Lady Gaga has now become the most recent Western celebrity to anger Beijing. After meeting with Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, the “Poker Face” singer Lady Gaga angered throngs of her Chinese fans prompting outrage on social media.
Thousands of Chinese Internet users dropped angry comments on Lady Gaga’s Instagram posts of her meeting with the Dalai Lama. Others voiced their outrage on other forms of Chinese social media.
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On China’s equivalent of Twitter, Weibo, one comment that was widely shared wrote: “It’s all over for Lady Gaga, a nation trumps an idol.” Another weibo user wrote: “I used to like Lady Gaga so much, not a fan anymore!”
The 30-year-old pop star and the Dalai Lama appeared at a conference together to “talk about the benefits of compassion,” according to CNN.
Some reports were claiming that Gaga’s music, which is hugely popular in China, would be banned, but China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei declined to comment. Although he declined to comment on Gaga’s music, he did however take note of the strong public reaction and mentioned that the international community is “well aware of what kind of person the Dalai Lama truly is.”
The Dalai Lama is despised by the Chinese communist leadership because they view him as a separatist who wants to split Tibet from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama was forced into exile in 1959 after a failed uprising against Beijing’s rule.
Lady Gaga is not the only recent celebrity or musician to who have angered the Chinese, and been banned due to their supposed connection to the Dalai Lama. Actor Richard Gere as well as musicians Bjork, Bon Jovi, and Maroon 5 have all been banned in China.
Do you think China is right to be angry with pop superstar Lady Gaga?
