Entertainment

FOLLOWING ICONIC MTV VMAS APPEARANCES, THE INTERNET SAYS, “IF LADY GAGA CAN WEAR SEVEN FACE MASKS, SO CAN YOU”

Lady Gaga channels her creativity and influence to make a statement with her masks wardrobe at the 2020 MTV VMAs

CHOLO KATIPUNAN / 1 September 2020

MTV VMAS 2020 just recently capped with a historic feat that only happened at a time of pandemic. Sans the crowd’s cheers, the mosh pit, the blinding clicks of paparazzis, the tête-à-tête between seats, the revelry of the international music scene—it didn’t fall short of the celebration that it was meant for through decades. And this year, in its sea of participants, Lady Gaga was there to once again break the ice with her bizarre and extravagance; and also with a call to action that begs more than just a show of her freak flag. Support masktivism!

As the world lies in peril with the coronavirus outbreak, MTV has decided to push forth with the prestigious annual awards to showcase the world’s bests in music through a partially-virtual event. Limited to only select attendees, celebrities including Machine Gun Kelly, Bella Hadid, Jaden Smith, Joey King, among others, came in with their striking fashion—a tradition we almost missed this year. The event was hosted by Keke Palmer with performers, that either went pre-taped or live, including BTS featuring their hit all-English new single “Dynamite”, Doja Cat with a medley of her hits, Miley Cyrus and her new single “Midnight Sky”, The Weeknd with a performance of his hit “Blinding Lights”, and more.

However, some huge celebrities opted to not attend for personal reasons most notably, due to the ongoing threat of the pandemic. Taylor Swift just sent a video message to thank everyone who supported her especially with the positive reception of her self-produced eighth studio album folklore, which was created during quarantine.

The event was a massive success in delivering us forward to the future of semi-virtual awards shows. It has exhibited advanced production value with its CGIs, 3D mapping technology, and gave a safe carpet experience for its attendees. All these were made in consideration of health protocols, most noticeably the presence of social distancing throughout the event, and with a special tribute segment Everyday Heroes: Frontline Medical Workers to thank all the frontliners these days for their dedication and hardwork. MTV stated, “[We] celebrates the best performances by first responders—doctors, nurses, and other frontline medical workers—who kept everyone going with their impromptu and off-the-cuff performances.” 

In the abundance of talent and glory in the famed event, Lady Gaga reigns supreme with her bag of awards and the influence she carries towards her fandom and the world. She took home four awards including Best Collaboration, Best Cinematography by Thomas Kloss for her song “Rain On Me”, and the coveted Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. Most importantly, she was awarded the first ever Tricon Award for her iconic versatility in acting, music, fashion, and activism. 

With the Tricon Award comes responsibility and this she proved at the very event when she considerably incorporated her advocacy with her every fashion statement. First, she wore an Area silver coat with a clear face shield resembling a helmet by Muscarella which is a reference to the VMA’s Moonman mascot. For her Song of the Year acceptance, she wore an Iris Van Herpen ensemble with a Cecilio Castrillo face mask.

Then for Best Collaboration, a green ball gown by Christoper John Rogers with a horned Lance V Moore face mask. She also changed to a Valentino Haute Couture bodysuit with MaisonMet mask as she accepted her Artist of the Year Award. For her Tricon Award, she wore the same suit and face mask with a Candice Cuoco jacket. During her “Rain on Me” performance, she wore a latex Vex Clothing with a futuristic Michael Ngo mask pack with Smooth Technology x Diego Montoya. All of these masks all served a creativity and outlandish features but in all essence, it served a purpose for the Mother Monster in support of masktivism.

In her performance she says “Celebrate yourself, be kind, mask up!” She kept the statement going throughout the event with her lines including, “I might sound like a broken record, but wear a mask. It’s a sign of respect.”

Lady Gaga, through the years, have always been vocal on social issues especially with her support for LGBTQ+ issues. With the pandemic and all, she adds the act of wearing masks in her line of advocacies shedding the sincerity of her influence that exceeds beyond the confines of her talent but also with her concerns of the society. In this regard, Mother Monster proves more than just an artist for entertainment with her active display and power to use her influence to address more pressing issues nowadays.

The running statement “If Lady Gaga can wear masks, so can you” continues to revolve around social media. The Chromatica singer isn’t just here to take us on an extraterrestrial ride to the future of music; she’s also here to bring about a world where everyone can celebrate themselves in a safer environment.