FOLKS, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL ARTIST,
PHILANTHROPIST, FASHION ICON, AND MOVIE STAR.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," LADY GAGA.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
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( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: IT'S GOING GREAT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> WOW!
WOW!
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LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
THIS IS-- I'M--
I'M SO HONORED TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: OH, MY GOSH.
>> GRATEFUL TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> IN "NARCOS," MY HOME.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
YOU.
>> Stephen: HAD THIS EXTRAORDINARY YEAR, STARTING
WITH SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S INAUGURAL.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
WHAT WAS THIS-- WHAT WAS THIS MOMENT LIKE FOR YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS I'VE EVER HAD
AS A MUSICIAN AND A PERFORMER.
EVERY PERFORMER HAS SOMETHING THAT'S MEANINGFUL TO THEM ABOUT
WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
FOR ME, I LOVE TO MAKE THE PUBLIC SMILE.
AND I HAD TWO MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS TO TALK TO THE WHOLE
WORLD.
AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SING TO
EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST TO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S FANS AND TO
THE PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR HIM, BUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS BEEN ON FIRE.
AND EVERYBODY DESERVES LOVE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: AND WHAT-- WHAT BETTER WAY THAN THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY AGREE ON.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS A COMPLICATED TUNE.
AND -- >> Stephen: YEAH.
>> IT WAS A COMPLICATED TIME.
>> Stephen: YES!
I LOVE YOU FINDING THE FLAG IN THAT MOMENT, THAT OUR FLAG WAS
STILL THERE.
THAT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH THAT MOMENT YOURSELF?
I IMAGINE THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT IS SO RESONANT TO THAT SPOT
WHERE YOU WERE STANDING, WHERE THE INSURRECTION HAD BEEN.
>> WELL, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH MICHAEL BERIDDAN,
WHO IS MY MUSICAL DIRECTOR.
HE IS ALSO THE CONDUCTOR FOR MY SHOW IN LAS VEGAS, MY JAZZ SHOW.
HE DOES BOTH POP AND JAZZ.
HE'S BRILLIANT.
AND HE DID THAT ARRANGEMENT WITH ME, WITH THE MARINE CORPS BAND.
AND WE DECIDED TO HOLD ON "THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE."
AND WHAT IS FUNNY ABOUT THIS MOMENT, IN ADDITION TO IT BEING
EMOTIONAL AND POWERFUL FOR ME AS A SINGER WAS THAT, BELIEVE IT OR
NOT, THEY ACTUALLY MOVED THE FLAG.
( LAUGHTER )
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER )
YOU KNOW, SO I HAD GONE OUT THE DAY BEFORE TO THE CAPITOL, WHICH
WAS KNOW-- IT WAS-- THE ENERGY WAS POWERFUL.
AND IT WAS TENSE BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH VIOLENCE A WEEK BEFORE.
THERE WAS-- THERE WAS SUCH RAGE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT WE SAW WITH
OUR OWN EYES IN A WAY THAT I THINK WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN A
REALLY LONG TIME.
AND I WENT OUT TO MY REHEARSAL, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO, AND
I'M A PROFESSIONAL, AND I WANTED TO GO TO REHEARSAL.
AND I PLANNED TO FIND THE FLAG AND POINT TAT AS I SANG THIS
PART.
AND WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MOVE THE
FLAG, AND WHEN I GOT OUT THERE, I STARTED TURNING, AND I WAS
LIKE, "OH, GIRL, JUST KEEP TURNING AND MAYBE IT WILL SHOW
UP."
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
TURNS OUT, THEY STILL KEPT THE FLAG UP ON THAT BEAUTIFUL DAY.
AND I FOUND IT.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL.
>> Stephen: I-- I-- I HAD HEARD THAT THIS, AGAIN, THIS
BEAUTIFUL DRESS THAT YOU WERE WEARING, THAT THAT WAS
BULLETROOF, THAT IT HAD FABRIC SEWN INTO IT.
>> YEAH, THERE WAS A BULLETPROOF VEST SEWN INTO THE DRESS.
AND IT WAS-- IT WAS A SCARY TIME IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND I CARE A LOT ABOUT MY FAMILY.
AND AS A PERFORMER, I UNDERSTAND THAT I PUT MYSELF IN ALL TYPES
OF DANGEROUS SITUATIONS IN ORDER TO DO WHAT I LOVE.
