Lady Gaga is known for having a lot to say about, well, everything. Her penchant for controversy extends from religion, sexuality, drug use and everything in between. This, combined with a few Billboard topping hits and the infamous meat dress from the 2012 MTV Music Awards, has earned her the status of a major pop culture icon. With this status comes a great deal of influence; by being a vocal advocate for Anti-Bullying campaigns and LGBT rights, Gaga has branded herself as ‘Queen of the Misfits.’ Most recently, she has sparked a much-needed conversation on body image by using herself as the example.
In mid-September, several photos of Gaga performing on her world tour with a noticeably heavier frame were released.
Vicious criticism was quick to follow, from online magazines, Twitter and blogs. Instead of signing the first deal she could with Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers to become the new poster child for weight loss, Gaga fired back by announcing her “Body Revolution 2013,” which she begun by posting a set of very honest photos of herself. The pictures are bereft of her usual dramatics: no costumes, no make up, just Mother Monster in her underwear.
The caption bluntly reads “Bulimia and Anorexia since I was 15.”
Gaga followed up the post with an invitation to her fans: “Now that the body revolution has begun, be brave and post a photo of you that celebrates your triumph over insecurities.” The responses have been both overwhelming and startling: photos of recovering anorexics, those struggling with obesity, fans with dwarfism, missing limbs, the list goes on. With one viral post, Gaga has taken the conversation on body image to a level that no celebrity endorsement before hers could.
However, leading by example wasn’t always something I would associate with Gaga. As much as I love her, it’s impossible not to point out that up until last month, advocating a “Born This Way” attitude couldn’t have been so hard to do as a size zero employing a small army of personal trainers. Nevertheless, with this new stance on body image, Gaga has a real chance to be a role model, and I can only hope that she’s up for the job. It would be a true disappointment to see her turn back into the prototypical pop star stick figure for her next tour.