Going Gaga for Lady Gaga
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Photo credit: Chris
Pizzello/AP Photo
NEW YORK, New York (Achieve3000, January 23, 2012). Who was the star with the greatest influence on entertainment and culture in 2011? The 135 editors and broadcasters who cast their ballots for the Associated Press "Entertainer of the Year" award thought it was pop singer Lady Gaga. For the superstar entertainer, the recognition marked the end of a year of extravagant globe-trotting and relentless advocacy of tolerance.
Lady Gaga, 26, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, became a household name in 2008 with the release of her debut album The Fame. Since then, her albums and singles have been topping charts and breaking records with unprecedented levels of sales. She has become known around the world for her trademark performances and costumes—always bizarre, predictably unpredictable—at once flamboyant, outrageous, and uniquely Gaga. To her fans, she is an iconoclast who shatters conventions wherever she goes. She is a popular topic of conversation even among people who don't like her music.
"She gets people talking. She's a polarizing figure," said Greg Retsinas, digital director of California newspaper Press Democrat, who added that Gaga's fans come from all walks of life. "In a recent week, I heard her referenced personally by my 9-year-old daughter, a prominent local [business leader], and an airline pilot—all glowingly."
For the singer, 2011 was a whirlwind of success, stardom, and new ventures, beginning with three GRAMMY Awards, including the prize for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It was also at the GRAMMY Awards where Lady Gaga first performed "Born This Way," the title track of her third studio album. Gaga remained busy throughout 2011, winning two MTV Video Music Awards, visiting the White House, and appearing as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Throughout it all, the number of Lady Gaga fans—or "monsters," as she calls them—mounted ever higher, with millions following her on Twitter and Facebook.
"Born This Way," a smash hit and anthem of self-acceptance, has not only helped to keep Lady Gaga at the top of the charts. It's also come to serve as a sort of mantra for the pop star, inspiring her to take her influence offstage as well. In 2011, with the help of the MacArthur Foundation and Harvard University, Lady Gaga founded the Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization that focuses on youth empowerment, self-confidence, mentoring, and career development. Lady Gaga, who has described herself as "a child of diversity," also plans to use her charity to encourage anti-bullying efforts and tolerance.
In December 2011, Lady Gaga met with Obama administration staffers at the White House to discuss potential anti-bullying initiatives and legislation. Afterward, Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett praised the star as "a source of strength for many young people who feel isolated and scared at their schools." She added that the administration looked forward to supporting Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, and to exploring ways it might help change the culture and policies in American schools.
"Lady Gaga has described this cause as a personal one—she has said that as a child, she was often picked on for being different," Jarrett wrote in a blog post on the White House Web site. "I am deeply moved by the way she has used her story, and her success, to…shine the spotlight on important issues."
Like everything Lady Gaga does, her philanthropic endeavors are marked by her characteristic boldness; whether she's at the GRAMMY Awards or the White House, she seems somehow larger than life.
"Transcendent performers like Lady Gaga come around as often as Halley's Comet," said Cape Cod Times editor Paul Pronovost. "She has that rare gift of sophisticated self-promotion, so outlandish at times you just can't look away." And, Pronovost added, she's got the talent to back it up.
Lady Gaga, it seems, agrees with Pronovost's assessment.
"One of my greatest artworks is the art of fame," Gaga told the TV news program 60 Minutes in 2011. "I'm a master of the art of fame."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Dictionary
iconoclast / (noun) / one who challenges traditional practices or customs
transcendent / (adjective) / going beyond ordinary limits
unprecedented / (adjective) / never having happened before
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Instructions:
Select the letter of the correct answer.
Question 1:
What is this article mainly about?
Lady Gaga recently appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
Lady Gaga won three GRAMMY Awards, including the prize for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Lady Gaga was named AP's "Entertainer of the Year" in recognition of her musical successes and advocacy of tolerance.
Lady Gaga recently met with Obama senior advisor Valeria Jarrett about the problem of bullying in schools.
Question 2:
According to the article, what is one reason why Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett is looking forward to working with Lady Gaga?
Valerie Jarrett is a personal fan of Lady Gaga's songs, performances, and onstage antics.
Lady Gaga is known around the world for her trademark performances and unique, creative costumes.
Lady Gaga is in the unique position to use her fame and success to help stop bullying in schools.
Valerie Jarrett was impressed by Lady Gaga's performance of "Born This Way" at the GRAMMY Awards.
Question 3:
The reader can infer from the article that ______.
Lady Gaga is sponsoring anti-bullying legislation because she feels guilty about her childhood experience with bullying.
Nearly all of Lady Gaga's fans share their idol's unconventional lifestyle.
The White House thinks that Lady Gaga is someone who can influence the behavior of many people.
While Lady Gaga is enjoying her fame, she is likely surprised by her own success and unsure how she accomplished it.
Question 4:
Which is the closest antonym for the word unprecedented?
Collective
Dilapidated
Conventional
Mediocre
Question 5:
Based on the article, which is most likely to happen?
President Obama will avoid working directly with the controversial singer because she is a polarizing figure.
Fans of Lady Gaga will boycott the Cape Cod Times because of the comments that editor Paul Pronovost made about the singer.
Lady Gaga's plan to work with the White House will disappoint her fans who voted against Obama for president.
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation will encourage educators to demand stronger anti-bullying policies in schools.
Question 6:
Which question is not answered by the article?
What motivated Lady Gaga to reach out to students who have been bullied?
What inspired Lady Gaga to begin composing music?
Why was Lady Gaga invited to the White House?
What is the purpose of Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation?
Question 7:
Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?
Lady Gaga told the TV news program 60 Minutes that she is a "master of the art of fame."
Lady Gaga's many followers include a prominent California business leader and an airline pilot.
Lady Gaga was recognized for her music and her charitable work to promote tolerance.
Lady Gaga first performed "Born This Way," the title track of her third album, at the 2011 GRAMMY Awards.
Question 8:
Which two words are the closest synonyms?
Philanthropic and polarizing
Iconoclast and advisor
Extravagant and flamboyant
Mantra and legislation