Because of this little moment, from Vanessa Grigoriadis’ feature in the current issue of New York Magazine:
At five-two and 100 pounds, with her hair styled into a mod blonde bob, she looked flush from a strict diet of starvation: “Pop stars should not eat,” she pronounced. She was young, skinny, and blonde, but she had a prominent Italian nose, the kind of nose that rarely survives on a starlet.
Feministing’s Jos registered her frustration about this yesterday, saying:
Gaga gets a lot of credit from feminists (myself included) for creating a pop art space where marginalized young people who feel like freaks and weirdos can be at home. So it’s disappointing to see her speak so flippantly about the dangerous body image issues and disordered eating that is supported and encouraged through pop culture. At the same time, the honesty is almost a relief – at least Gaga is being open about the expectation that female celebrities starve themselves. Now we just need to change that standard.
On board with the standard-changing plan. Though I do wonder if Lady Gaga thinks a moronic food comment is all part of her character/identity crisis; a minute earlier in the story, she insists that Lady Gaga is her real name, and calling her Stefani means “you don’t really know me at all.” (Grigoriadis notes, “I never thought she was going to actually be Lady Gaga” and describes the pop star speaking with an accent that’s half British Madonna and half robot.)
Still and all, it would be nice if Lady/Stefani/whoever the heck she is could get behind pop stars eating lunch every now and then. (Also if my local radio DJs could lay off “Bad Romance” for a week or two, so I can finally get it out of my head.)
PS. Darlings, I am highly aware that with all the Feminist Carnival excitement this week, I haven’t gotten you any Beauty U updates. Trust me, it’s not for lack of stories. A lot has been happening — so much that I needed to take a few days to process and put it all together for you. So you get something a little better than my first response, which is more or less “WTF waxing!!!” Yes. Waxing. So please, keep checking this space. (Adding me to your RSS feed is a grand way to stay on top of everything Beauty Schooled, hint, hint!) I’ll have fresh tales from the trenches starting Monday.
Meanwhile, if you’re just joining us here Beauty Schooled (perhaps because you’re discovering me via cross-posts on Feminist Blogs or Feministing’s Community Blog) take this time to get caught up with all my esthetics adventures (from week 1 to 19!) here.
[Photo: New York Magazine]
Beauty Schooled 
I do kind of respect that she admits it takes starving herself to look the way she does — there’s nothing that I hate more than celebrities who are like, “I eat whatever I want, I’m just naturally thin!” I think that makes any girl with a normal body/metabolism feel cursed. (Plus it’s so phony, sort of like stars who slept their way to the top saying, “I think my natural talent just shines through, and directors see that.” I’d rather have them come out and say, “There are some videos of me out there I’d rather you not see.”)
Still: depressing.
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It is definately difficult for me to like anything main-stream too but I like Lady Gaga. She reminds us of Madonna but she’s a little crazier–if that could be done =)
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