Alter Ego - Performing Arts Usage

Performing Arts Usage

Alter egos are used by numerous performing artists who use stage or screen personae both to entertain audiences and to explore new identities for themselves. An early example of a musical group to make use of alter egos was The Beatles, who recorded and performed as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in order "to alter our egos, free ourselves and have a lot of fun". Alter egos would later be used for entertainment value by glam-associated artists such as David Bowie (as Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke) and KISS, and to exploit horror themes by shock rockers Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson. Often, these artists are known almost exclusively by their alter egos; for example, Brian Warner (Marilyn Manson) is seldom seen in public without his horror makeup. In 2004, Jay Sean made innovative use of an alter ego in Me Against Myself, where his two personae, one an R&B singer and the other a rapper, clash in a rap battle.

In contemporary hip hop, artists such as Eminem, Lil Wayne, Traphik, B.o.B, Kool Keith, Nicki Minaj, Tech N9ne and T.I. have used the alter egos Slim Shady, Tune-Chi Lee, Timothy de la Ghetto, Bobby Ray, Dr. Octagon. Roman Zolanski, Tecca Nina and T.I.P., respectively, to explore divisions in their personalities. T.I.'s album T.I. vs T.I.P. even directly appropriates a Jekyll and Hyde plot. More subtle uses of alter egos can be seen in artists who redefine their image for an album, such as Christina Aguilera as Xtina and the members of My Chemical Romance as members of an outlaw gang known as the Fabulous Killjoys, and artists who describe their stage personalities as different from their private ones, such as Beyoncé Knowles' identity as Sasha Fierce, Katy Perry's identity as Kathy Beth Terry in music video "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", and also Tyler, The Creator uses many alter egos such as Wolf Haley, Young Nigga, Ace Creator, Thurnis Haley, Tyler, The Creature, Dr. T.C., Tyler Haley.

Comic performers also make use of alter egos as a part of their routines. The Marx Brothers performed throughout their careers as their vaudeville characters. For example, Julius Marx would play (and be credited as) Groucho, whether he was cast a professor (as in Horse Feathers), a veterinarian (A Day at the Races), or a president (Duck Soup). Standup comedians such as Don Rickles (Mr. Warmth) and Jackie Mason (Hartounian) can be said to have developed their shtick into distinct alter egos. Performer Andy Kaufman was chiefly known to fans through several characters, including the Foreign Man (later Latka Gravas), Tony Clifton, and Kaufman's impersonation of Elvis Presley. The biopic Man on the Moon depicts Kaufman as a man whose true identity was difficult to isolate, even by his close friends, because of the prevalence of these alter egos. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen, who has often been compared to Kaufman, is similarly best known as the characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno and Admiral General Aladeen.

Professional wrestlers, more often than not, perform under ring names depicting alter egos, such as Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan), Mark Calaway (The Undertaker), Paul Levesque (Triple H), Mike Mizanin (The Miz) and Phillip Brooks (CM Punk).

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan occasionally goes by the alter ego "Tony Plush", although not usually.

Singer/songerwriter Beyoncé used an alter ego named Sasha Fierce when she wrote her album I Am...Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé stated that she wanted to explore her romantic side and her aggressive side.

Singer/Rapper Nicki Minaj used many alter egos such as Harujuku Barbie, the innocent and polite one, Nicki, she's the glamorous type, Roman Zolanski also refer as her "demon" inside her,and he's gay, she stated in her song Roman's Revenge (featuring Eminem), Martha Zolanski, a british woman which is Roman's mother and also her new alter ego and that is Rossa, a spanish woman (pronounce as Rrrr-ossa).

Rapper Eminem also has an alter ego which is Slim Shady and he stated it in Roman's Revenge and also The Real Slim Shady.

Singer Lady Gaga also has an male alter ego which is Jo Calderone created in 2010, First appearance in Vogue Hommes Japan Magazine and in the music video of Yoü and I and first live appearance in 2011 Video Music Awards.

Lead vocalist of the band Korn Jonathon Davis has also recently created his own alter ego for his DJ/dubstep career naming himself JDevil. Whilst he performs as JDevil, Davis wears black contact lenses and a black mouth piece in order to differentiate himself from his normal appearance.