No Monster Here: Lady Gaga Uses Her Fame for Good
Lady Gaga attended a fundraiser last night, where she brought up the issue of the bullying and suicide of gay teenagers with President Barack Obama. After waiting through the photo line with her manager, Gaga thanked Obama for hosting an anti-bullying conference earlier this year and wanted to know what Obama and other politicians were going to do about this issue.
Gaga has been outspoken about this issue in recent times, speaking at the National Mall ahead of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal and conversing with Senator Harry Reid via Twitter. I appreciate that Gaga is using her power and influence as an activist, working on the behalf of others.
I don't agree with the idea of "Shut Up and Sing", where celebrities couldn't possibly know what they speak of when they get involved on political issues. If that's the case, then we also ought to be telling folks to "shut up and sell insurance", or "shut up and build houses," or "shut up and fill in job occupation." In my case, it would be "shut up and write," which is just an incredibly funny irony. Shut up and sing can also be a very funny irony, as has been demonstrated by bands and musicians such as Green Day, Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, and Rage Against the Machine.
Celebrities are citizens of the United States like everyone else. I just wish more of them took the time to speak to government officials in the way Gaga is doing, instead of just donating money or acting as a spokesperson for this issue or that issue.
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