Darren Criss and Lea Michele debuted their version of 'Shallow.'
THERE'S A MOMENT - akin to Rocky racing up the stairs and raising his hands over his head - in the latest incarnation of A Star Is Born when Ally (Lady Gaga), comes up on stage and starts to belt out "Shallow," when you feel like cheering and crying at the same time. Darren Crisswas on stage in his hometown San Francisco with his concert tour partner Lea Michele (both veterans of Glee) when the two did a cover of song "Shallow," a song certain to be nominated for an Oscar. Filipino American actor Criss had just won his Emmy when he went on tour with Michele and last week, they played in San Francisco, where Criss grew up. Criss admits he's a huge fan of the movie and its stars. The two Glee stars did their version of the song and. Criss accompanied with nothing more than an acoustic guitar - damn - if they didn't kill it!
AN ASIAN AMERICAN GIRL, who was a victim of bullying at her school, received some help from a very influential and unexpected source.
On Friday (Oct. 5), the singer posted a video message on Instagram addressed to the students at El Marino Elementary School in Culver City, California on behalf of her friend’s daughter, Venice.
“Hi everybody at El Marino Elementary. This is Lady Gaga. I’m friends with Venice and I work with Venice’s mommy, Julie,” the singer says in the video. “I’m really, really sad to hear that Venice is being bullied at school.”
Joomee Song, the bullying victim's mother.
Venice’s mom is beauty therapist Joomee Song, who works with Gaga. Among her clients are Hollywood celebrities.
“Hi everybody at El Marino Elementary. This is Lady Gaga. I’m friends with Venice, and I work with Venice’s mommy, Joomee,” the singer said in her Instagram message. “I’m really, really sad to hear that Venice is being bullied at school.”
Gaga noted that she does a lot of anti-bullying work and knows that ending bullying “can really change the growth and the happiness of children all over the world.”
Through Gaga's own social media accounts and repeat postings by other anti-bullying bloggers, the Instagram video has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.
El Marino Elementary School did not immediately respond to media requests for comment, but the school is part of Culver City Unified School District, which has an anti-bullying task force dedicated to the same mission as Lady Gaga.
Indeed, as the singer wrote in the caption, “No child should have to sit alone at lunch or constantly be outcast. Let’s empower each other to be kinder and braver.”
“We’re in a very negative time with everything that happens on social media and on the internet and text messaging — all these things that these kids are having to deal with growing up,” the Grammy winner said. “Imagine how those kids must feel that are in high school or grade school or even younger, and they are getting these messages that are upsetting that make them feel unsafe in school — to have their minds filled up with something other than what they’re studying, which is what they should be focused on.”
Lady Gaga has taken a hard anti-bullying stance since she's hit the big time. From her unapologetic anthem “Born This Way,” to telling off the people who body shamed her after her Super Bowl performance, to visiting homeless LGBTQ teens armed with donations and kind words, to her Born This Way Foundation, which calls for kindness and bravery to create welcoming, empowering spaces for kids, Gaga has always been a proponent of kindness.
If hearing it straight from Lady Gaga that bullying is super lame doesn’t stop those jerks in their tracks, well, they’re not worth Venice’s time anyway. ___________________________________________________________________________________
The Airbnb commercial played during the Super Bowl highlighting the benefits of inclusion.
THAT WAS a really great game played last Sunday in Super Bowl LI (51). It will most likely do down as a classic as the New England Patriots came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons. The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched sporting event on American television.So huge, in fact, it has gotten so big, that it has become a cultural barometer of the country at a point in time. The point in time is two-weeks into the Trump presidency. If the commercials by big American businesses are any indication, the messages they are communicating runs counter to the direction President Trump is taking the country. One commercial was so controversial that Fox Sports Network did not allow to show it in its entirety. The commercial by 84 Lumber followed a Mexican mother and daughter trek through mountains and desert to reach the U.S. border. But before they reach the border, the commercial was cut and a website given for those who wanted to see the rest of the 6 minute commercial. The mother and daughter reach the U.S. border only to find a 20 foot high wall. At first disppointed, their spirits are lifted when they see a big gate which they open and proceed into the the U.S. Over the final scene is the message: "The will to succeed is always welcome here."
Trump supporters saw the commercial as taking a stand for illegal immigration. 84 Lumber tweeted the commercial was "a symbolic journey toward becoming legal American citizens."
Coca Cola reran one of my favorite commercials of al time: a 2014 ad where "America the Beautiful" is sung in several languages. When it first aired in 2014 the company was attacked by so-called patriots who believe the song should only be sung in English. But the message was clear: America is home to people from many countries.
What really set off criticism was the image of Muslims and the song being sung in Arabic. Tsk, tsk. Certainly, the commercial gained new meaning in the context of Trump's anti-Muslim travel ban. Airbnb ran a commercial with a similar message of inclusiveness with faces of people of many races and ethnic groups facing into one another as words overlaid the images: No matter who you love, where you came from, we all belong. The world is more beautiful if you accept. #weaccept. Certainly it counters the current wave of xenophobia sweeping across Trump nation.
The most American of beers, Budweiser took a break from its horses to tell the story one of their co-founder -- a German immigrant Adolphus Busch. The commercial highlighted the difficulties immigrants have especially when greeted by xenophobic Americans. Budweiser denied any intention of a political message, but the role of immigrants played in America was not lost, not even to the most casual of observers.
The pulse of real America was reflected, not only in the commercials but in the entertainment also. The cast of Hamilton, which greeted Vice President Pence when he came to see their show with a political message of inclusion, sang America the Beautiful before the opening kickoff. Phillipa Soo, who is half Chinese and half White, along with two other original cast members, Jasmine Cepas Jones and Renee Elise Goldsberry, steered clear of any political overtones. They did however add the word sisterhood to the song to cheers from the crowd.
Lady Gaga is also known for her political statements. She was among Hillary Clinton’s strongest supporters during the campaign. Her political statement was really subtle for an entertainer known for her over-the-top performances.
Breaking away from the songs that she made famous, she started with a pair of patriotic songs, including "This Land Is Your Land," which has become a sort of anthem for the demonstrators on behalf of the refugees who were turned away or detained at airports across the country. During her set, she did hug a person of color who could easily have been an immigrant or refugee. Right when she gave her hug, Lady Gaga belted out the word “stay.” Coincidence? Maybe.
Last Sunday was so AMERICAN! How American can you get? Football, Coke, Bud, Hamilton and Lady Gaga. So ... who's living in a bubble? (AsAm News contributed to this report.)
