE the Lady GaGa threads, because they always bring out the awesome linkage. It's like everyone has a link to a Lady GaGa parody/tribute/mash-up video in the bottom of their pockets, and these threads get people to dump 'em all out at random.

I definitely agree that "Ray of Light" is totally under-rated.

It may or may not be her best, but I always found "Papa Don't Preach" to be fascinating. Of all the things I ever imagined Madonna saying about her father, "I need some advice about whether or not to have an abortion" was not one of them.
posted by ErikaB at 6:29 PM on April 30, 2010

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but WTF is up with the Mets? They keep scoring more runs than the other guys, that's not like them...
posted by Mister_A at 6:41 PM on April 30, 2010

Now I feel obligated to come up with a really good Bjork post in the near future.
posted by Artw at 6:45 PM on April 30, 2010

Artw, just do like I do and post the first thing that comes up when you Google "Lady Gaga Bjork + $NOUN".

$NOUN is ideally something the blue loves or hates, like "Tea Party," "Juggalo" or "Circumcision."
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:01 PM on April 30, 2010

Er, that was the flu talking.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:01 PM on April 30, 2010

I am so doing this, mccarty.tim.
posted by Mister_A at 7:18 PM on April 30, 2010

Lady Ga Ga makes me want to fucking puke.
posted by Dick Laurent is Dead at 7:22 PM on April 30, 2010

So what's stopping you?
posted by Mister_A at 7:23 PM on April 30, 2010

greekphilosophy: “I love Janelle Monae and want her rise to fame to be as meteoric as Lady Gaga's, but if we're using "Smile" as any indication of her ability to cover previously done songs, then I have to veto any more covers she has planned. It's not that Smile is awful. It's actually a nice version of an otherwise kind of hokey song. But in terms of her current - albeit small - corpus, it's the weakest link.”

When you said she'd covered "Smile," I was sincerely hoping you meant this.

smIIIYY-uhl!
posted by koeselitz at 7:45 PM on April 30, 2010

Artw: “Now I feel obligated to come up with a really good Björk post in the near future.”

Voice of Ari Upp, sound of common late-90s adult-pop. Never understood what people found so compelling about Björk.
posted by koeselitz at 7:48 PM on April 30, 2010

this is some hip-ass shit, no?
posted by koeselitz at 7:52 PM on April 30, 2010

Well, when it come to dance music, after Ciccone Youth, my brain stops at Sylvester.

Also, I hate you.
posted by ovvl at 8:48 PM on April 30, 2010

Did you know that the Aphex Twin writes all of Lady GaGa's music? It's true.
posted by fuq at 8:52 PM on April 30, 2010

It may or may not be her best, but I always found "Papa Don't Preach" to be fascinating. Of all the things I ever imagined Madonna saying about her father, "I need some advice about whether or not to have an abortion" was not one of them.

My Mom always liked that song cause she said "Wow I had that exact same conversation with my Mom and I didn't really expect it to be a pop song."
posted by The Whelk at 8:58 PM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's a bit of a stretch, but I always wondered if you could interpret "Papa Don't Preach" as a song where the "baby" is simply her ne'er-do-well boyfriend. OK, so that's a bit far, but, as I recall, the video for the song doesn't have any imagery that would absolutely nail down the pregnancy angle, does it?
posted by maxwelton at 9:05 PM on April 30, 2010

Eh you could read it as both, it's pretty vague, for my Mom it was "give the baby up for adoption cause WOW you cannot trust this guy." and she DID and wow grandma was right so she liked it in a "oh you foolish girl" thing. Like I said, childhood memories can turn pop songs into the soundtracks, so kinda shitty songs can get oh so important.
posted by The Whelk at 9:13 PM on April 30, 2010

Another of my Mom's Favs, she liked Madonna cause she was all scrappy Italian-American city raffamuffin, like her! And then she cut up her nose and bleached her eyebrows and now she's English or some shit, but I remember my mom liking this song.
posted by The Whelk at 9:17 PM on April 30, 2010

And for eference, things my Mom listened to cleaning dishes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

So X always make me think of being in my underwear at 6pm watching a black and white TV and eating Taylor ham and playing with Cat.
posted by The Whelk at 9:22 PM on April 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

