 NEW YORK — Defy Lady Gaga, and you might unleash the fame monster within. The idiosyncratic Grammy-winning performer (real name: Stefani Germanotta) put the kibosh on still photos during a recent media appearance. One bystander didn’t get the memo and snapped an illicit shot. “Can you erase that, please?” Gaga says, turning to face the interviewer. “I’m so sorry. Could we have privacy? This is not a time for people to be taking photos. It’s such a serious conversation. I like to give you my full attention.” Gaga, 23, has joined singer Cyndi Lauper to promote safe sex as one of the faces of MAC cosmetics’ Viva Glam campaign, which supports people living with HIV/AIDS. “I have a tremendous relationship with the gay community. When people find out I’m doing this, they say, ‘Is it because of your relationship with the gay community, because you want to speak out about AIDS?’ And I say no,” Gaga explains. “AIDS is not a gay disease. That’s part of what I want to accomplish … really raise awareness of what AIDS is today.” Gaga says she wants to use her fame for good. “People look up to you for your success and your voice in the world. My message as a woman, to my fans, is always: Love yourself, free yourself, be whoever you want to be.” She’s appearing in the Viva Glam ad campaign and lending her name to a new lipstick. “I’m a girl’s girl. I’m kind of rough around the edges, too. Believe it or not, I do think about what’s appropriate,” Gaga says. Despite a busy touring schedule, Gaga says, she makes time for causes. “This work is important to me. They are a breath of fresh air for me. You’ll never see me at a nightclub doing my thing to get a bunch of money to make an appearance. I’d much rather use that time to sleep/do work like this.” Musically, she’s humming also. She recently collaborated with Beyoncé on the video for Telephone, the next release off The Fame Monster. And after opening the Grammys with Elton John, Gaga is back on the road with her world tour, with stops in London, Sydney and Osaka, Japan. “It’s a brand-new Monster Ball. It’s my baby,” she says. Gaga picked up two Grammys in January (best dance recording for Poker Face and best electronic/dance album for The Fame), but she was shut out of song of the year, record of the year and album of the year. How does she feel about it? “First of all, I didn’t think I was going to win,” she says. “So winning those two Grammys early in the night sort of took the pressure off of the evening. I couldn’t have had a more magical night. It went exactly perfect.”  |
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