Gaga for March Vogue... Sort Of, But Not So Much!

Ah, March magazine time is here!  I can remember when I first discovered Vogue.  I could not wait to dive into those pages and get lost in the world inside.  I had a ritual.  I am not patient, so I had to do a quick flip-through to get a peek at some of the content so that I knew what I was in store for the next hour.  Then, I settled into a comfy position on my bed and turned the magazine over and started with the back cover.  All of the fashion spreads are at the back of the magazines anyway.  And years ago, fashion magazines chose fashion models, not actresses to grace their covers -- imagine that!

*Alexa Singer

 looks pretty and she's not polluted with captions

I particularly love the grocery sticker on the upper corner... $2.84! 

But, perhaps the best part is the back cover -- a cigarette ad!

Choosing to feature Lady Gaga on the cover of the March issue of Vogue is a nice break from an actress.  I'm sick to death of the same faces month after month on my favorite fashion magazines.  I swear, if they had put Kate Hudson on the cover, I think I may have boycotted American Vogue forever.  And by forever, I mean a few months because after all, it's VOGUE and I am loyal to the end.  Anyway, I buy the March and September issues without fail, but this time I was especially drawn in by the cover.  Gaga's soft and drapey ivory dress, ivory skin and powdery pink, sharply bobbed wig sits so beautifully atop the minty green-grey textured ground -- kind of Tamara de Lempicka meets Marie Antoinette.  Sublime.

March Vogue's beautiful cover shot by Mario Testino

Okay, so far so good, right?  Well, unfortunately for me, that's pretty much where the goodness ended.  First of all, the huge caption on the cover, "574 Pages of Showstopping Spring Fashion" is a lie (or a clever ploy to sell a magazine).  The entire issue is 574 pages -- the "showstopping fashion" starts on page 469!  So, we have to get through 468 pages of advertisements, fragrance inserts, a few articles nobody takes the time to read, more advertisements, a few pages of celebrity pix, more advertisements... Perhaps the worst offender is Tommy Hilfiger who purchases huge real estate in every magazine in the world.  This issue contains six full pages of Tommy's preppy country clubbers on a tennis court, by a pool, on the golf course.  And he paid for the extra thick, crispy pages so that the magazine keeps automatically popping open to that spot.  Annoying!  I usually rip them out and throw them away along with the subscription cards that fall out like confetti.

Christy Turlington looking divine in Louis Dell'Olio for Anne Klein - Vogue, March 1986

I managed to flip through the first 468 pages at lightening speed anxious to get to the "showstopping fashion."  Let's just say, March Vogue did not blow me away.  Have I just become too jaded after years and years of reading countless magazines?  Am I expecting too much?  I don't know, but I was truly disappointed to see a spread with Amber Valletta dressed like a glam Italian housewife with big hair posing like a statue... if I've seen it once, I've seen it a hundred times.  I didn't really notice the clothes, although, the photography and colors were quite pretty.  On to the "Punk'd" section.  Not bad.  It is what it is.  Freja Behar in Givenchy... perfection.  Next up, Karen Elson in the woods.  Again, I feel like I've seen this type of shoot over and over again.  Some of the clothes were nice.  Lovely photography.  The baby goats were cute.  The last section, "Rebel Rebel" was, at least, a nice selection of pieces photographed simply to showcase the garments. 

Left: Freja Behar in Givenchy as featured in March 2011 Vogue

Right: Gorgeous Christy Turlington on the pages of March Vogue, 1986

Finally, that brings us to page 513 which marks the end of the showstopping fashion.  Gaga's article starts on page 514, followed by Burberry's, Christopher Bailey and a few more articles.  Oh, then there is a tiny section at the end featuring some printed spring dresses.  I almost didn't notice it.  I suppose if I would have started at the back of the book, like I used to, I would have been much better off!!

*5.19.10 -- correction the cover model is Alexa Singer, not Isabella Rossellini as I previously thought.  Thank you Marc for bringing it to my attention!

Noticeable One

I should begin by saying that I'm a product of the 80's and I'm not ashamed to admit it, in fact, I'm quite proud of it.  The 80's brought us MTV, and back when they used to actually play videos, MTV was great!

Adam Ant (the real one!) in 1980

WendyB (or Adam Ant??) in 2010

WendyB and I started planning our Halloween costumes last November (uh, yeah we are ridiculous) and when she told me her idea of dressing as Adam Ant, I felt comfortable enough to let her in on my secret desire to dress as Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons for years.  I never had the guts to prance around in a plastic bra and then, Lady Gaga happened.  Since Gaga practically stole Dale's look initially (though the Lady certainly has had some wild wardrobe ideas of her own), I didn't think anyone would pin me as Ms. Bozzio anymore.  I was sure that if I attempted a Dale outfit, I would be mistaken for Lady G. and would be lost in a sea of  hundreds of other Gaga costumes.  So, I switched gears (but not decades!) and came up with Siouxsie Sioux as an alternative.

