• About
  • Login to comment
    • Bluesky
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Menu ▼
  • Perfume Reviews
  • New Perfumes
  • Archives

I don’t think women need to smell interesting

Posted by Robin on 14 September 2012 53 Comments

For those of you who haven't invested enough time already, here is the full length (5 1/2 minutes, almost certainly NSFW) film for Lady Gaga Fame. The film premiered last night at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, at a ball where Lady Gaga also got a tattoo and napped inside a giant perfume bottle. Below the jump, Lady Gaga explains to CNN that...

I wanted it to smell slutty, to be totally honest. I don't think that women need to smell, you know, interesting. I have an interesting mind but I want to smell like a slut to be totally honest.

 

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: celebrity perfumes, lady gaga, video

Advertisement


53 Comments

Leave a comment, or read more about commenting at Now Smell This. Here's our privacy policy, and a handy emoticon chart.

  1. Ari says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:07 pm

    God, how vapid can she be?

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:12 pm

      I have not followed her career closely enough to answer with any certainty, but in this case I do think she failed — even if what you want is to smell slutty, you can do far better than Fame. In fact, that would be a good poll!

      Log in to Reply
      • Jessica says:
        14 September 2012 at 12:15 pm

        It’s not so much *what* she says here, it’s the psedo-British over-enunciation that bothers me. Apparently she has traveled a long way from Manhattan. 😉

        Log in to Reply
        • Robin says:
          14 September 2012 at 12:20 pm

          Has she always talked like that, or is it new? (And I don’t even know where she is from)

          Log in to Reply
          • Jessica says:
            14 September 2012 at 12:29 pm

            Well, I’m remembering this interview from 2 years ago… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkhoUBBQTp0
            (She’s an Italian-American girl from NYC. Uptown, but still. 😉 )

          • Robin says:
            14 September 2012 at 12:36 pm

            Interesting. Yes, she’s definitely trying to take her accent upscale.

        • austenfan says:
          14 September 2012 at 3:06 pm

          This remark interested me. I am not “anglophone” and was taught to pronounce my English the UK way.
          I didn’t know that a more British pronunciation was considered this way in the US.
          Mind you I didn’t take this as a criticism nor is my remark intended as such. I have always loved language and I know that in my country, as in many other European countries the way you pronounce your language can be quite important. Somehow I have always lived under the assumption that this was less important in the US.

          Log in to Reply
          • Marjorie Rose says:
            14 September 2012 at 8:50 pm

            Austenfan, accents make a lot of difference in the US. We have many stereotypes and assumptions associated with different regional accents. And British accents are generally perceived as more intelligent or sophisticated (at least if life mirrors pop culture!).

          • Marjorie Rose says:
            14 September 2012 at 8:57 pm

            Perhaps I should add that this is an issue that comes up nearly daily for me! I am from Oregon, but I lived in Minnesota for a decade–a region with a very recognizable accent (at least for locals). Folks here in Oregon comment on how I speak or make jokes about my pronunciation, honestly, *daily*. Thankfully, Minnesota doesn’t have horrible associations for most folks, just a sort of folksy, rural-ness that’s attributed to it.

          • JolieFleurs says:
            14 September 2012 at 10:45 pm

            Oh lord, don’t let this Georgia girl go off on a rant about stereotypes associated with accents in America. 😉

          • Joe says:
            15 September 2012 at 1:21 am

            It’s interesting to think about your remark, Austenfan — I do know that many upper-class people in the USA were often taught an elocution that had a bit of a British edge to it. This was true up through maybe the 1950s or so. It’s noticeable in many classic movies. An interesting link about the phenomenon:
            http://bit.ly/Uc0PzZ

            But I think this thing Gaga is doing is just affectation.

            I’ve never really listened to her speak much. If I were listening to this without a visual, I could have thought she was Madonna, who I’m not sure is still doing that Lady of the Manor-wannabe accent. They really *are* similar creatures!

          • austenfan says:
            30 September 2012 at 8:04 am

            Thank you for all these responses. Late to read, have been away in France for 2 weeks.

