V i e w p o i n t
Of Lady Gaga ’ s Belly ...
And Bullies
by Christine Jelley
working out at the gym stark naked . Or at least in some dated sport ' s bra that reveals the midriff . Luckily Gaga ' s fans , her “ Little Monsters ,” who love her for being inclusive with songs like “ Born This Way ,” rushed to her defense . Sample tweets :
“ Lady Gaga ' s body is the perfect amount of realistic I ' m-in-great-shapeand-not-anorexic . Great role model for young women ,” “ I have more fat in my left eyelid than Gaga does in her whole body , “ and , “ Have to say , Lady Gaga ' s belly was spectacular , that ' s what actual women look like … those who think otherwise , your ( sic ) young and dumb .”
Brentwood West Junior High School and colluded with a group of other girls to make my 8th grade experience as awful as possible . Like , “ I thought I was going to have a breakdown ” awful , like , “ My father tried to teach me how to box in the living room to defend myself ” awful . Nothing was off the table to Sylvia , including my skin , weight , gym suit . I still find it very hard to write about the experience . I was sitting and speaking with a young woman , a stranger , outside of the Cyndi Lauper “ True Colors ” concert in 2007 and told her that my 30th high school reunion was coming up , but I wasn ' t going to go . I told her about Sylvia . She said , “ You HAVE to go - you look AWESOME .” I didn ' t go , but I did find out that Sylvia is now a Social Worker . She had a cameo role in forming who I am today and how I learned to react to people - defensively and with sarcasm . Luckily I unlearned it five years later when a smart friend told me I was not that person anymore . I still can ' t believe that Sylvia is now a social worker . I ' m sure her career choice has nothing to do with me or with her being a cruel adolescent . I think I fear she doesn ' t even remember me and the pain she put me through . know there were many articles about
Ithis – the headlines read , “ Lady Gaga ' s Pot Belly the Subject of Internet Buzz ,”“ Lady Gaga Fat ,” etc . I intentionally skimmed them because I wanted my outrage to be my own , then compare it to the reaction of others .
The jury was split .
Lady Gaga , who I ' m neutral about , except for the song “ Bad Romance ,” did a fine or a great show , depending on whom you ask . A patriotic opening preceded all the super hits . Lots of dancing and dancers , flying around on a cable , leaping into the crowd , which I thought was pretty funny . Anyway , she started the show in a one-piece costume ( lots of fun sparkles ) then changed into a crop top and sequined short shorts / embellished granny panties , whatever . As she was singing , I noticed that over her washboard abs was the tiniest little tummy . Note : tiny . And cute as can be . I was sort of mesmerized , a bit , by it and thought , “ That ' s what makes her sexy . That little extra .”
Enter the Internet .
Here are a few negative tweets : “ Gaga , that flap , though , “ and , “ I just feel like # Gaga ' s dough should have been tucked in better ,” and , “ Bring on the big belly .” Me , again . If I had this “ big ” belly , I ' d be
A few years back my brother and I were having a conversation , and I said something along the lines of , “ Everyone has their own beauty , even that lady at the dentist . Her smile truly lights up the room .” ( Real conversation . A bit corny , I know .) He answered , “ You ' re nuts . If you think everyone is beautiful , spend the day at Motor Vehicles and get back to me .” I was at the DMV a few weeks later so my son could sit for his permit test and I had to admit my brother had a point . There was a whole lot of humanity in there , and it wasn ' t all pretty , including a woman arguing about her place online while wearing a ” My Dad Thinks I ' m a Virgin ” tee shirt .
Back on topic . For clarity , let ' s see how a “ pot ” belly is defined . It ' s a noun that means “ an enlarged , swollen or protuberant abdomen .” Some Super Bowl game day synonyms : beer belly , paunch , spare tire , and the now dated , “ corporation .” The “ corporation ” has a Mad Men appeal . I can ' t imagine that this was ever used by anyone but a man who patted his gut proudly . Stoves can be potbellied , as can pigs . Actual pigs , not people describing themselves or others as “ pigs .” Conclusion : Without a doubt , what Lady Gaga has cannot accurately be called a pot belly , and anyone that calls it out as such is wrong and no better than a schoolyard bully .
How about a paragraph on my own personal bully , who we will call “ Sylvia C ”? Sylvia was in my gym class in
I hope Lady Gaga ( real name “ Lady Gaga ”) doesn ' t take any of the nonsense to heart and it becomes part of “ All publicity is good publicity .” Maybe the tummy reveal was calculated to generate controversy . Either way , she ' s probably got a pretty thick skin no matter how toned it is . I also hope that all those who are not dropping an album next week - the young girls in gym class or roaming of the halls of junior highs , middle schools and high schools - who are being tormented by immature , hormonal idiots , can move past the bullying . Bullying that a celebrity takes , OR GIVES , filters down to our family , friends , and neighbors . And that , my friends , is no bueno .
Christine Jelley , a longtime FI member has pretty much gotten over the whole thing .
Spring 2017 FIT to Print
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