The problem is that so many people get mad at generic artists with generic personalities, but when Lady Gaga comes along and expresses her creative side no one understands. That is understandable. Lady Gaga IS an artist. She is expressing her vision and people are either praising it or criticising it. All art is subjective, but you cannot ignore an artist just because you disagree with their work. That's just stupid.
Lady Gaga being talented might be even be subjective, but you have to admit she is at least very skillfull. She has written over 50 something songs, and The Fame doesn't showcase the variety of her songwriting abilities. She was a songwriter before she made it big, indicating that record labels saw something special about her. Lady Gaga has composed the acoustic versions to her songs and can play them and sing them just as well. She can vocalize and dance. No, she isn't the best dancer, the best singer, or the best songwriter. Nonetheless, Gaga does deserve her props. Her image was not manufactured, it is all her. Everything she does is hands on. The Haus of Gaga is a group of friends and Lady Gaga is invovled in helping them design the set or her wardrobe. This isn't some reality tv chick who decided to make an album because she's famous, this is someone who has been making music for a long ass time and after being fed shit for so long she finally made it. She isn't on the sidelines either, but is very interactive.
As for her originality, Lady Gaga has said that she is nothing but a reference book to pop culture. Her style = David Bowie, Grace Jones, Madonna, and many more. She's basically trying to create something for pop culture, which she has. Her style is eccentric, but so? You don't have to understand it. There are people that don't understand why you like to fuck with guys, but don't mind it
Her VMA performance was amazing. I especially love her acceptance speech "This is for God and the gays." With 27 million viewers that night, I am glad that Lady Gaga is not afraid to interject "gayness" into mainstream.