[MADONNA-FREE ZONE]
posted by koeselitz at 10:00 PM on April 30, 2010

i've heard that papa don't preach was for a while a popular video for young lesbians to show their parents right before coming out, as the relief that their daughter wasn't pregnant took the edge off.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:17 PM on April 30, 2010

i preferred "girls just wanna fun" which captured my father oh so well

(he once came to pick me up from a girlfriends house in HS in a rage because I just wasn't allowed to go for sleepovers, for that matter until I was 37 or 38 I'd never been outside the house after dark without a male family member, employee or trusted friend wtf)
posted by infini at 12:10 AM on May 1, 2010

I'm way late to this party, but this comment is blatantly anti-Kill the Moonlight and I just don't see how that's acceptable in a civilized society.
posted by chaff at 1:39 AM on May 1, 2010

civilized?
posted by infini at 1:44 AM on May 1, 2010

I'm now going to go do such a fantastic gaga post that the mods will HAVE to leave it up...and then I'm going to ovvl's house to see what happens brawhahahahahaha
posted by HuronBob at 3:50 AM on May 1, 2010

I will counter your gaga pap with Thurston Moore teaching white noise to kids.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:17 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I will one up you with Jake the peg leg man
posted by infini at 4:23 AM on May 1, 2010

I didn't want to do this, but it's an eye for an eye now: Carnival in Rio
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:29 AM on May 1, 2010

Oh yeah?
posted by infini at 4:31 AM on May 1, 2010

Yeah.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:46 AM on May 1, 2010

k, you win :)
posted by infini at 4:52 AM on May 1, 2010

Not a fan of either Lady GaGa or Mads? How about a little Burt Bacharach palate cleanser?
posted by beelzbubba at 5:41 AM on May 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

What if Lady Gaga and the Mad Men got in a fight? Who would win?
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:36 AM on May 1, 2010

Madonna would give them all the beatdown. Have you SEEN her upper arms? That lady is ripped.
posted by elizardbits at 7:08 AM on May 1, 2010

Mad Men vs. Gaga? Please. Aside from Don they're all kinda flabby or aging and they smoke w-a-a-a-y too much. Pete's got some boyish athleticism and may or may not be a serial killer, but my money's on Joan just going beserker and ripping her face off and then goin' for a manicure.
posted by The Whelk at 7:37 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

No way Joan would go berserker. She might beat you to death, but it'd be utterly deliberate, every stroke measured, intended to break specific bones.
posted by cgc373 at 8:24 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

In fact, I hope to see a scene where she does that to her stupid doctor husband assface.
posted by cgc373 at 8:25 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Maybe the shot would frame her face so she's above us, above him, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. Impassively landing solid blow after solid blow.
posted by cgc373 at 8:26 AM on May 1, 2010

NOBODY TELL cpc373 ANYTHING

SERIOUSLY
posted by The Whelk at 8:29 AM on May 1, 2010

what the... ? (take an afternoon nap and the thread asplodes)
posted by infini at 8:33 AM on May 1, 2010

infini: "there are VERY good reasons to hate her. a multiyear gazillion dollar product design contract for one. GRARS LOUDLY"

WHAT

POLAROID WAS IN A BASEMENT SOMEWHERE COMING UP WITH NEW DESIGNS FOR PRINTERS OR SOME SHIT

DON'T HATE
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 8:36 AM on May 1, 2010

why you mad at cpc373 that is some good writing not like some wimpy shit like actual Mad Men

character looks at other character impassively

director insists that neither emote

[five minute pass]
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 8:38 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

not seriously hating polaroid, got friends who work there. but lady gaga is not my ideal picture of an innovative product designer who can make a difference to their future, imho.

but for you, internet fraud squad my friend, I'll hold judgment till I'm able to professionally and publicly critique her output, how's that?
posted by infini at 8:42 AM on May 1, 2010

Pete a possible serial killer? No way, dude's got his rifle out in plain sight in the office, All-American all the way. Now Betty? Ever since the incident with the neighbor's pigeons, I've lived in fear. I'm always wondering whether she has a gun. Could she have a gun? Is there a gun nearby? I worry about Pete's rifle getting into Betty's hands.
posted by cgc373 at 9:13 AM on May 1, 2010

You ...haven't seen season three, have you?

this is the sound of me shutting the fuck up.
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on May 1, 2010

Was that naughty? "Pete's rifle ... Betty's hands"?
posted by cgc373 at 9:15 AM on May 1, 2010

Nah, I'm caught up, The Whelk. I cannot be spoiled. I shall not spoil!
posted by cgc373 at 9:16 AM on May 1, 2010

*whew*

So I'm in the Joan's husband gets all kinds of shot pool.
posted by The Whelk at 9:18 AM on May 1, 2010

