Who Are Youth Calling A Role Model?
Posted by meredith on 02-25-2010
Today’s Ypulse Youth Advisory Board post is the first in what we hope will be a new monthly series of YAB posts (and possibly vlogs) around issues sparking deep thought or debate in young minds today (suggestions for future topics are welcome in comments!).
Over the next month, the Youth Advisory Board will be taking on the subject of role models. Steeped in tabloid culture and stories of fallen or exposed t(w)een stars, we asked the board who this generation admires most and why? Today we hear from Alyx who makes a powerful case for the outrageous Lady Gaga.
Remember, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board by emailing them at youthadvisoryboard at ypulse.com…or just leave a comment.
Who Are Youth Calling A Role Model?
Today, for my generation, where every article we read and every photo we see seems to feature some spoiled heiress or pop princess, it’s hard to determine which, if any, are worthy of the title “Role Model.” Living in a culture obsessed with fame and fortune, it’s sometimes forgotten that the people we watch on TV, listen to on our iPods, or see on the big screen are real people. At least, I forget. There’s someone behind every artist and star, and I feel like it is my job as a youth to focus on celebrities who touch and inspire our world in a positive light.
Lady Gaga. People know her as a fashion failure, a hermaphrodite, and a musical genius, but to me, Lady Gaga is an individual with her own purpose and message to send to her millions of fans. It wasn’t hard to like her. She is a music goddess, creating hits like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face.” As she became bigger, more people wanted to know, “who is Lady Gaga?” Well, turns out, she’s just a girl from New York who happened to make it big after years of hard work and trying to find her voice in the world. And now that she is in the spotlight, Lady Gaga has a cause behind her work.
In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga explained the inspiration behind her work—“The whole point of what I do…[is to] create a space for my fans where they can feel free, and they can celebrate, because I didn’t fit in in high school, and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans, where they feel like a ‘freak in me’ to hang out with, and they don’t feel alone.”
Her words touched me. I’m in high school right now, and so I can completely relate to what she’s talking about, but I also know that that the feeling of being a “freak” never goes away. Regardless of where you are, everyone will be unique and at times alone in a crowded room. Lady Gaga’s purpose is to help lessen that feeling of loneliness and to spread the word that it is okay to be different. It is a blessing to be special. She doesn’t wear and do the things that she does for attention, it’s because that’s who she is, and now is the time she can express it. “Sometimes in life you don’t always feel like a winner, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a winner,” she went on to say, and I think that’s a positive message to anyone, fans of hers or not.
One of her most famous lyrics goes like this—“I won’t tell you that I love you/ kiss or hug you/ cause I’m bluffin’ with my muffin.” When asked about this by Barbara Walters, she confessed, “I do like women…[but] I’ve only been in love with men…” So it’s true. The infamous Lady Gaga is bisexual, but in today’s day and age, where homosexuality is more accepted than ever, is it really that big of a deal? Out of all the famous people in Hollywood, only a handful are out gays, and I feel that it’s important to see positive role models for youth who are trying to come to terms with their own identities.
During the National Equality March Rally held in Washington D.C. for gay rights, Lady Gaga spoke. “I am inspired by the masses of all the young people here today. The younger generation. My generation. We are the one’s coming up in the world, and we must continue to push this movement forward and close the gap. We must demand full equality for all.”
Lady Gaga is not a passing fad or some young starlet looking for her fifteen minutes of fame. Her album might be titled “The Fame,” but that appears to be the last thing on her mind. She stands up for the freaks and the voiceless. She is my role model in the highest regards. Thank you, Lady Gaga. My life is forever brightened by your existence.
Lady GaGa Pushes The Limits… Of Her Brand [Brandchannel]
About Alyx
Alyx Steadman is a sophomore in high school in Montana, and loves every minute of it. He loves reading, writing, acting, singing, and being a social butterfly. In the past people have accused him of being a YouTube addict and a pop culture junkie (and sadly Alyx cannot deny these accusations). His love for teen culture has led him to many hours slaving on the computer soaking up every piece of drama Hollywood has to offer. In the future he hopes to pursue a writing career as some type of journalist. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover how he’s feeling to be in the Ypulse Advisory Board.
Categorized under: Movies & Music, Youth Advisory Board
February 25th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
This is an amazing start to the series! I agree 100%.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
[...] or those whom they should be looking to as role models, (Everyone reading this should check out Alx’s post on role models, if they haven’t already.) The pages are filled with laughing teenagers who look [...]
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:20 am
[...] Ypulse Youth Advisory Board post from Bryan Spencer picks up this month's ongoing YAB discussion of role models. It takes a slightly more personal angle than our usual YAB fare, but [...]
September 14th, 2010 at 11:55 am
[...] night were anything and everything to do with Lady Gaga. Yes, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m very biased when it comes to her. She is my idol and inspiration. But the fact that she was nominated for a [...]