Marilyn Manson, Lady Gaga – Born To Die

Why not to die to be born instead of being born to die?

Nature is the most powerful display of birth, death and life. It is called to be the mother of all the existing things. Why not to imagine it to be art? When an oak-tree is born, it is little of course, but then it grows up, develops, it becomes stronger and it becomes obvious that this is a great tree, not a bush. Sometimes it takes much time to complete the process become a huge oak-tree, which has its own place on the ground, which branches contemplate on the sky proudly and as confident as never. Seeing all this power you can’t help enjoying the work of nature, which is tremendous and priceless. From the moment you slightly touch it you discover a new world of fantasies and realities, of different paths and different worlds. Nothing’s impossible, no prejudices, but boundless freedom. Your tiny world becomes too huge to believe it’s real. You try to understand. Yes, it’s almost the point of total understanding and realizing the unseen before, something extraordinary. Is there any other way? No way! It explains everything, it bids your blood to run, you almost understood all the processes of nature! Almost…But suddenly the huge power turns away and shows the other side. This path will definitely lead to feelings that must spread your wings, you’ll be able to fly away. But the path is still unknown. What way should I choose? Should I fight or give up? Should I get down on my knees and pray or be an atheistic jerk? I’ll touch the great power again, there is the answer there! But something happened to your oak-tree. Why don’t you feel anything? Where did it go? Is it me to blame? Or maybe something just has happened to the tree? I can’t handle this. I am something more profound! But the birth of evil outdoor irritants curbed the bliss. The root is bleeding – the tiny particles of light which are only a parody of the late power. It is nothing. Your kidneys brought all the remained drugs out. It is dead.

No more metaphors. Hey Marilyn, where are you now? What has happened to you, the king of teenagers? Can’t believe it may happen to be a golden halo of those woodcutters. You are not so primitive.

So let’s try to make the things that don’t have sense become meaningful.  

Who is or was Marilyn Manson? It is a combination of beauty and ugliness. It is what art means, to my mind. His epatage was not a trick to earn more money or a trial to win New-York’s heart. It was a huge challenge to the society. He had a really complicated message. But most of all by conscious making himself  ugly he wanted to say that inside America looks as well as he is outside, I mean face, some other features. He hated the institution of church, he didn’t want to be a slave. He understood a lot of different serious things. He was rude and confident. He wasn’t afraid of going revolutionary road after all the shit he had to pull through. By his powerful voice and extraordinary expressive appearance he screamed overstraining his throat that he was disagree and he had no idea what other people would think. These weren’t any loud speeches on an arena or plaza, where he would swing his hands trying to make people believe him. It was a thorny path of writing, performing, singing, being an artist. His creative work had always contained complicated problems and symbolism. His core was pierced by pain and fury, it always  waked up a volcano in people’s hearts. But Marilyn was not dump, he was not just an angry kid, he understood that each road of fighting, protesting and evil must (!) lead to love, kindness and peace. That’s why Marilyn Mason was a combination of black and white, that’s why he was Great and Awful, that’s why he was art. No art can be called real art without being based on love and kindness. Without it art becomes rotten and insincere. It is urine. With his rampant rush Marilyn Manson became a creature of worship and hatred from the side of admirers and haters.

Let’s leave the symbolism and just say that he is not the same as he used to be before. Parts became sluggish and with no rousing notes of anger in his voice. Hoarseness doesn’t work. No passion, no craziness, no power. Just an ordinary VEVO star. Maybe something has happened in his life, maybe he understood something special for himself, maybe he is just tired and has no strength to keep on rocking Marilyn Manson way. Or he just can’t find the sense, art is love, so maybe he just didn’t have time to fell in love so he still remains to be a weird loner… But as he admitted the changes let’s leave him and wish good luck and be happy in life.

Let’s turn to Lady Gaga – Mother-Monster.

To analyze her creative work we have to go back to basics, turn to her past.

She started her career with first album “Fame”. There were very nice songs there. She wanted to be a star, to look sexy and put on pop shows. She managed to do this.

Her fame was growing with each passing day, all her dreams were about to come true. “The Fame Monster” was ready. Tremendous success, ecstatic reviews, invitations to the most famous shows in the world, numerous photo sessions, and a successful world tour were just a part of her new life. The life a woman who worked so much, who developed, who had naive dreams, but all this brought her to the place where she can realize herself the way she wants it to be.

Monster Ball Tour. She is the mother of monsters, she was the queen of her own show, she just rocked. Everything was there: good songs, performamces, well-known costumes, tears, smiles, speeches, anger and tenderness. She was sincere and inspired the crowd of fans, who put their hands up and screamed.

