As someone who has been a fan of Gaga's since the beginning of her career, I have (re)read multiple biographies about her in recent times. This was the first biography written by a male author that I have read and I'm afraid to say that it shows. In the worst ways.
The first half of the book was okay. It described the humble beginnings of Gaga's career as so many others have and I appreciated the sources of her quotes being named throughout the book.
The second half is where the book started going off the rails, completely discarding any notion of journalistic integrity and engaging in a gross display of misogyny, biphobia and fatphobia.
Why male authors feel the need to dedicate an entire chapter to their confusion about Gaga's jokes and references to her sex life (in response to being asked about it relentlessly by interviewers), I'll never understand.
A joke about what she looks for in a man (aimed at the ridiculousness of a question) followed by the statement that she's not promiscuous, was deemed as shocking and contradictory by the author. He clearly was not in on the joke.
Similarly as irritating is the mocking of her bisexuality, which is repeatedly referred to as “alleged” even though she'd clearly come out multiple times by the time this book was written and a section where her so-called former “friends'” opinions were regarded as more credible than her own words.
This biphobic and ignorant attitude of the author obviously leads to her entire career (and life) being viewed through a very heteronormative lens, which of course means a lot is omitted when writing about a queer person. The author doesn't just lack perspective, he seems to deliberately discard it in order to depict Gaga as simply a “straight woman seeking attention by any means necessary”.
Not to mention the violent fatphobia displayed in a paragraph about how surprising Gaga's praise for a woman's talent is whose appearance the author does not deem attractive.
If you want to learn about the rise of Gaga's early career, I strongly recommend opting for a book by a female writer instead. Just Dance by Helia Phoenix is a much better option.
A book that seriously considers Gaga's queerness in illustrating her life doesn't seem to have been written yet.
I liked it and I think its message is very important in the world we live in. Making us lose faith in humanity is how the ones in power are able to keep us down, so we have to always remember that it is not in our nature to be cruel and that community care is vital.
The author had some more radical ideas, some less so. It is interesting how we can imagine a better future within the system, sure, but honestly, to me it's much more interesting how we can imagine a better one beyond it (given that powerful people are always going to block genuine reform to keep their power and also that as long as the system stands, no one is going to be truly free).
This is one of my favorite books I've ever read.
Let me start by saying that the foreword probably should not actually be read before reading the book itself, given that it spoils the entire plot and is more of an analysis of it lmao. It also reminded me that I should not trust other's opinions on art before making my own because I starkly disagree with the way it downplays the novel in several ways.
This novel invoked so many emotions in me. Of course, I was aware of its historical significance and the foreword led me to believe that's all there is to it, but no. In my eyes, it was written beautifully. The love between these two women warmed my heart in ways I didn't expect or imagine. I devoured a lot of the book but had to stop myself because I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. While many parts were also hard to read, given Renay's circumstances, it was the love her and Terry had for each other that healed your soul. I wanted to stay with them in their love forever.
I am certain I will reread it and I hope to find a physical copy of it someday to hold and cherish forever. This book is one of these small things that invoke queer joy in me.
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