Whatever ill befalls that fucker I'll happily endorse.
posted by cgc373 at 9:21 AM on May 1, 2010

not seriously hating polaroid, got friends who work there. but lady gaga is not my ideal picture of an innovative product designer who can make a difference to their future, imho.

i don't think she actually designs products; i think she just throws in and publicizes some creative ways they can be used--like taking pics of your lover beyonce after she has picked you up from jail, and stuff like that. the connection seems to make sense with much of her appeal being strikingly visual.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 9:22 AM on May 1, 2010

Yes, well, I was expecting something as frivolous as that. And I suppose that's the brand image Polaroid wants to project since I expect their targeting the mainstream consumer segment. Otoh, do keep in mind that this kind of brand equity will last only as long as she does or till the "next big thing" comes along, is that necessarily what Polaroid wants or will it be only for a short term category of products?
posted by infini at 9:34 AM on May 1, 2010

personally, i don't see the appeal of the return of instant film, particularly since it is still expensive; and i would have thought it made more sense to have the cameras at least do digital and instant simultaneously (or basically having a digital camera also be a photo printer). but polaroid apparently has reason to think it will work, and i haven't seen the kinds of stuff lady gaga will be putting out for it.

actually, thinking about this aspect makes me wonder how much of gaga's appeal has to do with being a kind of model of what we all have the tools to do now. her first videos have a homemade feel, and even she publicizes the parody videos of her work. her fashion started off as homemade or modified/adapted from other stuff, and that ability seems more accessible in the time of 'project runway'. i've long had the impression that part of her appeal is that she portrays her experience as being accessible to her audience, not beyond its reach; she delivers us into fabulousness as opposed to just teasing us with it. she makes a point of identifying with her audience and wanting them to feel good about themselves. she seems to take more joy in the work itself than the rewards for it. so she's kind of a role model for creative process in a time when we have a lot of creative options that used to be restricted by the limits of technology and expense. in my home i have the basic tools to perform, write, record, and distribute music and video and any other manner of art, with a direct line to a world of philosophical and creative inspirations. that doesn't say that the talent and ability are there, but more than ever it comes down to my own initiative and not access to the process.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 10:24 AM on May 1, 2010

basically having a digital camera also be a photo printer

yes.

with regard to what you've mused upon, it does indeed give me food for thought. So if I gather correctly, what you're saying is that Gaga essentially exemplifies an outlier or standout of the trend towards user generated content, the democratization of design and everybody as creator and producer due to the lowering of barriers through 2.0 freemium technology?

In which case I will grant you that she then makes a valid brand ambassador for the situation, although I agree that polaroid is perhaps not the future so much as the concept you've articulated above.

its something that worries me too, sometimes, that since we've moved away from film photography (my father had a dark room in the sixties and I remember vaguely the red lit smelly space from my infant years) we have no real way of storing and capturing our memories in any really accessible form. I can still pore over my parents wedding album whereas I've lost photographs (that I'd not gotten around to transferring to a hard drive) from a party last summer when my laptop crashed.

so in that argument, one wonders if going back to film might be a potential future direction, and if so, in that context, would the combination of "instant gratification" that digital gives you (the ability to see if the photo is good, unlike film) and still have a hard copy to hold is what led to revival of polaroid right now?
posted by infini at 10:34 AM on May 1, 2010

well, i think with something like flickr you have an improvement in accessibility (a lot of people i know basically dump all their digital photos onto the hard drive and then upload to flickr their much smaller selection of keepers). and the old ways weren't perfect; how many people lost those old photographs in a house fire or flood?

referring to the 'future direction' i wonder if maybe polaroid will attempt to portray itself as trying to correct for an over-swing toward digital, such that many pictures don't get printed at all now, but viewed on computers, phones, and digital frames, i would have expected that they would go for more a nostalgic angle, perhaps. lady gaga seems to make sense in terms of appealing to an artistic process, but i guess (for her use of the social internet) it also makes sense in terms of social interaction. (my personal sense, though not necessarily accurate of the larger situation, is the social networking has influenced a general shift from in-person to virtual connections. and a lot of people have mourned the isolation due to that, but there is a kind of swing back toward retranslating those virtual connections into in-person connections--for instance, the mefi meetup; in fact, most of my close friends now evolved from those virtual connections.) so maybe polaroid is trying to anticipate the expansion of that trend (if indeed it is a trend).
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:11 AM on May 1, 2010

I will counter your gaga pap with Thurston Moore teaching white noise to kids.

