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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A Note About You and I


Lady Gaga's been the buzz the last few days, since showing up to her MTV Video Music Award performance dressed up as her male alter ego, (and apparently former lover) Jo Calderone. As she plunked the piano (very entertainingly) and belted out one of my favorite Gaga songs, You and I, there seemed to be more than a few disconnects. For one thing, she calls her love interest in the song, Nebraska. When I'm listening to the song, I hear Nebraska, and I think something like this:




A man like this looks like he is from Nebraska. He looks like the kind of man that will tell you, "Sit back down where you belong, in the corner of my bar with your high heels on. Sit back down on the couch were we made love and you said to me, something. Something about this place..." A man like this looks like he means business. Plus, he has a cowboy hat. He can probably kick someone's ass, then tenderly kiss his lady. So, I was a bit surprised when Gaga appeared like this for the song:


Am I seeing a My Cousin Vinny -era Joe Pesci here? At least in the strange music video for the song, she looks like she's sitting in a cornfield. Yes, note that our new buddy Jo, also taking Gaga's Sept. issue of Japanese vogue interview, is in the video (as Gaga's love interest?) Please note the doctor guy trying to bring Gaga back to life in the video looks much like a cool Nebraska guy. And during a few points, she is all over him, and vice versa, plus she marries him. Is he the Nebraska guy? Who is "Jo" really? And why does Gaga look like a mermaid? Color me confused.

But, I'm getting a somewhat country-themed vibe with the video. Not so much with the performance. Plus, Gaga dances in a barn, wearing high heels. This element was completely lacking in the VMA performance, which was ironically, in my opinion, very "New York."

To further shock my heart, NY's Z100 played the song tonight, with "New York" subbed in for Nebraska. This completely changes the meaning of the song. Yes, "Jo" looks very new work, and in that vain it works. But this song is about loving a strong, sexy, country man. And for all the costumage in the world, Gaga cannot be that man, but she will be the powerful woman singing about him.

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