Lady Gaga has done some iconic things throughout her career. When you say the most “unhinged” thing, people probably think of the meat dress first and foremost, but to me, there was a moment that Gaga did something even more off kilter, even for her. Happy 13th anniversary to Jo Calderone!
Gaga went to the 2011 VMAs on August 28 in character, and we’ve never been the same since. It was a drag king performance and had Gaga on stage doing performance art for the VMA audience. Really, she did an entire monologue performance prior to singing her song “You and I” as Jo Calderone. The number has become one of the most iconic moments in MTV history and a VMA performance worthy of remembering! Not just because of Jo Calderone’s first appearance, but because this is also Gaga’s best song. (I will fight for “You and I” as a track!)
This week marks 13 years since the iconic performance happened and fans are remembering Jo Calderone in its honor.
In an article from V Magazine, Gaga talked about the invention of the character: “Beginning as an invention of my mind, Jo Calderone was created with Nick Knight as a mischievous experiment. After working together tirelessly and passionately for years, eating bovine hearts, throwing up on ourselves, giving birth to an alien nation and an AK-47, Nick and I began to wonder: how much exactly can we get away with? […] How can we remodel the model? In a culture that attempts to quantify beauty with a visual paradigm and almost mathematical standard, how can we fuck with the malleable minds of onlookers and shift the world’s perspective on what’s beautiful? I asked myself this question. And the answer? Drag.”
The full performance is honestly so cool. She changed so much of the song to fit with Calderone’s performance, and it really shows how detail oriented Gaga is as an artist.
The origin of Jo Calderone
Gaga created the character in 2010, and he got his own photoshoot in the Autumn/Winter 2010 Vogue Hommes Japan issue for men’s fashion. Calderone was labeled as a new model they discovered for the shoot, but many believed him to be Gaga in drag at the time. Those people were obviously right, but it was a mystery for a while.
When Gaga was told that Jo needed to sing, she included him in her video for “You and I” and the rest is history.
The VMAs were iconic that year for another reason, too
While the lore of Jo Calderone was just beginning for fans, Beyoncé came out that night and announced that she was pregnant with Blue Ivy Carter during her performance. It shocked fans and had them all cheering, and then the camera lingered a bit too long on Jo Calderone.
Would I believe the lore that Jo Calderone was actually the father of Beyoncé’s baby? Yes. Tony Bennett is the grandfather.
An icon was born
It’s just truly so funny to see how iconic this alter ego has become. Even now, people still reference the Calderone reveal. When everyone was talking about celebrities with the same face, Gaga and Calderone got a shoutout.
Even when Gaga is doing work to promote her role in Joker: Folie à Deux, people are reminded of the legacy of Calderone.
And the truth is that it is just one of the more creatively fulfilling stunts that have happened.
So here’s to you, Jo Calderone. I miss you dearly and I hope to see you again some day.
Published: Aug 30, 2024 10:48 am