Gaga vs. PETA

Lady Gaga obviously does not feel pressure to conform to anyone’s expectations except her own. Why PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) thought they could intimidate a woman who voluntarily wears dresses made of meat and travels to award shows in a giant egg is beyond me, but I guess I’ll hand it to them for having the gall to try. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work.

Allow me to provide a little background here. PETA took to Twitter last week, calling out Gaga for wearing a giant fur coat while on her European tour. Dan Matthews, the Senior Vice President of PETA, tweeted directly to the singer, “Many of your gay fans, myself among them, have long admired what you told Ellen [DeGeneres]: 'I hate fur and I don't wear fur.'" He added, it appears "that you have amnesia ... What happened? Are your stylists telling you that it's fake, or are you a turncoat?”

Anyone else wondering what the point is of singling out her gay fans for that comment? What does sexual preference have to do with whether or not Gaga does and should wear fur?

Matthews continued, sort of explaining his sexual reference, although I am still not at all convinced that PETA’s support of gay rights has anything to do with the ethical treatment of animals.

"PETA has long participated in [gay] Pride events around the country, and just last week we helped lead protests against Chick-Fil-A," Matthews tweeted. "But by wearing those dumb furs in a heat wave, you're making yourself a target just like the mindless Kim Kardashian."

Whoa. Okay, Mr. Matthews. It’s bad enough that you’re calling out Gaga without even knowing if her coat is real fur or not, but name-calling is completely unprofessional. No one deserves to be compared to Kim Kardashian.

Matthews finished his Twitter rant with what sounds like an ultimatum at best, and a threat at worst, "As we plan our fall campaigns, please tell us whether what you gracefully told Ellen was heartfelt or just a pose. We await your reply."

Not intimidated, Gaga did not shy away from responding. She wrote what equates to a well-worded “screw you” on her website.

"I want you to know that I care deeply about your feelings and views, and I will always support your philosophies about life," Gaga began respectfully.  "We've been having long and over-arching conversations about society, equality, and politics for the past five years, and we should continue."

However, "I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE. Particularly one that I respect. 'Animal Rights.'"

I’d say Gaga won that exchange with her thoughtful, respectful, and honest response.