        • Merlin says:
          14 September 2012 at 4:50 pm

          She sounded a LOT less childish 2 years ago… (accent aside)

          Log in to Reply
      • Ari says:
        14 September 2012 at 12:23 pm

        Very true, Robin! I remember that you’ve had polls on sexy perfumes, but perhaps we need to address the question of slutty perfumes! 😉

        Log in to Reply
        • Merlin says:
          14 September 2012 at 4:43 pm

          There was one on skanky perfumes!

          Log in to Reply
      • austenfan says:
        14 September 2012 at 3:07 pm

        I would love that poll!

        Log in to Reply
  2. Jessica says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:12 pm

    “The big innovation is the look of the perfume.”

    Well, that’s true enough!

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:20 pm

      Yep. Which partially answers the question about whether or not she’s a good businesswoman 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  3. Lys says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:23 pm

    Marie Claire UK is asserting today that Fame smells like blood sweat and semen. Well played, LG.

    Apparently during her performance piece the Lady also relieved herself in a bucket inside that giant perfume bottle. Apparently you can watch it on youtube.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:33 pm

      My. I think I’ll skip that one.

      Log in to Reply
  4. eaudemale says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:24 pm

    Even these many special effects can’t make this “lady” less ugly.
    I spent almost 6 minutes for something to happen and all I got was a less exciting 2012 version of Madonna’s Human Nature/Frozen.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:34 pm

      Have to agree. It was not significantly more exciting than the short previews I’d already seen.

      Log in to Reply
  5. Abyss says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:27 pm

    “I don’t think women need to smell interesting”

    I found it pretty dull so I guess that’s mission accomplished.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:34 pm

      Yep.

      Log in to Reply
    • Dilana says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:45 pm

      Yes, but should women smell like bad jelly over laundry detergent? The test strips I smelled reminded me of an attempted to use scented tide to get the purple jam off dress, a five year old’s dress.

      Have I missed some social revolution where that now is what considered slutty?

      Log in to Reply
      • Marjorie Rose says:
        14 September 2012 at 8:51 pm

        Yes. All the hottest women are wearing grape jelly this year. Didn’t you know?!

        Log in to Reply
  6. Riverwide says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:35 pm

    I figured there’d be lots of sneering at Lady GaGa in this thread and guess what…I was right. Why are people so full of hate towards a pop star? Strange.

    The fragrance isn’t remotely interesting, but I’ve smelled worse.

    Log in to Reply
    • Robin says:
      14 September 2012 at 12:48 pm

      I don’t hate her at all, I don’t even know enough about her to hate her. I’ve smelled worse too, but I’ve also smelled much better.

      Log in to Reply
    • Dilana says:
      14 September 2012 at 3:02 pm

      Actually, I like most of her songs.

      Log in to Reply
    • Merlin says:
      14 September 2012 at 4:08 pm

      Dont know much about her or her music, but I’v got a sense that people are ‘meant’ to believe she has done something striking, and the fact that her perfume is anything BUT striking marks her out as form over content….

      Log in to Reply
    • FearsMice says:
      14 September 2012 at 6:05 pm

      Riverwide: pop culture’s misappropriation of the use of the word “hate” and its various forms (hater, hating, etc.) is disturbing to me. A quick look at the dictionary entry for the word will show that disliking, disapproving of–yes, even sneering at–a person or thing does not (necessarily) rise to the level of hating said person or thing.

      Sad to say, millions of people will never know, understand, or care about the difference…

      Log in to Reply
      • Merlin says:
        14 September 2012 at 6:33 pm

        So many people so filled with indifference!

        Log in to Reply
    • MrsRabbit says:
      14 September 2012 at 8:52 pm

      Probably because most of us on this site are over the age of 14.

      Log in to Reply
      • Robin says:
        14 September 2012 at 9:47 pm

        Hey, the rules here are simple — don’t be mean to other commenters, even if you disagree with them. You’re getting near the borderline on that one — please keep it nice!

