The Most 80's Gaga You'll See This Week

Gaga Gives Good ____?

I'm not ashamed to admit to being a fan of Lady Gaga, though I would never count myself among her "Little Monsters." I'll probably never see her live, but I certainly won't change the channel should one of her songs come on the radio (on the rare occasion I have it on). And I guess it doesn't hurt that she's a very vocal and passionate straight ally to the LGBT Community at large. And while I am peripherally aware of the latest 'feud' between Lady G and the even weirder blogger Perez Hilton (why is his head so BIG?!?!), I am far more interested in Gaga as a provocatrix.

My humor, my style, my tastes and my sensibilities have always tended toward the dark. Friends on Facebook are often confounded and disturbed by the pictures, articles and links I post there. And they aren't afraid to tell when they are confused and/or disturbed by something I've posted. My response to their discomfort continues to be this: "If you are moved and/or disturbed by something I have posted, then my point has been made. I am and always have been a provocateur. It is my intention to disturb and/or move you." Neither of those are bad things. We all need to be shocked out of complacency now and then. And Uncle P is more than happy to do that for you. 

Gaga wants to do the same and the new video for her latest single, "Applause" does just that. Combining 80's techno beats from the likes of Devo and Gary Numan with modern club sounds; her trademark surrealist images and a song that speaks to everyone who has ever performed for an audience, the video is nothing short of fascinating to watch, especially on Full Screen (for the best effect):

Go ahead and hate me. I don't care. I'm a Gaga fan. What are you gonna do about? That's right. Nothing! Punk! Get the hell off my lawn, you damn kids! Uh... I uh... I mean, er... Yeah? You and what army? So there!

See? I can be tough and butch and so gay I fart rainbows, all at the same time. What?!?!

More, anon.
Prospero

Gorgeous George

When I reviewed Up In the Air back in 2009, I likened George Clooney to a modern-day Cary Grant. He's devilishly handsome, very smart, very hip and very talented. He's already won the Golden Globe this year for Best Actor in a Film Drama for The Descendants and is likely to be nominated for an Oscar for the same role. An infamous practical joker and lifelong bachelor, Clooney at 50 is sexier and hotter than ever. 

A known straight ally in the fight for LGBT equality, Clooney was recently asked his thoughts on Mitt Romney's anti-gay stance. My sweet friend Stephen in Portland posted George's response today over at Post Apocalyptic Bohemian:

“Well, I’m not much concerned until there’s an actual nominee… but I think it’s the wrong side of history. I think everyone sort of understands it might be the last leg of the civil rights movement. I do believe that. So I think that at some point, It’s certainly not the wedge issue it was in 2004, so that’s a good sign. So those are important things to me.”

Sigh... Like his good friend (and often the target of his practical jokes) Brad Pitt, who has said he won't marry Angelina Jolie until all U.S. citizens have the right to marry the person they love, Clooney gets it. As do all intelligent and moral straight people. They know that there is no such thing as the so-called "gay agenda." They also know that gay people aren't out to recruit their children; destroy the fabric of society; put an end to traditional families or traditional marriage. They are smart enough to recognize that LGBTQ people are in fact, born the way we are and that we all share the same fundamental rights and that among them is the right to marry the person we love. 

Here's the thing: How can someone like Newt Gingrich, who has been married three times and carried on an extramarital affair of his own while leading the charge to impeach Bill Clinton for doing the same, have the audacity to cite morality and the sanctity of marriage as part of his virulently anti-gay Presidential platform? At least the idiot Rick Santorum, despite being wrong about everything he thinks he knows about gay people, has only been married once and cites his strict Catholic upbringing as the basis for his homophobia. And yes, like Gorgeous George, I believe history will prove both of these men (along with people like Maggie Gallagher, Bryan Brown, Bryan Fischer and Tony Perkins) very, very wrong. 

And while I know George is straight, I will continue to lust after him, along with millions of gay men and straight women all over the world who know they will probably never get within ten feet of him, let alone actually have him for themselves. But mostly, I will admire him for telling the truth about the bullies who want to continue to oppress the single most hated minority on the planet. Thank you, George. You just keep on giving me more and more reasons to love you. And I don't mean in a gay way (though actually, I kind of do).

More, anon.

Prospero