Dear Lady Gaga,
Not only am I writing you to apologize, but I am thanking you from the bottom of my heart.
I was one of them. I was one of 113.7 million viewers tuning in to Fox’s fifth-most-watched TV event in history. I was one who watched your captivating and spectacular performance. I was one of them who studied your body as you were showcasing a talent and mastery of a singer, songwriter, actress and record producer. I was one who not only thought it, but wrote it. I actually texted a friend back and forth about how surprising it was that you weren’t more toned. Here I am writing and speaking on positive body image and what the true definition of beauty is, and I found myself conforming to society’s ideals and expectations of what you should look like: I was guilty.
If I was blameworthy, I can’t imagine how many other viewers had the same thoughts. And, that is what terrifies me. There are millions of young girls who aspire to become “you”; who belt out every single word to every one of your songs; who dream to be that one performer in front of the largest crowd on a Super Bowl Sunday; and who idolize you. These girls see perfection. And, with no doubt, they should.
I sat in front of my television mesmerized by your ability to take over a stage, a Super Bowl stadium, and millions of viewers. I admired your confidence, fearlessness, and poise. So why is it that I needed to look at your body and critique it? I couldn’t help it. Media has portrayed singers, performers, and stars to have the utmost “perfect” body. In our minds, that includes being skinny and toned. The fact that you may have appeared otherwise is a blessing. In fact, because of the uproar, you have positively impacted millions of little girls. The girls who looked at you with pure admiration for “you.” The girls who immediately questioned their bodies the second they heard criticism of yours. The girls who thought twice about their stomachs when they looked in the mirrors in that night.
Your statement back has been powerful, influential, and should be displayed on every single mirror in front of every single girl and woman to read each time they venture into the bathroom to find flaws or imperfections of their appearance.
“I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I’m proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too,” she wrote on Instagram in the caption of a photo of her performing. “No matter who you are or what you do.”
Thank you Lady Gaga. You not only blew your performance out of the water, but you have touched more lives than you can imagine.
Your newest biggest fan,
Erin Mandras