AND SO I DID THAT FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR MY FAMILY AS WELL, SO
THAT MY MOM AND DAD AND MY SISTER WOULD FEEL CONFIDENT.
BUT THAT DRESS, YOU KNOW, IS A SCAPARELI DRESS, AN ITALIAN
DESIGNER, AND EVERYTHING I WORE THAT DAY WAS INSPIRED BY THE
ITALIAN AND FRENCH REVOLUTION.
IN A LOT OF WAYS, I FELT LIKE THAT DAY WAS A REVOLUTION FOR
THIS COUNTRY, AND RAY REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK PAST
THE RESISTANCE AND LOOK FORWARD INTO A TIME WHEN WE CAN BE
KINDER AND WE CAN BE BRAVER AS A NATION, AS PEOPLE.
( APPLAUSE )
PLAYING FOR.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, I ASKED YOU HOW, WITH ALL THE
PRESSURES OF YOUR WORK AND ALL THE THINGS YOU TAKE ON, THE
THINGS YOU CARE ABOUT, HOW YOU ARE RELAXED AT THE END OF THE
DAY.
AND YOU SAID A GLASS OF WINE AND CRYING.
>> A CRY.
>> Stephen: A CRY.
IS THAT STILL HOW YOU DO IT?
>> JUST WITH TEQUILA NOW.
>> Stephen: WOULD YOU LIKE-- I HAVE A LITTLE-- WOULD YOU LIKE A
LITTLE TEQUILA?
>> YEAH, FOR SURE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
THIS IS REALLY FULL SERVICE OVER HERE!
>> Stephen: YES.
ON THE OPENING-- ON THE OPENING NIGHT OF THIS SHOW SIX YEARS
AGO, GEORGE SENT ME A BUNCH OF TEQUILA AND I'M VERY, VERY
GRATEFUL TO HIM.
>> THANK YOU, GEORGE.
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
RIGHT THERE.
>> ALL RIGHT!
IT'S A PARTY NOW
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.
NOW, YOU OF YOU'VE BEEN-- OH, YOU WANT A LIME?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> YOU CAN DO SOME LIVE EDITING AROUND THIS PART.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN ACTIVIST FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE AND THE L.G.B.T.
COMMUNITY FOR YEARS.
WHAT DO YOU DO--
DES THAT ACTIVISM ITSELF HELP WARD OFF DESPAIR, GIVE YOU HOPE?
( SIGHS ) >> YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
IT WARDS OFF DESPAIR AS MUCH AS IT REMINDS ME THAT WE ALL HAVE A
VOICE.
AND IT'S JUST HOW YOU USE IT.
THAT'S OUR WEAPON.
THAT'S THE-- THAT'S THE KINDEST WEAPON THAT WE HAVE, IF WE
CHOOSE TO WIELD IT KINDLY.
FOR ME, I-- I UNDERSTAND AND I UNDERSTOOD WHEN I WAS YOUNG,
AROUND MAYBE 21 YEARS OLD, THEY HAD A PLATFORM WHERE I COULD
SPEAK AND TALK TO THE WORLD.
AND, LOOK, WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WATCH WHAT I DO.
WHEN I DECIDE TO BE IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
AND HOW I CHOOSE TO USE THAT SPACE AND TIME IS SOMETHING THEY
CARE ABOUT.
SO FOR ME, SPEAKING ABOUT L.G.B.T.Q.-PLUS RIGHTS IS A PART
MIGHT HAVE DESTINY AND A PART OF WHAT I BELIEVE MAKES IT POSSIBLE
FOR ME TO HAVE THIS WORK MATTER.
TO ME, REALNESS AND RELATIONSHIPS AND THE REALITY OF
THE WORLD, IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT IT DEAD IN THE EYE, THEN ALL OF
THIS IS AN ILLUSION,s AND IT MAKES THE ART MATTER LESS.
BUT THIS IS ALSO WHY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
YOU'VE ALWAYS PUT HEART INTO YOUR WORK.
YOU ALWAYS PUT WHAT MATTERS INTO YOUR WORK.
SO I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE BECAUSE, LIKE, I REALLY RESPECT HIM, AND
I KNOW THAT YOU DO, TOO.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK, BUT DON'T GO AWAY,
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE LADY GAGA, EVERYBODY.
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