Last semester I saw two artists perform in concert, Lady Gaga and Widespread Panic, neither of which was by choice.
In all seriousness, I went to Lady Gaga at the request of my mother, celebrating her 53rd birthday in style.
Attending the Widespread Panic concert was a result of choosing to cover Widespread Panic fan culture for one of my classes.
I walked away from these two very different experiences with a new perspective on what artists I will choose to support in the future.
As the age-old saying goes, we are a product of our environment. And let's face it, our generation's environment is greatly influenced by pop culture.
With stars carrying such tremendous potential for influencing an entire generation, I think it's time we start considering what message our idols project.
After attending Lady Gaga's concert, I walked away with a tremendous value of the experience.
The reciprocal outpouring of love between Gaga and her fans was unlike anything I had ever seen.
Though I wasn't originally a die-hard fan, I left as a converted and self-proclaimed "Little Monster."
The experience I had at Widespread Panic was quite different with the only comraderie I found being that of fans enjoying being --either alcohol or drug induced-- completely out of their element.
Maybe my assumptions were wrong, but either way, I left with a pounding headache, frustrated and in tears.
I could expand on my negative experience at Widespread Panic, but as a cock-eyed optimist, I'd rather showcase the immense potential I see in Lady Gaga's rise to stardom and what her fame means for our generation.
Sure, she's a tad over the top, and she's certainly had her fair share of criticism for trying 'too hard' to be different. But, if everyone could take a second aside from the instinct to be superficial in our judgments, we'd find that there's a lot more to the "Mother Monster" than just meat dresses and stunts, like arriving at the Grammy's in a full-blown, human-size egg.
In all actuality, Lady Gaga is even more than just a great singer/songwriter.
She's a masterful inspiration to us all - or those of us willing to support diversity and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community, anyway.
Lady Gaga has used her celebrity to fight for the LGBT community in more ways than one and to encourage her fans to be fearless in the face of adversity.
This past year, Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, campaigned diligently to have "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repealed.
She is also the face and spokesperson of MAC's makeup line, Viva Glam, which raises HIV/AIDS awareness and gives all profits to people living with HIV/AIDS.
These are just two examples of how she has given voice to the LGBT community, and her voice is being heard.
"Little Monsters" across the globe are putting their paws up, rising up against prejudice and bullying, and Lady Gaga has been the star face behind them the whole way.
I have to beg the question; isn't this the part of her fame that should be recognized rather than her outrageous choices of clothing?
And when we think about celebrities like Lady Gaga who are making impacts surpassing just their musical talents, it provides a contrasting view of celebrities who don't utilize their fame to make a proactive impact.
So, sure, you can stand around in a crowd of people in complete ecstasy (literally) and that can be great fun.
Or, you can choose who you idolize, support, and pay high ticket prices to see, based on more important premises. The choice is yours, put your paws up!
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