As a presenter, Ellen DeGeneres was the one who kick-started Lady Gaga's epic eight-win night at last night's Video Music Awards. So it's only natural Lady Gaga in turn helped Ellen kick off her sure-to-be epic eighth season at the, um, Video Music Awards.
But no one will be mistaking Ellen for the queen of nice anytime soon, as the talk host, filming her season premiere backstage the big show, wasted no time grilling the woman of the night on her latest foray into controversy.
Sorry, we'll be a bit more specific…
That PETA-angering meat bikini.
The animal-loving talk show host harshed Gaga's awards buzz while questioning her sartorial choices in an interview set to air today.
"I get most of your outfits," Ellen began. "You have the meat bikini on and now the meat dress…because I'm vegan…What is the purpose of the meat?"
"Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian," Gaga said. "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 bones. And, I am not a piece of meat."
Um, all clear, then? Thought not. Take it away, PETA:
"In her line of business, Lady Gaga has a hard time being 'over the top,' and wearing a dress made from cuts of dead cows is offensive enough to bring comment, but someone should whisper in her ear that there are more people upset by butchery than impressed by it—and that means a lot of young people will not be buying her records if she keeps it up," the organization said in a statement.
Sure they won't, PETA. Sure they won't.
"Meat is the decomposing flesh of an abused animal who didn't want to die, and after time spent under the TV lights, it would smell like the rotting flesh that it is and likely be crawling in maggots—not too attractive, really," the group went on.
"If Lady Gaga continues to wear meat, the perfect accessory would be a PETA vegetarian/vegan starter kit."
Not a bad idea...if it were covered in muppets and tacked onto a headdress, maybe.
As for Gaga, her summit with Ellen wasn't all controversy, as she also addressed her nerves at last night's VMA Awards.
"I was supremely nervous is a way that I have never been nervous because I wasn't performing," she said of her constant state of near-teariness while accepting her three on-camera moon men last night.
"I'm not used to just…like going to accept awards and get my picture taken. I don't do that. And so much of what I stand for is really hard work and being yourself and busting your ass. It was really difficult for me. I can't let my fans down tonight because then I'm just another bitch in a dress at an award show."
As if there was much chance of that.
—Reporting by Whitney English
Lady Gaga wasn't the only one who hit up the record carpet last night. Check out our VMA arrivals gallery!