Siouxsie Sioux

UPDATE: This photo just in! Thanks to beautiful, blonde, bombshell blogger, Tina (of the Occasional Cook).  You can even see my "feather lashes."

Julie (Marie Antoinette), Me (Siouxsie), WendyB (Adam Ant), Tina (blonde bombshell)

We were an 80's power couple!  Wendy was such a convincing Adam Ant, I wasn't sure I trusted myself to be alone with her.  Kidding!  I kid, people, I jest.  But seriously, her outfit and make-up were dead on... perfect!  I, on the other hand, wasn't quite so perfect.  After two hours of fussing with my eyes, lips and hair, I pretty much looked like a punk rock Cleopatra.  I'm not saying that's such a bad thing, but it seemed like a little too much effort to fall short of my goal.  Anyway, it was still a fun Halloween so I can't complain.  Maybe next year I'll just go for it and rock a blonde wig with a shock of pink and blue, some silver spandex and a plastic bra...

Dale Bozzio is most definitely a "Noticeable One"

Monster Ball

Tuesday, we hit a record setting temperature of 103 degrees in Central Park.  Wednesday, NYC topped out at 100, breaking the 1993 record of 98 degrees.  So when Lady Gaga took the stage the following evening at Madison Square Garden, things were already sizzling.

It was HOT.  Gaga was HOT.  Lucky for her she doesn't mind prancing around in her skivvies, in fact, she seems quite comfortable doing deep squats and straddling her piano bench half naked in front of a stadium full of people.  Well, if she were shy she certainly wouldn't have been able to claw (paws up!) her way to the top and fill MSG!

images on giant video screen

opening number

Gaga gets a lift

I went to the show/Gaga's Monster Ball with my two blogalicious buddies, WendyB (wendybrandes) and Tina, a.k.a. TRex of The Occasional Cook.  While I dressed like a civilian, Wendy looked like some sort of robot/goddess/disco queen and Tina disguised herself in a blond bobbed wig (which isn't too much of a stretch since she is blond!).

blond bombshell, Tina & space siren, Wendy

Of course, Gaga had some unique outfits and I think she had more changes than Carrie in SATC2.  She started the show with her famous giant square shoulder jacket, then switched to bodysuit, then some kind of spiky leather get-up, then to a studded bra and panties, to some sort of ice princess, to an Indian tribal type of thing, to another bodysuit...I think.  I lost track of it all!  I know I'm missing the sheer plastic tulip skirt and top with the X tape over the breasts.  And speaking of breasts, she had sparklers shooting out of them at the end of the show!  Oh, and there was definitely a devil cape in the mix and a crazy looking nun's habit.  I wish she wouldn't make a habit of it.

clad in leather

  

ice princess

Gaga sparkles

Gaga was born to entertain an audience.  Some people just have that "IT" factor and she is one of those people.  And of those people, she is in an elite class -- very much like Madonna.  In fact, I couldn't help comparing her to Madonna throughout the show.  Initially, I likened her to Dale Bozzio of the new wave 80's band, Missing Persons (love!), but I think she has gone well beyond that. 

I have made a list of Gaga and Madonna similarities...
1. Dyed blonde hair:  I think in most cases Gaga wears wigs, but they are blond... or yellow!
2. They both like to be in their underwear.
3. Gaga rolled around the stage a bit, a la Madonna in Like A Virgin.
4. Alejandro = Like A Prayer
5. Gaga seems to have employed all of Madonna's dancers.
6. They both push the envelope.
7. Madonna adopted a faint British accent for a while and I noticed Gaga manipulating certain words to sound a bit more British... or a bit like Madonna.
8. They both dance their tushes off, but I would give it to Madonna (hands down... I mean, paws down) in dance off between the two.

Madonna, 1987 & Gaga on Wednesday night

Madonna shows some muscle...

...and so does Gaga

I have to give the Lady credit.  She worked her booty off and the girl has some serious pipes.  And she can really play the piano.  No, I stand corrected; she can really kick ASS on the piano.  Actually, it turns out; she can play that thing WITH her ass -- and with her stiletto boot.  That is one thing I don't think Madonna could do.  Check it out...

sorry about my horrible video camera skills!

Overall, I thought Gaga was pretty damn amazing.  Even though the bizarre creature at the end of the show (the monster of the ball?) was kind of 7th grade school play to me, I pardoned it and focused on the music and the energy of the crowd.  And what a crowd!  The Garden was packed with screaming fans of all ages, races, and walks of life.  Oh yeah, and the Gaga wannabes...:-)

a giant sea monster gives Gaga a scare

 

Gaga and her boys take a bow

Not Your Typical Nunn...

