It had a billion-dollar budget, lavish sets, and some of the biggest names in entertainment — so why did the Democrats' latest presidential campaign tank at the voting booth?
Yes, there was that desperate, last-minute casting change. But new lead Kamala Harris seemed to get the notoriously troubled production back on track despite a predecessor unwilling to give up his former role and co-star Tim Walz's troublingly erratic public behavior.
Megan Thee Stallion, Lady Gaga, and Charli XCX just weren’t up to the task of rescuing Harris from herself.
The sheer star power on hand seemed to guarantee a runaway hit: Gen Z favorite Alex Cooper ("Call Me Daddy"), as well as proven draws like Will Ferrell, Rihanna, George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, and even Oprah Winfrey.
Winfrey's glorified cameo was said to cost a cool million. Also rumored to have gotten a seven-figure payday was Beyoncé — who perversely enough appeared in a non-singing role — and any number of other artists ranging from Taylor Swift to Eminem.
Whatever the exact line items were, one thing is certain: A campaign that still had more than $100 million in the bank in October now finds itself $20 million in the hole.
In retrospect, maybe that GloRilla performance wasn't such a good idea after all.
Or maybe the era of the big-budget, mass-marketed, four-quadrant blockbuster is over.
Where was the big-name actor or actress who would come along and save Harris from her floundering campaign?
The tear-streaked viral post recorded on the spur of the moment by Lady Gaga that would finally convince regular people in Pennsylvania and North Carolina that Harris really was the answer to their prayers — and not just a Polly POC-et puppet who couldn’t string two sentences together without cackling like a banshee and waxing poetic about the joy of abortion rights?
Indeed, what happened to the days of influential celebrity videos with warnings about “fascism” and “democracy"? Did they stop uploading them, or did everybody just stop watching?
The answer seems to be a bit of both. A recent YouGov poll found that only 10% of Americans say a celebrity’s opinion has caused them to cast a vote or rethink their vote. Another poll by USA Today and Suffolk University found that political endorsements had a much larger effect on swaying the Democratic vote than celebrity endorsements.
The study also found that conservatives were rarely swayed by either, including from within the conservative movement’s leadership. (The influence of Hulk Hogan’s bodice-ripping howl of support for Trump remains a subject for future historians.)
Perhaps this is why the standard-issue Democratic endorsements Harris got from Obama and the Clintons didn’t do much: They weren’t delivered with much conviction. It probably didn't help that the DNC brand was tainted by the still-fresh memory of Joe Biden's public stab in the back.
Megan Thee Stallion, Lady Gaga, and Charli XCX just weren’t up to the task of rescuing Harris from herself. Even those who somehow enjoy their music apparently found it hard to get very excited about their political opinions.
The celebrities who did endorse Harris did so with smug certitude that didn’t do much to reach independents. Their urgent pleas to “get out and vote” (with the obvious insinuation that meant voting for Harris) also clearly backfired, since Trump won men under 30 by 14 points and Harris won young women under 30 by only 18 points. Gen Z voters just weren't pulling the lever for the Democrats the way their celebrities and pop culture puppets told them to.
As Jimmy Vielkind and Aaron Zitner point out, Harris’ result for young women was “down from the 32-point margin for Biden among that group in 2020.”
Trump’s mastery of social media and popular podcasts like Joe Rogan's show also clearly bolstered his already well-known brand and put him front and center in the mind of many undecideds.
But the fact remains that Trump didn't really need anybody's endorsement — at least not the way Harris did. Our former and future president is a consummate entertainer. He sings, he tells jokes, he does his own stunts. He even dances. Who needs celebrities when you can groove out with the candidate himself?
Expensive disasters tend to end with a lot of finger-pointing, and the Harris campaign is no exception. The Democrats might as well take the opportunity to clean house — starting with those among them who insist on blaming the voters.
