By David Anderson, Tillicum
The following article contains graphic material although ironically enough it concerns back-to-school supplies for children.
Your local Office Depot (OD) now not only offers notebooks and color crayons, but also bravery and courage. Here’s an excerpt from their ad:
“Purchase unique limited edition products that include Gift Cards signed by Lady Gaga, Post-it-notes, Sharpies, and bracelets with 25% off donated to the ‘Born This Way Foundation’.”
‘Fifty-percent off’ would be a more appropriate discount given that’s how much was missing from Gaga’s attire when at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2011 Gaga announced the release of her album “Born This Way” accompanied by a black-and-white photograph of herself “nude from the waist down.”
When you o-d on Office Depot’s back-to-school gotta-have-Gaga-products, including the “Bravery Bracelet” for your child’s wrist, be sure to ask for the “Born This Way” half-nude photograph of Gaga for your child’s wall.
Having the goal “to create a kinder, braver school year” – as Bob Moore, Chief Marketing Officer for Office Depot, claims is the purpose – is one thing, but failing to do your homework is another.
In associating itself with Gaga’s “Born This Way” foundation ostensibly to sell the message of safety and student success, OD also expects to do quite well financially in selling Gaga’s products – over $1M donated to the cause this year which represents 25-percent of actual sales.
Thus kids across the nation can send Gaga Post-it-notes, written on with Gaga pens, and send Gaga Gift Cards, these back-to-school essentials featuring the Born This Way Foundation’s logo, as well as one of six messages from Gaga: “Be Brave,” “Be Amazing,” “Be Yourself,” “Be Kind,” “Be Accepting,” and “Be Involved.”
By the way (btw), here’s another message from Gaga that could be included in your kid’s supplies from Born This Way (BTW).
The “eponymous lead single” Born This Way and album was produced with – given birth to – among others, Fernando Garibay, of whom Gaga shares this: “Imagine if Bruce Springsteen had a baby with Whitney Houston – that’s what it is. And that was it! We made a baby. Finally. After all that fornication, miserably long and tedious, Fernando and I finally conceived.”
Following conception, Gaga was to have partnered with Target on an exclusive deluxe edition of the Born This Way album but when she found out that Target had donated $150,000 to the conservative political group “Minnesota Forward”, she terminated the relationship or, to use Gaga’s analogy, pregnancy.
“Minnesota Forward” had contributed to an election campaign that opposed the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) position which Gaga supports.
Meanwhile Gaga’s record label has “declined to provide the album’s sales numbers” for 2012, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
That’s “phonographic”.
Spelled somewhat differently however, if interpreted correctly, are these sentiments by Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times who opined that Gaga is “unsubtle in her message (and) unsubtle in her dress”.
Not to Office Depot however which evidently finds Gaga suitable both as a partner for profits and a role model for youth.
You can reach Office Depot here.
