How’s that for a tech show headline? Well, yeah, I know but stay with me. Weird Al Yankovic wrote a parody of Lady Gaga’s hit “Born This Way”. He called it “Perform This Way” and it sorta made fun of Lady Gaga but more just explained possible rationale behind the Gaga Empire. Al wanted to have it be the big single on his next album. But he couldn’t get permission from Gaga. So he posted it on YouTube, citing fair use policy, and explaining in the video what had happened. Within a day the hits to the video were piling up huge. Al was being seen as a rebel hero of the internet while Gaga was viewed as a fuddy duddy stick in the mud with no sense of humor.
Well, that’s not good for her image. So by the end of yesterday, Al announced that he had spoken to Gaga’s management, they say they never got the request to Gaga, and that she loves the song and is flattered.
Oversight? Public shaming? Guerilla rights management?
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