If the incredible comeback of Donald Trump can teach us anything, it's that fewer and fewer people are waiting for the media to tell them what's worth their time and attention. After years of having their taste underestimated and dismissed, Americans are finally confident enough to call out real, once-in-a-generation talent when they see it. Anyone who wants to win the people over better start with that.
Singer and actress Lady Gaga claimed that she was the target of violence after she received negative reactions online to photos with gender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
The singer, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, was featured in a series of images and a video on the pseudo-holiday International Women's Day alongside Mulvaney, a man.
Mulvaney is of course infamous for his role in the Bud Light marketing fiasco that featured the activist in a bathtub with cans of the beer, which cost the brand billions of dollars in market share.
Of course, not only did the singer not see an issue with celebrating a man on a day meant for women, but she labeled any contentiousness from audiences as "hatred" and "violence."
"It’s appalling to me that a post about National Women’s Day by Dylan Mulvaney and me would be met with such vitriol and hatred," Germanotta wrote on her Instagram. "When I see a newspaper reporting on hatred but calling it 'backlash' I feel it is important to clarify that hatred is hatred, and this kind of hatred is violence. 'Backlash' would imply that people who love or respect Dylan and me didn’t like something we did. This is not backlash. This is hatred."
The singer then claimed that society had more work to do to support transgender people, claiming that they lead the way despite facing different types of "violence," such as "mental violence."
"It is not surprising given the immense work that it’s obvious we still have to do as a society to make room for transgender lives to be cherished and upheld by all of us. I feel very protective in this moment, not only of Dylan, but of the trans community who continues to lead the way with their endless grace and inspiration in the face of constant degradation, intolerance, and physical, verbal, and mental violence."
Lady Gaga then seemed to imply that men who believe they are women are indeed women and should be celebrated as such.
"I certainly do not speak for this community, but I have something to say. I hope all women will come together to honor us ALL for International Women’s Day, and may we do that always until THE DAY that all women are celebrated equally. That all people are celebrated equally. A day where people of all gender identities are celebrated on whichever holiday speaks to them. Because people of all gender identities and races deserve peace and dignity," she continued.
"May we all come together and be loving, accepting, warm, welcoming. May we all stand and honor the complexity and challenge of trans life — that we do not know, but can seek to understand and have compassion for. I love people too much to allow hatred to be referred to as 'backlash.' People deserve better," the artist concluded.
Of course, many women in the media were not happy about this.
"They always find a way to label truth as hatred. Lady Gaga chose to highlight a man on a day meant for women. That’s a fact. It’s not 'hatred,'" commentator Amala Ekpunobi remarked on X.
They always find a way to label truth as hatred. Lady Gaga chose to highlight a man on a day meant for women. That\u2019s a fact. It\u2019s not \u201chatred.\u201d— (@)
"Stating a biological fact is not hatred ma’am," said writer Natasha Biase.
Stating a biological fact is not hatred ma\u2019am— (@)
Lady Gaga is set to appear in the upcoming film "Joker: Folie à Deux" and was recently revealed to have her own character set in the extremely popular video game Fortnite.
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Superstar singer Lady Gaga is facing criticism for advertising Pfizer's Nurtec ODT migraine medication.
She advertised the drug in an Instagram post that is labled as a "Paid partnership with nurtecodt" and includes the hashtags "pfizersponsored" and "nurtecodtpartner."
In the post, Lady Gaga notes that she has suffered from migraines since her youth.
"Ever since childhood, I've dealt with migraine pain. When I tried Nurtec® ODT (rimegepant) 75 mg for the first time, I'll never forget wishing I had found it sooner. That's why I'm proud to partner with Nurtec ODT," the singer declared in the post. "We're in this together. If you're ready to speak to a doctor, ask about Nurtec ODT today."
Many people left comments disapproving of the star's move to peddle the medication.
"Stop pushing pharmaceuticals on the public and your fans! Many who are impressionable and trust you as an icon. This is wrong," someone declared.
"Is taking that Pfizer money really worth it?" someone else asked.
"Needs to fire her entire PR team for this," another commenter said.
