Lady Gaga

The Fame Monster- Album Cover (http://www.ladygaga.com/photos/detail.aspx?fid=15448&phid=15450)

Most people know Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta as worldwide pop sensation Lady Gaga, the singer of Bad Romance, who wears weird outfits and may or may not be a hermaphrodite, or even as a glorified stripper. But those who dig deeper know that she is an artist, and an art form in herself who is revolutionizing pop music. Lady Gaga is a hero because she sacrifices herself to help others, she is a self-made icon, and she is a role model for today’s youth.

Lady Gaga as a Child (http://www.intouchweekly.com/content/2009/12/LadyGaga1222.jpg)

Lady Gaga grew up in New York City’s Lower East Side to Italian American parents. At the age of four, she learned to play the piano by ear, and by thirteen, she wrote her first ballad. At fourteen, she played open mike at New York’s underground clubs by night and was teased by her classmates at her exclusive New York private school. At seventeen, she was one of only 20 kids to gain early admission to Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, but she dropped out to play New York’s underground nightclubs. She could have had everything provided for her by her parents, if she stayed at Tisch, but she followed her artistic calling, not fame or celebrity. By twenty, she was signed with Interscope Records and wrote songs for other artists. Unlike other pop stars. Gaga’s fame wasn’t handed to her, she had to earn it, and create her own fame.

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper's Ad for MAC Cosmetics (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dz_VCP3TG34/S3Qvb7K8QjI/AAAAAAAACR8/f7tTYa8QAcs/s400/lady-gaga-300x400.jpg)

Many people see Lady Gaga only for her music and image, but, she has also selflessly helped others. When the Haiti earthquake hit, Gaga donated all the sales from one night’s concert and her online store, generating over $500,000 in donations. Another way Gaga has helped others is through her “From Our Lips” Campaign for MAC Cosmetic’s Viva Glam lipsticks for AIDS with singer Cyndi Lauper. Gaga’s goal with the campaign is to promote safe sex to young people. She wants the lipstick to be a symbol of protection, and a reminder for women to always be safe.

Lady Gaga at the Grammy's (http://www.harpersbazaar.com/cm/harpersbazaar/images/rU/lady-gaga-grammys2010-5-de.jpg)

Lady Gaga is about more than just the flamethrower bras, headpieces, and performance art. She is bold, fearless, and an inspiration to anyone who feels different or doesn’t quite fit in. She is her own creation. When she was younger, she didn't fit in at school, and she doesn't want her fans to feel like she did - so she created a 'space' for them. A space where they could be free to be who they truly are, just like herself. She shows teenagers than it’s okay to be yourself, and you should never let anyone stop you from being who you are. It takes real courage to show up to the Grammy’s in a space-age plastic dress; she does not, by any means, fit the bill of conventional beauty She is living proof that you don’t have to conform in order to succeed, and that makes her a true inspiration.

Lady Gaga’s passion and self sacrifice for others, her positive message about achieving your goals and being who you are that she sends to today’s teenagers, and the way she committed herself to her career while preserving herself are what makes Lady Gaga the hero of our generation.