        Log in to Reply
  7. Rictor07 says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:37 pm

    Wow, i love the Ferrofluid effects! Magnetized liquid is so cool to play with.

    Log in to Reply
    • Merlin says:
      14 September 2012 at 4:04 pm

      So thats what it is!

      Log in to Reply
  8. Lys says:
    14 September 2012 at 12:43 pm

    BTW I loved the first trailer but this has nothing new beyond that. And it’s not in 3D. Where’s the love, Haus Labs?

    Log in to Reply
  9. Omega says:
    14 September 2012 at 1:30 pm

    Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to smell like a you know what..if I did..I wouldn’t pick grape kool-aid Fame to do it either! My goodness. Her language. I don’t follow her at all..she just seems too dark and strange for me to even want to know anything more than I already do. Which isn’t much but feel like it’s too much, lol.

    And Fame isn’t interesting(so, yes, guess that was accomplished) but it definitely doesn’t smell you know whatty. I don’t think! I don’t know what a you know what perfume would be lol but not kool-aid. lol. Perhaps Mugler could make up one that smells, well, you know..if he hasn’t already.

    Log in to Reply
  10. Omega says:
    14 September 2012 at 1:45 pm

    Oh and when I think of a you know what scent..Womanity mixed with Dzing a dot of Poison in there.

    Log in to Reply
  11. kiki says:
    14 September 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Just…ugh. Apparently she’s not above trying to rip off Madonna to the last detail, down to the phony quasi-British accent. I don’t know, she really bugs me. If she really were doing something new or innovative, I suppose I wouldn’t mind the pretension, but she’s not! The part about how the fragrance execs tried to convince her there was just “no way” to do the whole black fragrance that sprayed clear thing, but she just kept on pushing, really gets me….as though it were something wildly revolutionary; I’m sure it’s been mentioned on here before, but surely at least some of those fragrance execs (if not Lady Gaga herself) must have heard of Boudicca Wode? (Okay, it was dark blue & sprayed clear, but still!) The technology is nothing new or groundbreaking! And as Robin noted, the scent itself couldn’t be tamer or more run-of-the mill. Okay, end of rant – sorry! 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  12. 2scents says:
    14 September 2012 at 4:36 pm

    There’s a piece on her (which discusses the perfume launch, as well) in the XL September Vogue. I’ve just caught her influence from afar and it was interesting to learn a little more about her.

    Log in to Reply
  13. peter says:
    14 September 2012 at 4:41 pm

    But is it ART?

    Log in to Reply
  14. Merlin says:
    14 September 2012 at 4:46 pm

    It smells slutty – oh but in a good way! Like when you are in wedlock and your husband is considerate to you…WTF?

    Log in to Reply
  15. MrsRabbit says:
    14 September 2012 at 8:48 pm

    I wish I were interesting enough to appreciate this video. Oh wait, no I don’t.

    Log in to Reply
  16. PinoiPerfumista says:
    15 September 2012 at 5:41 am

    I believe the ultimate goal of the video and the interview is to create a stir and with that said, I believe Lady Gaga and her team achieved it. Regarding her “i want to smell slutty” remark, I do not think this should be taken seriously, I mean, it’s LADY GAGA, what do you expect? 🙂

    I would like to think many of us here are not her target market but I am also sure, based on her twitter followers alone (is that a good predictor?) that her bottle will do well. we will see.

    Log in to Reply
  17. annemarie says:
    15 September 2012 at 7:46 am

    I once read a remark on a fragrance forum about one of Le Labo’s city exclusives – Baie Rose 26, only available in Chicago – that when you stand in the store in Chicago and look at the fragrance, there is nothing special about the experience. It is just another fragrance in a sea of fragrances.

    The Fame video is kinda cool and well done, but ya know? When you see and smell the perfume in the shop, as I did today, it is nothing special. Yes, it’s black, yes, it is in a special display, and there seemed to be some free stuff that you get as a GWP. But in the end it’s just another fragrance in a busy department store, and seeing it in person is a long way away from the mood of the video. It’s yet another tester, smeared with finger prints and allowed to get too warm under the bright lights.