As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of the music of the late 70’s and the 80’s – not the top forty crap, of course! So many interesting bands emerged during that era like; Talking Heads, Ramones, The Clash, Bauhaus, Roxy Music, The Stranglers, The Smiths, etc. MTV hit the airwaves in 1981 and The Buggles, “Video Killed the Radio Star” made history as the first music video shown.

Berlin lead singer, Terri Nunn with her signature hairstyle

Videos changed everything. Image became as important as the music (today it’s even more so) and people started to adopt the styles of their favorite artists. Women were extremely influential with performers like Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Joan Jett, Siouxsie Sioux, Dale Bozzio (aka “the original Lady Gaga”), The Go Go’s and, of course, Madonna leading the way.

Terri Nunn, 1984

Back in the day, Terri Nunn was the coolest of cool in my book. The gorgeous Nunn is the lead singer of the band “Berlin,” known to most for their hit single “Take My Breath Away” in the film Top Gun. Ironically, this happens to be my LEAST favorite song! Why is it that bands I like only gain mainstream popularity when they release an average and uninspired tune? Anyway, the band hail from Orange County, CA and formed in 1979. They released their first single, “A Matter of Time” in 1980, and then in 1982, their controversial song “Sex (I’m A…)” was actually banned by some radio stations. I’m sure it would be considered quite tame by today’s standards!

The band in 1986 (Terri Nunn, Rob Brill & John Crawford)

In 1986, my awesome sister took me to see Berlin for my birthday. Because they were not well known, they were playing at a gym in a little college near our town in Pennsylvania. It was incredible. We were sitting on the bleachers watching the opening act when I noticed a very attractive man with cool hair over my right shoulder. I would know that spiky hairdo anywhere! It was John Crawford, the bassist for Berlin – just sitting there watching the warm up band! Unfortunately, I couldn’t muster up the courage to say hello to him before he slipped away out the side door to go get ready. That would never happen today! I’m not exactly the shy young kid I used to be.

one of my all time favorites!

Terri and the boys took the stage and she looked and sounded amazing. That’s what is so great about Berlin -- they have super style and talent. Ms. Nunn has pipes beyond belief. Just listen for yourself…

very cool "Bonnie & Clyde" style video

Taffeta Darling!

There’s no point in recapping the Grammy’s because by now, we’ve all read about it in a number of papers and online sources. Anyway, the show can be summed up rather quickly… Beyonce, Beyonce, Gaga, Elton, Taylor, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kings of Leon, Taylor, Beyonce, MJ. The incomparable Steve Martin took home a Grammy for best bluegrass album! Congrats Steve, way to kick some banjo butt! Another Steve (Stephen Colbert) won for best comedy album. Cheers Stephen! Dynamic duo David Byrne and Brian Eno grabbed the Grammy for best recording package.




 Today is my one month anniversary in blogville, so I thought I would repost this hilarious clip from Young Frankenstein… the inspiration for my blog name! Enjoy…

The original Lady Gaga

In 1982 when the new-wave band Missing Persons released the hit song “Destination Unknown”, it’s not likely that lead singer Dale Bozzio (i.e. the original Lady Gaga) would have predicted she was destined for prison. Last year, Bozzio was sentenced to 90 days in prison for animal cruelty after authorities discovered 12 cats in her New Hampshire home, all of which had to be put down. It’s hard to fathom such a drop-dead gorgeous entertainer could fall so far (sarcasm implied).

Dale  Bozzio in the early 80's

Regardless of the recent incident, I’m still a huge fan of Bozzio. She was fearless, edgy and sexy. Her bold and inventive fashion sense influenced me. Clearly, Lady Gaga was influenced as well. Some 20+ years later, Gaga has “borrowed” Dale’s style and is enjoying fame of her own. I know my friend WendyB is a fan!

Dale wearing a bubble wrap vest (it's actually got nice structure and I like the use of small bubbles vs. large!)

Since their lyrics weren’t the most poetic and thoughtful (i.e. “Walking in L.A. Walking in L.A. Nobdoy walks in L.A.” Or, “My lips are moving and the sound is coming out.” Genius… ), it’s safe to say that Missing Persons’ success was largely due to Ms. Bozzio’s outfits. Light bulbs, electrical appliances and even bubble wrap were all parts of her ensembles. Dale is also known for her high-pitched squeaks with which she so often finished verses. Luckily, I’m able to imitate this fairly well so “Words” is my go-to tune when forced into a karaoke situation.


Dale with Missing Persons singing "Words" on Solid Gold!  Remember Marilyn McCoo?

It requires a high level of confidence to be influential or to be an icon. Thank goodness Bozzio was ballsy enough to step out on stage wearing nothing more than a sheet of tin foil or a few light bulbs! Fashion has greatly benefited from her avant-garde approach to style. It’s actually nice to see Lady Gaga bringing it all back. I’m feeling nostalgic…