Man, if there was ever someone devoted to riding a schtick as long and as hard as he can, it's Mr. Moore. Is there any musical event, act, book, documentary movie, or ebay auction in the last quarter century which that dude has not tried to attach his name to? I suppose there must be a few.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:39 AM on May 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

"personally, i don't see the appeal of the return of instant film, particularly since it is still expensive; and i would have thought it made more sense to have the cameras at least do digital and instant simultaneously (or basically having a digital camera also be a photo printer). but polaroid apparently has reason to think it will work, and i haven't seen the kinds of stuff lady gaga will be putting out for it."

The hope is that it becomes less expensive. You can do a shitload of cool things with instant film that you can't do with other films (or digital images) like emulsion transfers and dye transfers and digital (with fingers!) manipulation of the image.

There's also the romance of the analog, the unique color profile of instant films, and the very fact that they are one of a kind images, something that's attractive both to artists and girlfriends who don't want their nudity distributed.
posted by klangklangston at 11:49 AM on May 1, 2010

The hope is that it becomes less expensive. You can do a shitload of cool things with instant film that you can't do with other films (or digital images) like emulsion transfers and dye transfers and digital (with fingers!) manipulation of the image.

There's also the romance of the analog, the unique color profile of instant films, and the very fact that they are one of a kind images, something that's attractive both to artists and girlfriends who don't want their nudity distributed.

Meh. Anything that could be done with Polaroid film can be done with more ease and control in Photoshop, colour profiles are dead easy to reproduce, and the security of a one-of-a-kind intimate boob shot kind of goes away when you introduce it to a scanner.

It's dead, man.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:58 AM on May 1, 2010

The romance of analog has kinda gone bad.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:03 PM on May 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

"Anything that could be done with Polaroid film can be done with more ease and control in Photoshop,"

Uh, no. Wrong. Like I said, emulsion transfers are only really possible with instant films, and dye transfers are much easier with them than any other film. And tactile manipulation is important for a lot of artists' work, as is the no-multiples nature of instant film.

That boob shots can be scanned doesn't mean that the extra step makes it less likely and less easy to distribute.

And the color profile of a lot of the popular instant films can't be matched by digital manipulation because one of the important things about instant film is that the chemistry continues to work, so you're creating a shifting color profile. I suppose you could do that with a program and digital display, but saying that it's dead easy to reproduce in Photoshop just kinda shows that you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry.
posted by klangklangston at 12:05 PM on May 1, 2010

What if somebody wrote a script to imitate the decay of a polaroid picture? Come to think of it, it'd be easy to write that script directly on a digital camera.

It's really more an ephemeral aesthetic thing for the artist. It's the reason why there will still be paper books decades from now, even when everyone has a tablet.

That said, I can't wait until Christmas of 2010 to see what Gaga comes up with. It'll either be awesome or spectacularly lame. Which is good.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:10 PM on May 1, 2010

The romance of analog has kinda gone bad.

For the record, no, you did not just do that.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:13 PM on May 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

I think I'll miss the inside of photo labs more than Polaroid, to be honest. Regular (slow) film required you to go in a scary dark room with a freaky orange light, full of dripping taps and the fear that those mean seniors would sneak up behind you and grab you. And then you get to see your photos come out, full size and pretty, right before your eyes.

I loved that course in high school. If I weren't so broke, I'd set up a dark room in my bathroom and get some use out of my old SLR.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:14 PM on May 1, 2010

Like I said, emulsion transfers are only really possible with instant films, and dye transfers are much easier with them than any other film.

Yeah. Film is also dead. Sorry.

And the color profile of a lot of the popular instant films can't be matched by digital manipulation because one of the important things about instant film is that the chemistry continues to work, so you're creating a shifting color profile. I suppose you could do that with a program and digital display, but saying that it's dead easy to reproduce in Photoshop just kinda shows that you don't know what you're talking about. Sorry.

Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but seriously dude, it takes less than a minute to do this in Photoshop. Yes, believe it or not, I know exactly what I'm talking about. I have a BFA in this shit. I do it for a living. "I suppose you could do that with a program and digital display" -- Uh, how do you use Photoshop? Christ.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:14 PM on May 1, 2010

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but seriously dude, it takes less than a minute to do this in Photoshop. Yes, believe it or not, I know exactly what I'm talking about. I have a BFA in this shit. I do it for a living. "I suppose you could do that with a program and digital display" -- Uh, how do you use Photoshop? Christ."

