Gaga Calling

Posted on Tuesday March 16, 2010 at 06:01 PM Add |

The biggest news besides the announcement of a 31-city North American arena tour that kicks off in June has to be the debut of the video for Lady G’s latest single, “Telephone.”

Gaga and Beyoncé both just scored their sixth No. 1 single with the song, tying the previous record set by Mariah Carey. The track was reportedly written by Lady G for Britney Spears' last album, but was rejected. Got irony?

The clip for “Telephone” debuted last Thursday night on “E! News” and an hour later, at 12:30 a.m. Friday, on MTV and at MTV.com. By Saturday evening it was pretty much impossible to escape the 10-minute, Jonas Äckerlund directed opus, mostly because the sexy, over-the-top, violent nature of the piece quickly spurred quite a bit of controversy.

Of course that “controversy” was inflated by several priggish news outlets and reporters, including CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield and Jacqui Jeras, who’ve obviously never seen a Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie movie. On Sunday, the pair were holding an on-air discussion of the “Telephone” video when Whitfield, without citing a source, said, “It’s so strong, so suggestive, so sexual, so violent as well, that MTV has said, ‘We’re not even going to air this,’ so it has banned the airing of this video.”

There was only one problem with Whitfield’s statement: MTV never banned the video. What’s more, the network took great pains to clarify the situation first thing Monday morning.

“MTV did not ban Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s ‘Telephone’ video – in fact, we premiered it on Friday, March 12, on-air and online at MTV.com, two days before this story was falsely reported,” MTV Executive Vice President of Music and Talent Amy Dole said in a statement. “Fans can continue to catch the video as we repeat it on-air and online.”

Got that Fredricka? MTV actually likes the video for “Telephone.” In fact, they like it so much you can watch it over and over and over “on-air and online.” Way to stick to the facts. Maybe the people at that “fair and balanced” channel are looking for a new talking head.

MTV has also devoted a considerable amount of online real estate to Gaga and “Telephone,” including a “Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet” that analyzes the video and outlines its many influences and nods to them.

As for what it all means, Lady G sat down with E! News and explained it follows her master plan of embedding deeper meanings in gorgeous, flashy videos.

“There’s certainly always a hidden message in my music videos,” Gaga told E! News. “But I would say most predominately, I’m always trying to convolute what everyone’s idea of what a pop music video should be.”

Ooooh! You hear that conspiracy nuts who’ve been whispering that Lady Gaga is the puppet of a secret society of illuminati since she first hit the scene? The singer just confirmed your worst fears: Gaga videos have actual meanings.

Of course, I’m pretty sure the message isn’t an attempt to subvert the masses as many of you have asserted. In fact Lady Gaga said “Telephone” is a reflection of “the idea that America is full of young people that are inundated with information and technology” and “a commentary on the kind of country that we are.”

Gaga also told E! how she and B. came to be in possession of Uma Thurman’s outrageous “Pussy Wagon” from “Kill Bill Vol. 1.”

“We were having lunch one day in Los Angeles and I was telling him about my concept for the video and he said, ‘You gotta use the Pussy Wagon!’”

Speaking of interviews, Lady Gaga made some time when she was in the U.K. recently to pay a visit to BBC’s “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.”

After her first appearance on the show last year, the singer admitted she was apprehensive about returning. But in the end she warmed to the sometimes brash host and ended up sharing a lot of very personal information.

Ross, who is obviously a fan, did his best to convince Lady Gaga to reveal what she looks like when she’s not “on the clock” or when she “falls out of bed.”

“I look impossibly fresh when I fall out of bed,” the singer said without missing a beat. “But, I would say this, that I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels.”

The host even took a chance and ventured onto risky territory, asking about Lady G’s romantic life.

“I won’t push it, but I am curious whether there is, at the moment, a Lord Gaga,” Ross asked.

“Actually, I don’t really have time to get to know anybody. I’m sort of single and alone – but I’m not miserable,” Gaga candidly answered. “Not yet. I’m sure it’s coming. It’s looming. But you know I don’t have time to get to know anybody on the road – I’m so busy. And nobody will put up with my craziness.”

“Come on,” the host, who is leaving the BBC over salary issues soon, countered. “I’m sure there will be someone out there.”

“Jonathan I just threw my last tour out the window and put a new show together in two weeks,” the singer replied, referring to her decision to bring an entirely different and much larger production to the U.K. and Europe than she had been using in the States.

Here’s Gaga’s entire appearance on “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross,” including her performances of “Brown Eyes” (which features the now legendary “living dress” that you have to see to believe) and “Telephone” (complete with her own British-style call box), as well as both of her interview segments.

(“Brown Eyes” on Jonathan Ross)

(Jonathan Ross Interview Pt. 1)

(Jonathan Ross Interview Pt. 2)

(“Telephone” on Jonathan Ross)

For those who don’t believe that Lady Gaga could ever pull off “normal” clothes or more conventional glamor, check out the latest issue of Cosmopolitan, which features love advice from the singer and some of the most stunning photos the public has seen of her to date. Until you can make it to your local newsstand, here are some extra photos from the cover shoot that the magazine wasn’t able to include due to space issues.

Still can’t get enough Lady Gaga? Are you also a Gleek? Well hold on to your hat’s made out of old sheet music and piano keys, Gaga has reportedly agreed to appear on an upcoming episode of Fox’s hit show “Glee.”

According to WENN.com, series creator Ryan Murphy reached out to the singer about appearing on the show and her response was, “Yes I’d love to be a part of it.”

So in addition to the upcoming all-Madonna tribute episode, fans of “Glee” can look forward to an episode giving props to Lady Gaga. Murphy also told MTV News that for the season finale, the cast will be performing a Steve Perry tribute.

As you read this, however, Gaga is currently Down Under, thrilling audiences in Australia and in New Zealand, where she kicked things off at Auckland’s Vector Arena to glowing reviews like this one.

Lady G is so devoted to her fans, or her “little monsters,” that she’s even been going onstage not feeling her best. During Saturday night’s show the singer “appeared on the verge of collapse” but kept on going.

Australian promoter Michael Coppel, who brought her Down Under, said the singer was simply suffering from dehydration.

“[Lady Gaga is] totally fine,” Coppel told WENN.com. “It was warm at the show, she was tired and [a] bit dehydrated by the end of a two-hour plus performance. She performed the second Auckland show the following night without an issue and will be back in full match fitness for her first Australian show.”

Finally, if Lady G finds she needs a vacation from her break-neck schedule, she could always consider going into film. Lord knows the singer is tailor made for a big-budget, fantasy or sci-fi flick, kind of like this one that a fan put together a trailer for: "Gaga in Wonderland."

So how in the heck does Lady Gaga find the time to accomplish everything on her plate? Good question. I’m voting on the Gaga-bot theory myself.