On February 10th, Lady Gaga accepted a Grammy award for Best Pop Duo or Group Performance, on behalf of herself and her “A Star Is Born” co-star Bradley Cooper.
It didn’t come as much of a surprise to me that Gaga won; her powerful voice combined with Cooper’s raspy baritone makes for a hauntingly beautiful combination, one that radiates an absurd amount of emotion and can grab your heart and wring it out, right through the loudspeaker. What did come as a surprise, though, was her speech.
Dressed in a glimmering silver ball gown, Gaga took the stage to deliver a memorable and monumental speech.
After thanking God, her family, and Cooper, she stated that she was “so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues,” to which the crowd erupted in cheers.
She went on to make it even more personal, saying, “A lot of artists deal with that. And we’ve got to take care of each other.”
Gaga then offered her own advice for both the battling and the bystanders, recommending that you don’t look away if you see someone hurting, and that if you’re the one hurting, you find bravery within yourself to talk about it. She invited those that are struggling with mental illness to “take [someone] up in your head with you,” addressing the importance of community in times of heartache.
Gaga’s speech was an excellent exemplar of the kind of awareness that we need in our world. By using her platform to address one of America’s most prominent plagues, she could have very well saved a life. We need more stars like Gaga to speak up for mental health, but even if you aren’t, famous, your voice matters.
Something that exists in every sphere can and should be talked about in every sphere. Let this be an example to us all that there is no right or wrong place to address mental illness.