FAIL: Lady GaGa pulls a bait and switch

^{Gaga Polaroid unveiling at the MIT Museum. Photo: Scott M. Lacey}

One of our staffers is currently working on a conspiracy theory that Lady GaGa isn't actually a lady at all. No, no, this isn't a set-up to a well-placed tuck-back-the-ole-sac joke. The premise is that GaGa is actually a character played by a whole cast of actors (men and women alike) whose identities will never be discovered due to the wacked out parade of millinery constantly obscuring "Lady GaGa's" face. Just a theory. But if it was true, and we're not saying it is, then every single one of those actors must have been out sick Wednesday.

An amped up herd of local media and MIT students gathered at the MIT museum yesterday, hoping to catch a glimpse of (and maybe an interview with) the elusive pop star. My shameless self included. Word was that the singer might show face for the unveiling of the museum's new Polaroid exhibit. GaGa was recently named Creative Director (cue mild bemusement/ not-so-mild scoffing) of the entire company due, according to CEO Stephen Miller, to the fact that "She is real. She is authentic. And she is innovative." We'll give him that last one, at least. It turns out Ga was indeed present for earlier in the day, for a photo shoot with Polaroid's very first model. However, she managed to skirt the press, slipping out a back door and into an awaiting black town car in the alley. (Overheard from a disgruntled photog two rows back.) Sneaky, sneaky. No one knew this when the frenzied pack of us gathered for the exhibit's (which actually looks pretty neat, try to go check it out) opening ceremonies. Let it be said that we were a pretty pathetic lot.

For about an hour, little attention was paid to a succession of speakers (though a couple were eloquent) as all anyone could think about was the impending (and unrealized) arrival of the fame monster. My heart broke a little to see grown men with grey stubble whipping around in their seats whenever someone in the back of the room coughed or shuffled their feet. A cameraman to my left put it pretty succinctly, as the event wound down sans GaGa, when he remarked to a colleague, "See, now we're entering the anger phase. The denial phase has passed."

And while yours truly never even caught a glimpse of GaGa (impersonator or otherwise) your trusty alt weekly still got the scoop. You can count on us.

^{Rawr. Photo: Scott M. Lacey}