Authenticity, From Bob to Gaga

Last night I rewatched I'm Not There. As much as I love Velvet Goldmine -- and that is a lot -- I'm Not There is even better. It follows Dylan rather than Bowie, in an even more abstract and probably fitting way.

In any case, I came across this bit of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RltIUKEpukg&feature=related

While there are tens of things going on in it, what I focused in on this time was the bit at the end -- Cate Blanchett's (yes, that's Cate Blanchett) Bob's frustration at his "true" "identity" being revealed, in regard to questioning his authenticity.

As always, I was reminded at this point of Lady Gaga. Video of her performing at NYU pre-Monster-dom just surfaced (I believe someone already posted it on the blog, but in any case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNq1jSqakIQ), in which she has long, brown hair, visible features devoid of sunglass covering, and -- perhaps most significantly -- performs songs that sound nothing like what she does now.

SHOCKER: public and private lives do not conicide. This has been an issue for Gaga for some time now. In perhaps her best known interview -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IljmjabjUP0 -- she admits her greatest issue is people believing she is fake. Every time a photo arises of her dressed at all "normally" -- offstage -- uproar again erupts.

Really? Really? Beyonce needs to create an alter ego for her to go onstage -- Sasha Fierce (not comment on the name choice, here) -- is it really so baffling that Gaga would too choose a personae? (her name itself screams that). Indeed, derived from the Queen song "Radio GaGa", Stefani Germanotta's stage name is nothing but homage to the artists that have inspired it. It denies her obviously Italian roots (as does her bleached hair, and bangs/sunglasses combination that hide any and all facial indications of un-American ancestry [all you can discern is a white woman]), and individual identity, to give itself over entirely to stage pesonae.

So? Yes, the implications here of identity crises and schizophrenia are obvious, but there's always been an acknowledged distinction between public and privates lives. Perhaps Gaga is only criticized so for not admitting that difference.