The world was officially introduced to Jo Calderone, the tough-talking Jersey boy that opened the Video Music Awards on Sunday. He sings, he tells jokes and oh yeah, he’s really just the newest alter ego of Lady Gaga.
Gaga herself is really just another alter ego created by the strange mind of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. But to the public, Germanotta is Gaga. It’s no longer just an act or a stage name. It’s an entirely new identity.
It’s been said the strangest thing Gaga could do would be to wear normal street clothes to a performance. And that’s exactly what she did. So what if it looked like she raided Ponyboy’s wardrobe?
Calderone was no stranger to die-hard Lady Gaga fans, or Little Monsters. He appeared on the single cover of “You and I” and also appeared in the video. But the rest of the world didn’t seem to be ready to meet Calderone. Even stars like Adele and Justin Bieber seemed baffled by the performance. Seriously, the looks on their faces will immortally live on as go-to WTF GIFs.
I’m definitely a major fan of Gaga, but this performance had me asking a big question. “What’s the fine line between a performance artist and a crazy person?”
I’ve decided the answer to this question doesn’t matter. At all. This is far from the first time that I have questioned Gaga’s sanity and it certainly won’t be the last. But I still found the performance to be absolutely mesmerizing.
Unlike other pop stars, there are too many to name, Gaga has a true talent for drama. I believe she has what it takes to be a brilliant dramatic actress. Give her a meaty (no dress pun intended) supporting role in a Scorsese or Tarantino movie and she would do wonders with it.
Lady Gaga is a true artist. Yes, people accuse her of being edgy for edgy’s sake and copying from other artists, and I don’t dispute this. Instead, I embrace it and so does she. Artists are supposed to inspire artists, it’s part of the lifestyle.
In fact, some of the biggest names in pop music now have been directly influenced by Gaga. At the VMAs alone, such odd fashion choices by Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry would never have happened without the Mother Monster herself.
Minaj walked the black carpet looking like the bottom of her gown was made entirely out of my dog’s chew toys. Also, she was wearing a muzzle. This look was absolutely bat-shit crazy, but it really was a work of art. Every viewer had a different opinion of it, and only Minaj herself knows the true meaning.
Perry took to the stage, earning the top honor of the night and wearing a cubist-inspired outfit that, though bizarre, was definitely indicative of her quirky personality and style.
Artists, no matter what their medium, should never beg you to love them or produce work too obvious in meaning. Art at its core should be a method of self-expression for the artist. Everybody has different sides to their personalities. We might not spend an entire evening living as these personas in public, but they’re there.
Performing as Jo was a great way for Gaga to poke fun at herself. Sure, maybe you didn’t “get it” but that’s perfectly fine. As long as you respect her and anybody else’s right to be an artist, we’ll be fine.
