Recent Controversy!

          Hello people! I have read some very controversial things in the media recently and feel as though I should shed some light on a few of them.  In browsing, I ran across Lady Gaga.  She recently had a show in London, as a part of her current tour, in which she decided to pay homage to a couple of artist that had passed.  The first one, thus making this controversial, was her tribute to the late Princess Diana.  She said in the article that if she had ever gotten a chance to perform in London, that she would perform a dedication song in remembrance of Princess Diana.  According to WENN Entertainment News Wire Service, Lady Gaga said, “Since I was a very young girl, the people’s Princess was the most important person in me and my mother’s life.  I swore if I ever had an audience like this in London I would take a moment to appreciate her.  This song is called Princess Di-D-I-E..Let’s take a moment to appreciate her presence and what she means.”  She then later goes on to tribute the late Amy Winehouse, who passed away in 2011.  Personally, I can’t pay a tribute while using a “pun” or play on words.  Yes, Princess Diana passed away in 1997, but I can’t believe Gaga, tribute or not, would use such a connotation.

            Another item of controversy will be the release of Sinner’s Creed, an upcoming memoir told from the eyes of the lead singer from the band, Creed.  Apparently, this is to be a “tell-all” book which is set to be published later this fall.  The controversy arises from the amount of information being released to the public.  PR Newswire states “’The book describes my childhood, my internal battle with drugs and depression and how I lost control of my life,’ says Scott Stapp”.  This book is to unleash unpublished accounts of his battles and how he became sober.  It is this reason why he refuses one-on-one interviews.  I think this book is controversial but I am also anticipating its release.  I do think it can be a coping method and also an insight into how this industry can impact other aspiring artists.  This book is set to be released this Tuesday, October 2, 2012 via Tyndale Publishing.  Visit http://www.sinnerscreed.com if looking to purchase either the hard copy or e-book version.

            The last controversial subject is that of what celebrities do to gain attention.  “They often deliberately initiate a controversy to boost their popularity.  It is also a fairly standard issue for any upcoming movie to be trapped in a controversy” (Mens XP).  Celebrities often do “feel good” campaigns where they contribute to humanity, or also envelop themselves into Social Media.  It is now the most popular means of free publicity, but also an effective way to get close to fans.  As the title of this article states,  I don’t truly believe it is all a “gimmick” but I do sense many artists doing things just because it may bring attention to them.  They just so happen to be conveniently timed around a release, launch or celeb party. 

Lady Gaga Debuts Princess Diana Track at U.K. Show. (LexisNexis Academic). WENN Entertainment News Wire Service.  9 September 2012.  Retrieved on September 30, 2012.

Publicity Gimmicks You Must Know.  Mens XP.  13 September 2012.  Retrieved on 30 September 2012.

Scott Stapp Announces Uncensored Tell-All Book; Lead Singer of Creed to Introduce Sinner’s Creed Memoir This Fall. (LexisNexisAcademic). PR Newswire.  13 August 2012.  Retrieved on September 30, 2012.