Lady Gaga Visits White House

Lady Gaga paid a visit to the White House on Tuesday to further discuss the issue of bullying with the government bigwigs.

While she didn’t meet with President Obama himself (he was otherwise engaged in Kansas for a speech on the economy), the pop star discussed the subject with Obama administration staffers, and was later praised by Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Jarrett described Gaga as “a source of strength for many young people who feel isolated and scared at their school.” Writing on the White House blog – the White house has a blog! – Jarrett said:

“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. I am deeply moved by the way she has used her story, and her success, to inspire young people, and shine the spotlight on important issues.”

Apparently Gaga and Obamama have met before, when the singer appeared at an Obama fundraiser for his re-election campaign in California this year. No question where Gaga’s hat lies.

The Obama administration says bullying affects 13 million students, or about a third of those attending school.

So good on Gaga, I say. Yeah okay, she’s not everybody’s cup of tea, and yes, she’s a pretty one-dimensional recycler of old pop trends with an average voice, but to heck with that, she clearly cares about some crucial issues (as opposed to negotiating her next reality TV deal or living off of her parents’ hedge fund). And for that, I salute her.