Lady Gaga Copies Me (and I love it)

Lady Gaga-you rock my world 

Last week I wrote about the hateful way the daily mail newspaper had treated Claire Richards from Steps and my disgust at how the media in general constantly criticise women about their physiques
It really struck a chord with a lot of my readers who vowed to join me in my project over on my facebook page called "This outfit makes me feel fabulous"

It was call to arms for all my beautiful social media buddies to send me photos of themselves looking amazing at every dress size, body shape and age.

Ive already set out my stall.I want to be the antithesis of the whole "sidebar of shame" where women are endlessly scrutinised and criticised for not being hot enough,thin enough, curvy enough blah blah bah and celebrate how feaking wonderful everyday women are.

As if to reinforce that there had never been a better time to do this just as I was writing my pledge the Daily Mail along with lots of other tabloids were gleefully printing pictures of Lady Gaga which they claimed showed she has put on weight and wasn't it awful.

This picture (which as a photographer I think looks altered) was used with a varity of hurtful headlines including the Suns "Porker face" Nice as if we needed another reason to hate that paper

The photographs actually looked altered to me as pictures of her signing autographs only days earlier showed a considerably slimmer looking woman. Regardless though the spiteful way that her changing body shape was picked over and ultimately reported as being unattractive was just more grist to my mill.

How frigging fantastic then to see Lady Gaga herself take this vile bullying and turn it completely on its head. In response to the body hate she felt the media was perpetrating she launched her own "Body Revolution" over on her Little Monsters Blog.

Posting unedited pictures of herself she completely took the power back and to my mind exposed the recent reporting on her body shape for the shameful rubbish it is.

Having suffered from bulimia and anorexia since she was fifteen she took this step she said to "inspire braverey' and (and I love this part) "breed some compassion"

She closed with this note which I'm going to reproduce in full just because I think it rocks:

"I have been startled and overwhelmed with pride and emotion the past few days. Gratitude mostly. Seeing you post photos of things on your bodies and in your minds that you feel society tells you you should be ashamed of. You are showing them you have no shame. You are brave, strong and accepting not only of yourself, but of others through your experiences. You are proud to be born this way, and brave in your vulnerability with this community. Watching you all create a safe space online for people to be compassionate is the greatest gift you could ever give me. My weight/loss/gain since I was child has tormented me. No amount of help has ever healed my pain about it. But YOU have. My boyfriend prefers me curvier, when I eat and am healthy and not so worried about my looks, I'm happy. Happier then I've ever been. I am not going to go on a psycho-spree because of scrutiny. This is who I am. And I am proud at any size. And I love you, and want you to be proud in any form you may take as well. Please don't look for kindness in critics, go where you know the gold is. Here, in out hearts"

Now whether you adore Gaga in her meat dresses and unicorn hats or in general couldn't give a hoot about her or her "little monsters" I think you have to agree this is a great sassy rhinestone encrusted middle finger to the Daily mail and every other syndicated rag who spent last week telling someone they were fat basically to make money.
I have such a strong feeling that revolution is in the air.The body fascists are reining over a crumbling empire my friends. Viva La Revolution.
Join me in my "This outfit makes me feel fabulous" project over on facebook and lets keep the momentum going. 
Simply mail me a picture of yourself where you feel you are looking particuarly splendid with a few lines about what you are wearing and why it rings your bell.I will be bringing regular blog posts your way showcasing the beauty and style of normal healthy women of all sizes, shapes and ages and it will be awesome.
I just did an air punch and I'm not ashamed.

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