Really? It takes less than a minute to chart the image decay of a Polaroid over the entire life of the film? To display it in every state that it will be in for the next, say, 50 years? Dude, bullshit. Tim got what I meant regarding a running script that would continue to change the image over time.

Yeah. Film is also dead. Sorry."

Yeah, except no. Black and white film still has a better tonal range than any digital display, and for doing fine art, film is very much still alive. This is especially true for large format, even medium format, images, where it's much more economical to work with film, and there are a huge range of techniques that simply can't be reproduced digitally.

I know it's easier to be dismissive than to actually know what you're talking about, but if you had any sort of photography concentration for your BFA, your BFA was bullshit. It's like saying that screenprinting is dead because anyone can print digitally to t-shirts now. Or woodblock is dead because people can do all of that in Illustrator. This is especially true for artists whose emphasis includes not only the image but process.
posted by klangklangston at 12:25 PM on May 1, 2010

Sorry Cortex. I can't say "no" to the low-hanging pun.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:54 PM on May 1, 2010

Really? It takes less than a minute to chart the image decay of a Polaroid over the entire life of the film? To display it in every state that it will be in for the next, say, 50 years? Dude, bullshit. Tim got what I meant regarding a running script that would continue to change the image over time.

Well, good for Tim. Me, I misunderstood.

Thing is, Polaroids, first of all, don't actually degrade all that much over time (they actually look ~90% that shitty from the get-go); second, the reason they do that is because they are non-archival and actually pretty volatile chemicals that basically suck and are very much a bug rather than a feature; finally, the comparison you're trying to draw is ludicrous since it's impossible to visualize the full lifespan of a Polaroid all at once, even in actual Polaroid form.

Yeah, except no. Black and white film still has a better tonal range

Well, obviously. But we're talking here about the film equivalent of Polaroid instant shit, not large format negs platinum printed on archival paper. Small format consumer grade colour film: Dead.

It's like saying that screenprinting is dead because anyone can print digitally to t-shirts now. Or woodblock is dead because people can do all of that in Illustrator.

Except that it isn't, because you can't. But Polaroid emulsion transfers? Yes, you can totally do that with Photoshop and a printer with some transfer paper, and the results can be indistinguishable from the real thing, with the added bonus of being much more archival.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:20 PM on May 1, 2010

i can't say no to low-hangers, either.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 1:23 PM on May 1, 2010

A couple of points since we're full on here.

One: By accessibility, I didn't mean flickr. I meant in the context of not having the infrastructure that accessing flickr requires - electricity, wifi or something internet access, an electrical powered computerlike device to go online, a browser et al

whereas, that photo album from the spring of 65 can be seen by candlelight in a shack

two: as long as our tactile senses are alive, analog will never die

photoshop, yes, powerful and featurefull - however, as we say, the radii of products today are not only limited to what Rhino and ProEngineer can do but in fact we can often recognize products in the real world as being designed by on or the other s/w. the hand and the pencil are not controlled by these restrictions
posted by infini at 2:44 PM on May 1, 2010

I don't think there's a market for the film outside of a handful of artists, like with lomos. Polaroid needs to do something cool and digital to survive as more than a zombie brand and tiny online hipster camera shop imho.
posted by mccarty.tim at 3:20 PM on May 1, 2010

that, mccarty.tim, being why I believe that perhaps the Lady Gaga isn't the best possible answer to their need for innovation in product design and development
posted by infini at 3:24 PM on May 1, 2010

Lady Gaga is a cure-all for any woes! Including fiscal ones caused by pitching a wholly obsolete product!

Eagerly awaiting for Lady Gaga to cover herself in blue and white text like a Dr. Bronner's soap bottle extolling her virtues
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:18 PM on May 1, 2010

Still hate her.
posted by jonmc at 5:01 PM on May 1, 2010

How can you hate someone who cribs from ELO?
posted by koeselitz at 5:06 PM on May 1, 2010

Besides, haven't you heard? Pitchfork gave Lady Gaga's latest record a 7.8, so it must be good.
posted by koeselitz at 5:11 PM on May 1, 2010

Kojak was a much better show than I remembered from my childhood. Lt. Theo was a bad motherfucker.
posted by jonmc at 5:12 PM on May 1, 2010

WTF is up with that Deepak tribute after the Cindi Lauper piece? Whatever respect I thought she deserved has pretty much evaporated now.