Born This Way era. In 2011 the 3^rd album of Lady Gaga was released. To be honest, it is really the best piece of music of 2011. The songs are very good, with good lyrics, good message. Gaga wanted it to important for people, to teach them to be who you are and believe in yourself. All this is of course very good. BUT as for me Gaga became completely dishonest, insincere and greedy for money.

Suddenly Gaga became a devoted fighter for the rights of gays. It is very good, of course, when somebody wants to protect people, but you are free to disagree with me, I think that it is very good for Gaga when those gays buy tickets to her concerts, spend their money on her. There are lots of gays nowadays and they are a great part of Lady Gaga’s monsters.

Why did such a great album as Born This Way fail? Maybe because people got tired of it? This is not strange. The album was being sold just everywhere: in airports, in shops, in the streets. Gaga was really foisting her album on everyone’s arms. It’s been a year after Born This Way was released but still she is having her new tour. I can compare this work with a cherry chewing-gum. When you put it into your mouth it is tasty, you like it. But after a white the chewing-gum starts losing its taste and in the end becomes tasteless. The same happened to Gaga.

Born This Way Foundation. It is ridiculous. It is obvious that this program is to bring Gaga nothing but promotion and money. Seriously? You are going to protect gay kids this way? Really? How? Are you going to land them your disco stick so they could punch evil teenagers? Dear Gaga, no more your riding-round-the-country bus, which won’t help, no more eloquent speeches, don’t you pretend to believe this is going to change something. Nobody will follow people who shout their brilliant thoughts from a big arena. Why not to shut up and try to change the world using art and your influence? Why not to be sincere with people? Ah, I have forgotten! This will cut your golden chain.

Born This Way Ball Tour: The Monster Ball 3.0

It is true that a lot of people wanted to see your new show as you had always been good at it. But when I saw this, I’m sorry, it is pathetic and very dull. I was shocked by costumes and the stage. Lady Gaga, I think with your money spent you could have prepared something much-much-much-much better. Let’s analyze.

First of all the stage looks like a big dark spot. And why a castle? You see Lady Gaga is more and more digressing from Born This Way conception.

I was also shocked by performances.

Let’s talk about costumes. Frankly speaking, they are ugly. She is not sexy. And I don’t like her huge tails. Sometimes she looks ridiculous and ugly.

(This Bad Romance costume was definitely for irritating Christians, who has always compare her with the Devil.)

Also the performances themselves were very weak and dull. For example:

“Bloody Mary” – she was just riding on the stage with this weird costume om, which is often compared with vacuum cleaner. Gaga, is that all you could create for such a great song? Even a cat and a dog would put on a better show.

“Heavy Metal Lover” – I waited so much from this performance! Riding on a bike with your ass being smacked. Is that all? Where is your “full house of leather”, where is glitter, depravity, rousing dancing in erotic costumes? Shame on you!

What about “You and I”? Indeed it is a very good song. One of the best ballads. But Gaga spoilt it with her water-nymphs. While she was singing it, the half of the song she just hold he hand raised up and the rest part of the song she spent on a piano-bike. Well done! Horrible!

Another performance just killed me. It is a naked stealing of a well-known Madonna’s performance from Blond Ambition Tour. Gays, sofa, pointed bra. It looks like Gaga to be project which is called “Let’s take the best from Madonna and make it appropriate for modern generation”.

But the most horrible thing about Born This Way Ball is Gaga’s emotionless face. Look. It is stony. Where are your emotions? Where are tears, happiness, kindness and anger? Where’s fighting and love? This time you don’t bring peace and freedom, you don’t inspire! You are a Monster! An evil Monster. We can’t read your Poker Face, so it means you are just being insincere. It’s a pity. Look at her face!

Have you ever pondered over why Gaga started her tour from Asia? Because America is awfully tired of Lady Gaga and in Asia she is something new and interesting, so she went there to make an experiment, to create something new and interesting with what she’ll be able to come to Europe and USA. This will just warm up the interest to her. So the conclusion is that Born This Way Ball is nothing but chasing money and selling “Lady Gaga” product.

Dear Lady Gaga! I am person with an immortal hope, so I hope that you’ll change. You should understand who you want to be. Stop being a product and become an artist again. But you already lost. While you are thinking and putting BTW Ball on, something strong, great and powerful is coming. This is a tornado which will crash all of you. There is no way to survive, the next big thing to bite you in your ass has written a great number of great songs. By the way, she is not interested in money and stupid charts, because she is already confident in her talent, power and sexuality.

Good luck,

Alex