Sigh. Just when you think that something is so obvious NOT to do, someone does it anyway.
As you may or may not be aware, Lady Gaga made a major gaffe recently when she was interviewed by NME magazine (a British music magazine). In response to a question about the similarities between "Born this Way" and Madonna's "Express Yourself" from the 80s, Lady Gaga said, " I'm a songwriter. I've written loads of music. Why would I try to put out a song and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded."
Now, this really surprised me, because Lady Gaga has seemed to be highly in tune with her following - a mix of people who love her music, love her outrageousness, and love her embracing of "difference". And it upsets me because, gosh darn, I really love her music. (This is not to say that I don't agree with the point - "Born this Way" really does sound like "Express Yourself". Sorry.)
In response to the outcry from the disability community, Lady Gaga issued the following apology:
"I consider it part of my life's work and music to push the boundaries of love and acceptance. My apologies for not speaking thoughtfully. To anyone that was hurt, please know that it was furiously unintentional. An honest mistake requires honesty to make. Whether life's disabilities left you outcast, bullied or teased, rejoice and love yourself today."
Let's give her credit and say that she meant her apology. Certainly, disability organizations like the Special Olympics have accepted it, and so we should too I suppose. It just goes to show how thoughtless people can be.
Once again: consider joining this pledge: Spread the Word to the Stop the Word. Read this interesting article: Disability Humor. And don't be afraid to speak up, and call people out for words that hurt.
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