    In a few weeks Fame will be moved from the spot where they display new celebrity fragrances (Justin Bieber has rented that spot, as have Beyonce, and many others) and will just go on a shelf with all the others.

    Log in to Reply
  18. poodle says:
    15 September 2012 at 7:56 am

    I so want to say what I think here but I’m in a bit of a mood so I’m not going to. I will say that I agree that there is nothing spectacular about another fruity floral.

    Log in to Reply
    • Anne from Makeupwoot says:
      15 September 2012 at 2:00 pm

      It’ll be spectacularly disappointing if it manages to stay on the market longer than 2 years before hitting the discounter shelves of TJ Maxx and company.

      Log in to Reply
  19. Querelle 3 says:
    15 September 2012 at 8:01 am

    The triumph of marketing over substance. It’s a sign of times I guess.. O tempora o mores, as the Latins famously quoted.

    Log in to Reply
  20. eminere says:
    15 September 2012 at 8:03 am

    I used to think Lady Gaga was interesting, but after all the nonsense she’s sprouted over the years she bores me now. Shock value: zero.

    Log in to Reply
    • Anne from Makeupwoot says:
      15 September 2012 at 1:58 pm

      Yep.

      Log in to Reply
  21. Anne from Makeupwoot says:
    15 September 2012 at 1:58 pm

    *Yawn*

    I concede that she’s figured out a way to become a multi-millionaire better than I have, however, I’m clearly either too-jaded or have been to one too many S&M meet & greets/play parties to be shocked. She reminds me of the standard stock teenager. The kind who starts dressing differently and espousing philosophies (right about the time that they hit sophomore year of high school) that they can’t even begin to understand to shock his/her parents & guardians and gleefully relishes the reaction.

    Log in to Reply
  22. nicolasss says:
    16 September 2012 at 1:49 pm

    Nobody NEEDS to smell interesting, but they shouldn’t smell slutty imo because there is no such thing in perfume unless you want to cover up that you made a cheap and boring perume…

    Also that entire statement just emphasized how UNinteresting her mind is.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Advertisement

Search

Recent reviews

Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus
Moschino Toy Boy
Arquiste Misfit
Diptyque Eau Capitale
Zoologist Bee
Parfum d’Empire Immortelle Corse
Comme des Garcons Series 10 Clash
Frédéric Malle Rose & Cuir
L’Artisan Parfumeur Le Chant de Camargue
Yves Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre
Régime des Fleurs Chloë Sevigny Little Flower
Chanel 1957
Gallivant Los Angeles
Amouage Portrayal Woman

Blogroll

Bois de Jasmin
Grain de Musc
Perfume Posse
The Non-Blonde
More blogs...

Perfumista lists

100 fragrances every perfumista should try
And 25 more fragrances every perfumista should smell
50 masculine fragrances every perfumista should try
26 vintage fragrances every perfumista should try
25 rose fragrances every perfumista should try
11 Cheap Perfumes Beauty Outsiders Love

Favorite posts

The Great Perfume Reduction Plan
Why I Love Old School Chypres
New to perfume and want to learn more?
How to make fragrance last through the day
Fragrance concentrations: sorting it all out
On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn’t smell like it used to
How to get fragrance samples
Perfume for Life: How Long Will Your Fragrance Collection Last?

Upcoming

List of upcoming Friday projects

6 January ~ damage poll

31 January ~ winter reading poll

Back to Top

Home
Archives
About Now Smell This :: Privacy Policy
Perfume Reviews
New Perfumes
General Perfume Articles
The Monday Mail

Glossary of Perfume Terms
Perfume FAQ
Perfume Books

Noses ~ Perfumers A-E :: F-K :: L-S :: T-Z

Perfume Houses A-B :: C :: D-E :: F-G
H-J :: K-L :: M :: N-O :: P :: Q-R :: S
T :: U-Z

Copyright © 2005-2026 Now Smell This. All rights reserved.