Lady Gaga has gotten some heat recently for her mermaid-in-a-wheelchair performance, an act that Better Midler said she championed over twenty years ago. Of course, Mother Monster dealt with the controversy with poise and gave the usual “oh-really-you-did-that-I-love-love-love-you-as-an-artist” speech — similar to the one she made when everyone was accusing her of ripping off Madonna.
“I had no idea that she did that and I’m a huge Bette Midler fan. I didn’t know that she’d done [it], but I do now and I think it’s great. Obviously I feel connected to women in theater and women from the past. Maybe we’re just cut from the same cloth . . . I couldn’t hop around in that tail so I just stuck myself in a wheelchair . . . I admire her and find her to be one of the most brilliant and incredible performers, so that’s all I’ll say.”
Bette just needs to take a seriously large chill pill. You don’t own the mermaid, Ms. Midler (it’s a mythological creature everyone has a right to). What do you all think? Are you Team Gaga or Team Midler?