"I can't believe that this hasn’t been deleted yet," another comment declared.
"Y'all who approved this - this is very cringy," another comment read.
"This is complete sell out behaviour. peddling a drug for a big pharma company. How much are they paying you?" someone wrote.
Lady Gaga's partnership apparently also includes an advertisement because a video features footage of the singer while she pushes the product in a voiceover.
"I know what it's like to perform through pain. If you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine, Nurtec ODT may help. It's the only medication that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks," she says. "We're in this together. Talk to a doctor about Nurtec ODT."
From me to you 30sec youtube PP-NNT-USA-0558 www.youtube.com
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Californians do not leave beautiful California beaches for Texas heat because they think tornadoes and suffocating humidity sound like a great time. People leave California for Texas for opportunities and policies that foster an environment for businesses to succeed. Because so many Californians move to Texas these days, the once Republican red state is turning purple.
So, Lady Gaga performed Tuesday night in Dallas, Texas, telling her fans that she wants to turn the state blue.
Lady Gaga performed “Born This Way,” her ode to her LGBTQ fans, which was reportedly "peppered with encouragement." according to The Observer.
The Observer wrote: "She wasn’t afraid to hit on heavy topics, Lady Gaga expressed her love for Texas’ “purple, purple heart” and said she hoped it would “turn blue” soon. She addressed audience members who may feel uncomfortable hearing about politics during a pop show, saying the fact that they were uncomfortable meant they needed to hear it." Because if anyone knows what Texans need, it is a native New Yorker expressing her hope to thousands of uninformed voters to be more like California.
Gaga later dedicated her next song, “Angel Down,” to Texans she felt weren’t being “kept safe.”
Steven Crowder addressed Gaga's comments on "Louder with Crowder" on Thursday's show. He explained why the red to purple swing in the Lone Star State.
"Most of Texas is kind of ugly," Steven said. He added that as Californians move to Texas and turn it purple, much of the Latino population is keeping it red. Watch the clip to see Steven explain why.
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Five people have been arrested in connection with the shooting of pop star Lady Gaga's dog walker and the theft of two of her French bulldogs, Los Angeles police said Thursday.
On Feb. 24, the singer's dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was walking her three French bulldogs — named Miss Asia, Koji, and Gustav — when a vehicle pulled up and two men jumped out. One of the suspects shot Fischer once in the chest, and the car drove off with Koji and Gustav.
Surveillance video of the shooting shows Fischer screaming, "Oh my God! I've been shot!" and crying for help, saying, "I'm bleeding out from my chest!" He was hospitalized for weeks, but recovered.
Gaga offered a $500,000 reward for the return of the dogs — but authorities advised her not to pay out over their suspicions of the woman who brought the animals back two days later and tied them to a post in an alley, presenting herself as "uninvolved and unassociated" with the high-profile violent robbery.
That woman, 50-year-old Jennifer McBride, was one of five people arrested Thursday in connection with the crimes. It is unclear if she received any payment.
The Associated Press reported that McBride "turned out to be in a relationship with the father of" Jaylin White 19, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery along with James Jackson, 18, and Lafayette Whaley, 27.
McBride and Harold White, 40, were arrested on suspicion of accessory attempted murder. Harold White was also hit with a firearm possession charge, and McBride with one count of receiving stolen property.
The Los Angeles Police Department said all of the men allegedly involved are known to be gang members. Each suspect is currently being held on $1 million bail each.
TMZ reported that investigators initially believed the crimes were part of a potential gang initiation, but later determined the incident was part of a dog-stealing ring, noting, "French bulldogs are a hot commodity and can be resold for lots of money."
Representatives for Lady Gaga and Fischer have not yet responded to requests for comment over the arrests.
The gnashing of elitist teeth since the Blue Wall’s fall has been GLORIOUS! Especially for an old conservative boy from flyover country.
Musical choices throughout the film set the stage for an ultimate judgment, not just in the eyes of the ardent fans, but in the eyes of God.
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