Shining Star - Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga deserves some credit this week for putting her money where her outspoken (and usually wildly-fashioned) mouth is.
The eccentric entertainer reportedly put the kibosh on a deal with Target because of the retail chain's donations to politicians who oppose gay marriage. The retailer had made a $150,000 contribution to a political action committee that supported Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tom Emmer. Emmer, who had spoken out against same-sex marriage, ended up losing the election.
Under the now-nixed agreement, Target would have sold an exclusive version of Gaga's CD, "Born This Way," in its stores. But the singer, who doubles as a gay rights activist, told Billboard last month that the arrangement came with some stipulations:
Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they've made in the past... our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they've made supporting those [anti-gay] groups.
But it seems the Target-Gaga union may have been a bad romance. On Tuesday, The Advocate reported that the deal was done-zo. A Gaga insider told the gay newspaper, "She and Target didn't see eye to eye on Target's policy of political donations and how they affect the LGBT community." And it didn't seem to be the best of breakups, with Target releasing a statement saying the company is "surprised and disappointed" and that it "remains committed to the LGBT community."
Whether you agree with Ms. Gaga or not (or love him or capital H-I-M, as "Born This Way" suggests), you got to hand it to Gaga for sticking to her guns and turning down a potentially big payday. The only downside? Don't expect a low-cost meat dress fashion line to hit Target stores anytime soon.
Falling Star - Donald Trump
Now you may have heard of publicists setting up fake celeb relationships to draw buzz, perhaps timing a star's pregnancy announcement to coincide with an album launch, or even having a Hollywood headliner drop a ton of weight to become the glossy mags' next cover girl. But starting some chatter about becoming the leader of the free world? Well, that's a new one.
Perpetual PR-seeker Donald Trump is insisting that talk of a potential presidential run isn't a publicity stunt. Why, it's surely just a coincidence that all the whispers of a Trump 2012 ticket began to surface right before last Sunday's season premiere of his NBC reality show, Celebrity Apprentice.
At a press conference on Thursday, the creatively-coiffed mogul claimed he's "more serious than ever" about trying to become the Republican presidential candidate.
Yet plenty of critics are calling The Donald's bluff. Marketing expert Jack Trout told CBS News, "It's one of the great media scams of all time. It is an ego trip, as well as a boon to Trump's business, which depends on his name."
But imagine, for a mere millisecond, that Trump's aim for the Oval Office is legit. President Trump could certainly bring many firsts, including the first president to have: driven a huge business into bankruptcy, been married three times amid adulterous behavior, and gone on the record calling a woman a "big, fat pig" (that would be Rosie O'Donnell). Hail to the Chief!
In an interview with local New York T.V. station, NY1, Trump said, "I will make a decision by June -- and it may surprise you.'' Interesting, June's when Celebrity Apprentice will be wrapping up. My take? If it were Trump's job to tell the truth about any political ambitions, he'd be like soooo fired.
Originally appeared on Starpulse.