"Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian. As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. However, it has many interpretations, but for me this evening ... If we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat."
-Head-turning pop star and this year's Video of the Year winner Lady Gaga, addressing the controversy surrounding the meat-based outfit she wore both on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan and at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night (September 12). Gaga wore the same outfit to the taping of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show — her season premiere — and the host questioned what the point of it was (especially considering that DeGeneres is a vegan).
The outfit was meant to tie into Gaga's entourage for the evening at the VMAs, as she was accompanied by gay former members of the military. She said she wanted to call attention to the Unite States military's "don't ask, don't tell policy," which she finds distasteful and discriminatory. The dress has drawn the ire of PETA, who have publicly criticized the singer for the outfit.
The meat dress was one of three looks that Gaga chose for the big night, including two dresses by late designer and friend Alexander McQueen. "I didn't want to be just another bitch in a dress at an awards show," she told DeGeneres.
The Moonmen have all been handed out and the stars have gone home, but there's plenty of 2010 MTV Video Music Awards news, interviews, behind-the-scenes scoop, party reports and more still to come, so keep it locked on MTVNews.com.