Sometimes musicians are so overflowing with inspiration that they need to create a whole other persona to house it all. This can result in absolutely amazing work – think of Beyonce and Sasha Fierce, or The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Unfortunately for others, it can so easily go horribly wrong. For every Marilyn Manson, there is an Xtina. For every Slim Shady, there is a Mimi (that’s Mariah Carey’s alter ego, folks.)
Here are some of the best celebrity alter egos…
Jo Calderone/Yuyi the Mermaid/Mother Monster
Lady Gaga is the stage persona of Stefani Germanotta. Common knowledge. But Lady Gaga in turn has three alter egos of her own. Oookay then. We all know Mother Monster is the affectionate name given to Gaga by her fans or Little Monsters, whom she “gave birth” to in the video for “Born This Way.” But who are Yuyi and Jo? Yuyi the Mermaid first appeared in February of this year, with Gaga tweeting of her: “[She is] A reincarnation of my birth+ artistic spirit. In incubation, awaiting a human lover to save her. YUYI THE MERMAID.” Right. Yuyi starred in the video for “You and I” alongside fellow alter ego Jo Calderone, who was introduced to the world as a male model on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan. Eagle-eyed fans noted the resemblance between Calderone and Gaga, and it was later confirmed that the two were the same person. Creative mumbo-jumbo? Maybe, but you have to give her points for imagination.
Ziggy Stardust/The Thin White Duke
The original and best of the celebrity alter egos, Ziggy Stardust is an alien who assumes a human form to present a message of hope to the dying human race. Or something. Basically, Ziggy Stardust was a license for David Bowie to take a buttload of drugs and have sex with anything that moves. But he looked extremely cool, so that’s all that matters, right? Eventually Ziggy Stardust gave way to the Thin White Duke, a new, darker persona inspired by Bowie taking even more drugs – he remarked that during this particular era his diet consisted of “red peppers, cocaine and milk.” Rock and roll?
And the worst…
Kathy Beth Terry
Kathy Beth Terry is the alter ego of Katy Perry and star of the video for “T.G.I.F (Last Friday Night)”. The intention was to create a super nerdy teenage version of Katy who would hilariously counterbalance adult-Katy’s babeliness. What actually happened was a warning to every movie producer out there – Katy Perry should never be allowed to act. Ever. The video for “T.G.I.F” is eight minutes of Perry gurning, lisping and generally hamming it up, while wearing orthodontic headgear and speaking in a accent that makes her sound mentally challenged. Which despite how it sounds, is not very funny at ALL. Katy, leave Kathy Beth at home with Russell next time. Please.
Chris Gaines
Chris Gaines…How can I begin to explain Chris Gaines? Chris Gaines is fictitious persona of one Gareth Brooks, and possibly one of the worst celebrity alter egos ever to release an album. Yes, Gareth Brooks the country singer. Yes, a whole album. Chris Gaines gave Brooks a chance to dress up like Professor Snape and grow a soul patch, which are evidently necessary if you want to crack the alternative rock genre. The album, In the Life of Chris Gaines, spawned a top 5 single. Here’s the video. Click at your peril. It’s bloody terrifying.
Image Sources :
jessica-who.com, grimygoods.com, uk.ibtimes.com, neonlimelight.com, imgross.org
If you were a celebrity, who would your alter ego be? Do you think celebrity alter egos are cool, or just a load of hooey?
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