Jesus, what a fraud he is.
posted by klanawa at 5:14 PM on May 1, 2010

Well, Beck's a scientologist...
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:27 PM on May 1, 2010

Link to a working stream of the Chopra video?
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:39 PM on May 1, 2010

for those interested in the "what the hell will she wear next" - she'll be attending the costume institute gala as a guest of miuccia prada (even though the gala this year is apparently sponsored by the gap).
posted by nadawi at 6:02 PM on May 1, 2010

It's not just MetaFilter, it's the entire internet... Bad Romance is YouTube's all time most popular video. That's a fairly recent development, I think.
posted by Kattullus at 7:36 PM on May 1, 2010

I'm pretty sure that happened about a week or two ago, although it honestly could have been a month. Surprised me, and my co-workers; I'd never seen it before a week ago, and they'd never heard of Lady Gaga at all. Of course, I work with database programmers.
posted by koeselitz at 7:50 PM on May 1, 2010

Kojak was a much better show than I remembered from my childhood.

Give Gaga thirty years. You can love her in retrospect.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:20 PM on May 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

what? she's only 3 and we're already discussing a retrospective of her works? why not just vote her into the hall of fame now itself for a lifetime achievement award, kinda like the nobel peace prize these days
posted by infini at 2:09 AM on May 2, 2010

What? You don't like to say moist towelette?? Clap your hands!

The Moist Towelettes can out weird gaga any day!
posted by Surfurrus at 3:06 AM on May 2, 2010

30 years from now, we'll all be sitting in the Old Folks Home for Beanplatters, and jonmc will put in his dentures and say "It's been 33 years. I've watched all the retrospectives on the spectrovision. I still hate her!"
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:45 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

We'll all be dead much, much sooner than that.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:53 AM on May 2, 2010

The Moist Towelettes are Japan-weird, which is a different flavor of weird. From what I hear, they're good, but I think my favorite weirdo Japanese band is the Polysics.

BTW, this is the funnest intervention ever.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:57 AM on May 2, 2010

GaGa is not Kojak. She does not love ya, baby.
posted by jonmc at 7:14 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Much, much sooner than thirty years, Burhanistan? Jeez. Grim.
posted by cgc373 at 7:29 AM on May 2, 2010

I've been trying to copy Janelle Monae's dance in Tightrope as part of my morning wake-up routine. I'm still awful at it, but damn do I feel more peppy.
posted by The Whelk at 7:38 AM on May 2, 2010

I'm pathetic. I have some retro sneakers that should be dancetastic, and yet I'm afraid to even attempt dancing, for fear of breaking my nerd-boy spine and/or shaming my family. Remember, we're not related to McCarthy, so we're still not pariahs.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:51 AM on May 2, 2010

Overly enthusiastic white-nerd dancing is the best kind of dancing.
posted by The Whelk at 7:55 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Besides, nothing you do can shame your family save invading Poland and not bringing back perogis.
posted by The Whelk at 7:56 AM on May 2, 2010

that's pirogi btw adn fried with butter and some sauteed onions are mmmmmmmmmm
posted by infini at 8:33 AM on May 2, 2010

this has got to be the weirdest, most meandering over 400 comment long thread ever... when did this start happening on MeFi? It didn't used to be this way...
posted by infini at 8:34 AM on May 2, 2010

I prefer my pyrogies gigantic.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:37 AM on May 2, 2010

It has always been thus.
posted by The Whelk at 8:37 AM on May 2, 2010

just don't say the L word
posted by The Whelk at 8:37 AM on May 2, 2010

Lators?
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:43 AM on May 2, 2010

Delayed Taters.


they have a pill for that now.
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 AM on May 2, 2010

Sys Rq, I'll try to save you from more foot-in-mouth. As far as most consumer uses, you are correct. But you're out of you're depth when it comes to Polaroid vs. digital+transfer for emulsion transfer.

First, we both have to grant that the percentage of use of Polaroid for emulsion transfers was and is quite marginal. If the comeback of instant film depends on that, might as well give up now.

But what can be done with the Polaroid vs digital+transfer is nowhere close. And though klang didn't bother with credentials, he was homeschooled in alternative processes by an MFA who does this and teaches those "for a living" as you put it. Also teaches and uses digital. Whose first response to the suggestion that digital+transfer would be "more archival" was met with concern that anyone could consider either even remotely archival.

