Bette Midler says Lady Gaga stole her act
By Tribute on July 21, 2011 | 22 Comments
Lady Gaga is denying that she copied Bette Midler’s “mermaid in a wheelchair performance”—a stunt Midler says she did 30 years before her.
During a show in Australia last week Gaga performed wearing a mermaid tail, sitting in a wheelchair.
The entertainment stunt prompted Midler to tweet about it saying, “I’m not sure Lady Gaga knows that I’ve performed my mermaid in a wheelchair for millions of people – and many of them are still alive… Dear Lady Gaga if you think a mermaid in a wheelchair seems familiar – it’s because it is! You can see it on YouTube 24/7 – with ME performing it… Dear Lady Gaga I’ve been doing singing mermaid in a wheelchair since 1980 – You can keep the meat dress and the firecracker t**s – mermaid’s mine.”
Gaga has gone on record to say that she thought she was being original and told Access Hollywood that she didn’t mean to copy Midler. “I had no idea that she did that and I’m a huge Bette Midler fan.
“(It was) not (a Midler tribute) in the beginning… because 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,” Gaga said.
“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. All I’ll say is that I… admire her and find her to be one of the most brilliant and incredible performers, so that’s all I’ll say.”
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[…] Source Tagged as: Bette Midler, Lady gaga […]
“…Obviously I feel connected to women in theater and women from THE PAST,�� Gaga said. Ouch, even when she’s trying to be apologetic she takes a stab.
If Lady GaGa is a huge fan of Bette then im sure she would have known about the mermaid and wheelchair performance.
All these pop females should stop trying to stand out and ultimately making a fool of themselves in the process. Lady GaGa, Kesha and Katy Parry all sound the same. Theres nothing original coming from these ladies. The industry needs a new act or new influence and not one of that consistantly sends a sexual image out. They would be better off to get into porn if they want to be risky showing it all off.
Is she denying it or is she apologizing for doing it? You can’t have it both ways……apologizing for copying the act and also denying that she even did it makes no sense to me.
Lady Gaga seems a really decent person. For all her extreme styles underneath that she strikes me as quite sweet and self effacing, unlike most people enjoying fame to her degree.
Bette could have called her, rather than broadcasting the fact that the mermaid bit had been done before. So what if it had, it’s not like she used the exact same music.
Also, it’s not like there are many original bits out there. It’s all been done to some degree or other, except maybe the meat dress, that was new, and not the least bit appealing, IMHO.
If the world can’t see that there’s NOTHING original about this freak; other than her name, then they deserve to see all the same things that other, more talented artists have performed; i.e. Madonna, Bette Midler, et al. This is a sad world we live in when this freak can be considered an artist and no a copy cat, attention monger!
Gaga go away.
Ha Ha Ha
Gaga is a star and all you haters are nothing. She doesn’t even know you or care that you exist and all of your bitching on tribute.ca is meaningless whining from insignificant nobodies.
She has no new ideas….she has also shamelessly ripped off Emilie Autumn, a less mainstream, much more creative performer.
I like Bette Midler and lady Gaga. Accidents can happen. As I like Bette Midler I don’t remember that.So what if someone else does it.It wasn’t ment to hurt and she said she was sorry.
Well, I’m a HUGE fan of Ms. Bette Midler and yes i am still very much alive at least last time i checked lol! And yes i saw her mermaid and wheelchair performance live up close and Personal! and let me tell you Lady Gaga…
No One Can top the “Devine Miss M” Bette Midler is an orginal and the best of the best!!!! Lady gaga is nothing but a flash in the dark, already on the way out!
PS. What next? Is Gaga now going to claim that she was a Madonna fan but had no idea that “Born that Way” sounds exactly like “Express Yourself”? WTF!
I hope Bette tears her eyes out!!!
Personaly,I think me need more freaks in this world of plain jane medocrity.I’m not even a huge fan of Lady gaga but I respect she brings something different to the table and anyone who doubts her talent need only watch her performance on Howard Stern this week.
seriously who is Bette Midler?
seriously who is Josh?
I think Boy Goerge might say the same thing about her outfits. When she first came out, she looked pretty cute, now, it’s like she’s trying to be scary.
You forgot Grace Jones, Souxi Sue, Wendy O and all the rest of the women who changed the world with their talent and odd (& oft times shocking) stage shows. 🙂 The reason Lady Gaga is so huge is that the younger generation THINKS she’s original and (Snap-snap-snap) Fab-U-lous is because they don’t know that others have done it all before and waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy better. It’s like when Wayne’s World The Movie came out and all the kids went crazy for the new band, Queen! Had a good giggle at my young sister-in-law when she asked ME had I hear the new band, Queen! (BTW-I had) 🙂
I love Lady Gaga mostly cause of her message about being positive and true to yourself even when others try to knock you down. She does the crazy outfits so that she gets more press. Besides, I like Bette Midler. Not a crazy fan but I didn’t know about the mermaid in the wheelchair bit. Honestly, if I were Bette Midler I would have loved the fact that Lady Gaga did it and get over it. It’s a freakin mermaid in a wheelchair. Who the hell cares?
It’s all been done before… Lady Gaga is just another wanna-be! ”Nothing original, positive, or freaky about her at all.
It��s all been done before�� Lady Gaga is just another wanna-be! ��Nothing original, positive, or freaky about her at all. In fact i find her VERY borning!
BIG YAWN…
Gaga rules Midler drools.
I don’t think lady gag-me ever considers another person’s history and accomplishments. I find it unfortunate that her willful display of “individuality” is sadly unoriginal. I’m guessing that actually having talent is unnecessary these days.
If GaGa is a huge fan, then maybe on a subconscious level she had seen this in the past and used it. I see a law suit coming on…. 🙂
Either way, who cares. How did Bette hear about this from Australia? I know it’s GaGa but not like all her clothes and concert acts make the news every single time she performs.
None-the-less it’s hard to be original and why aren’t more androgenous acts nowdays getting accused of stealing from David Bowie or Mick Jagger from 60’s and 70’s? Or rockers who smash piano’s or guitars or light them on fire get sued by the estate or Hendrix or of other previous rockers who’ve done that.
Really who cares.