And she'd agree with you that no one would go to the expense or headache of trying to use commercial color film for anything but scanning & printing digitally. But she'd also tell you (I haven't asked her this about your comments specifically, but I've heard her talk about it many times) that a striking feature of BFA grads is who much they still have to learn and how sure they are that they already know it all.
posted by beelzbubba at 9:21 AM on May 2, 2010

a striking feature of BFA grads is who much they still have to learn and how sure they are that they already know it all

Gosh, she sounds like such a nice lady. I respect her opinion ever so much more now that you've mentioned that.

Christ, just fucking fuck off already. Polaroid is dead and gone. Deal with it.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:31 AM on May 2, 2010

What's an L word?

*threateningly reaches for hugbucket*
posted by infini at 9:37 AM on May 2, 2010

What's an L word?

$20 Same as in town.
posted by carsonb at 9:38 AM on May 2, 2010

You threaten us with the hugbucket like that's a bad thing.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:39 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

sys rq, I kick BFA ass for a living - this problem tends to crystallize to its nadir around the quarter century. how old did you say you were again? 2?
posted by infini at 9:39 AM on May 2, 2010

grins at mccarty.tim - must you be so literal?
posted by infini at 9:40 AM on May 2, 2010

....


Don't fight! You're both pretty!

:(
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 9:40 AM on May 2, 2010

oh, and to your question posed in some thread, the way the hugbucket works is that it collects ungiven hugs or those that were misplaced, lost or otherwise interrupted. then when you chuck it out all those hugs shower over you in a miasma of oxytocins leaving you glowing. better than facial or a day at the spa ;p
posted by infini at 9:41 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

I kick BFA ass for a living

Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach blame it on know-it-all BFAs.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:43 AM on May 2, 2010

Okay I'm just going to go on record as being the only person - so far as I know - EVER - who liked Don't Tell Me.
posted by ErikaB at 9:43 AM on May 2, 2010

oh fuck off sys rq
posted by infini at 9:46 AM on May 2, 2010

gah, I can't believe I did that. meh. trigger happy fingers
posted by infini at 9:46 AM on May 2, 2010

I left out the middle bit!

those who can't teach, teach gym; those who can't teach gym teach art;
posted by Sys Rq at 10:00 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

I don't know if this is just some sort of collaborative attempt at performance assholery or what, but could you maybe all chill?
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:15 AM on May 2, 2010

eek! its a mod. run before he slams the thread closed
posted by infini at 10:19 AM on May 2, 2010

*fucks off*
posted by Sys Rq at 10:23 AM on May 2, 2010

So, before this thread shuts down, should I go to therapy or something to treat the Gagariah?
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:31 AM on May 2, 2010

drink plenty of fluids
posted by internet fraud detective squad, station number 9 at 10:35 AM on May 2, 2010

*lobs in a hugrenade from behind the door*
posted by infini at 10:49 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

*hugsplodes*
posted by Sys Rq at 11:03 AM on May 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

but could you maybe all chill?


The trick is to go outside, get a whiff of ether whist pouring a plate, maybe take a swig or two of the 190 proof grain alcohol while waiting for the next plate to be pulled from the silver bath. Hands down much more entertaining than post processing a digital image in photoshop or, waiting for the Type 600 Polaroid film to develop.

didn't read the thread and, has nary a clue what this thread is about
posted by squeak at 11:53 AM on May 2, 2010

Squeak, allow me to summarize. I talked too much about Lady Gaga, causing her to appear on MetaFilter. Then, because she owns so much stock in Polaroid (because she is crazy like that), she caused a debate on the merit of obsolete film in her wake.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:01 PM on May 2, 2010

so deska?
posted by infini at 12:37 PM on May 2, 2010

I decided to look up this polaroid/gaga thing in more detail. I can't believe this bullshit,

"I am so proud to announce my new partnership with Polaroid as the creative director and inventor of specialty projects", said Lady Gaga. "The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation--blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era--and we are excited to collaborate on these ventures with the Polaroid brand. Lifestyle, music, art, fashion: I am so excited to extend myself behind the scenes as a designer, and to as my father puts it--finally, have a real job."
posted by infini at 12:50 PM on May 2, 2010

You have my condolences mccarty.tim ;)
posted by squeak at 1:20 PM on May 2, 2010

I go away for a weekend and the fuck happens?
posted by The Whelk at 3:01 PM on May 2, 2010

polaroid portraits of the hugbucketees in action, please!
posted by Surfurrus at 3:57 PM on May 2, 2010

The hugbucket cannot be photographed. No film or CCD can handle the array of hugion particles it emits.
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:34 PM on May 2, 2010

Huh, I need to marinate some steak for tomorrow, stir-fry pepper steak - should I marinate over night or do it in the morning?

Should I cook it in a hugbucket?
posted by The Whelk at 4:46 PM on May 2, 2010

I live in a giant hugbucket.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 5:23 PM on May 2, 2010

actually, I do really not hate you, and I regret my rash statements..,

Back then, I was in a moment of negative introspection, when I was in my cups...
posted by ovvl at 5:38 PM on May 2, 2010

"when I was in my cups"?
posted by shii at 7:07 PM on May 2, 2010

I think ovvl meant "buckets".
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:17 PM on May 2, 2010

I'm pretty sure they don't bother sanitizing the hugbuckets between patrons.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:54 PM on May 2, 2010

It gives it a flavor.
posted by The Whelk at 8:03 PM on May 2, 2010

Don't you hate it when a germophobe has used the hugbucket before you, and it's completely stuffed full of rolls & rolls of unwound toilet paper?
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:40 PM on May 2, 2010

I don't see how the volume of toilet paper that a person uses has anything to do with whether or not they happen to like Germans.
posted by koeselitz at 8:45 PM on May 2, 2010

It has everything to do with it.
posted by The Whelk at 8:46 PM on May 2, 2010

And that's why they're called...The Aristocrats!
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:15 PM on May 2, 2010

water, people, slosh it around with water...
posted by infini at 12:33 AM on May 3, 2010

slosh it around with water

In the infamous words of Mike Patton: WHAT IS IT?
posted by cgc373 at 3:29 AM on May 3, 2010

It sounds like yet another OSHA violation at the glory hole factory.
posted by Burhanistan at 5:59 AM on May 3, 2010

Replace "hugbucket" with "glory hole," and suddenly this thread makes sense.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:07 AM on May 3, 2010

There's a glory hole in my bucket dear martha dear martha
posted by The Whelk at 11:14 AM on May 3, 2010

Wait, "hugbucket" wasn't already a synonym for "glory hole"? Mind blown!
posted by Burhanistan at 11:15 AM on May 3, 2010

well, excuse me... it was no such thing...

besides, as a bonafide factory worker, I object to your allegations of malfeasance
posted by infini at 11:59 AM on May 3, 2010

This is why we need to bring back the trade guilds and apprenticeship programs. Mass produced glory holes just don't have the same old world craftmanship and precision. And the DIY "revolution" just makes a mockery of the whole process. It's not like any fool can just knock a hole in the wall and dangle his willy out of it, can he?
posted by Burhanistan at 12:57 PM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Woah, woah, woah, pervs, I was referring to the large opening through which water pours in a dam. I thought MetaFilter strives to be better than that.
posted by mccarty.tim at 1:03 PM on May 3, 2010

It's not like any fool can just knock a hole in the wall and dangle his willy out of it, can he?

Apparently you don't read CockHacker.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:06 PM on May 3, 2010

Bjork DJs in Brooklyn
posted by Artw at 2:30 PM on May 3, 2010

Cock hacks

If you've got a cock on hand but no sexual partner, there's no need to panic. Just tear off your underpants and place your genitals in your hands. Put over medium heat. Your member will be a big clump of congealed muscle-like substance...break it apart with wooden spoon as the pot heats up and the "butter" starts to melt.

When the "butter" is melted, stir the kernels around with the spoon so they don't burn. At this point, you may want to don some protective eyewear so that when the first kernels pop, you don't get hot butter-like liquid in your eye; I just put on my sunglasses. When the first kernels pop, cover the pot and shake it across the burner so the kernels don't burn. Stop periodically to listen for pops and to exclaim, "I can't believe this is actually working!" When popping stops, quickly remove from the heat, and get it out of that hot pot into a bowl. Smoke a cigarette. As good as fucked.

So, I was going to rewrite the entirety of Popcorn Hacks to be about masturbation, but I quickly realized that the less I changed from the original, the funnier it was. I hope you agree.
posted by SpiffyRob at 2:38 PM on May 3, 2010 [2 favorites]

*rolls eyes*
posted by infini at 3:57 PM on May 3, 2010

everyone knows the best popcorn hack is THC butter and Parmesan cheese
posted by The Whelk at 7:20 PM on May 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Back to the original topic of discussion: if any of you had a secret dream to see your favorite NPR employees dance and lipsync to Lady Gaga, your wish just came true.
posted by pecknpah at 2:41 PM on May 6, 2010 [3 favorites]