Lady Gaga faced a barrage of mean-spirited criticism recently after she put on a few pounds, and the "Born This Way" singer says she was inspired to shake off the nastiness by another pop star, Adele.
"Adele is bigger than me, how come nobody says anything about it? She's so wonderful and I think her confidence is something I have to match," the 26-year-old performer told the UK's Stylist. "She has set the bar very high for a lot of women.
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"I need to be a confident woman and just say politically active things when I can that are helpful to young people," she added.
Gaga said that when unflattering photos of her surfaced online, she didn't initially care - but that changed when she saw the amount of media attention devoted to her slightly larger physique.
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"I was acutely aware of some photos on the Internet - my mom called me and was like, 'Did you gain weight?' - everybody was telling me about it, and I didn't really care. But when I heard it was on the news, where they talk about wars, the economy crashing and the election - I just thought, 'This is f***ing ridiculous,'" she said. "I mean, what kind of example is that to a young girl sitting at home?"
Adding, "I thought, well I don't really care if they think I'm fat, because, quite honestly, I did gain about 30 pounds. "
Gaga - who released her first fragrance, "Fame," in September - also offered a bit of beauty advice for her little monsters.
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"Sit in front of the mirror with all of the paints and colors and wigs that you have at your disposal, and just have a real talk with yourself. [Ask] 'What do I not like about me?'" she said. "And then, peer into the mirror - and just f***ing draw right over it because that's what makeup is here for.
"We're not all perfect," she continued. "It's meant to be fun so we can bond as women, and say, 'You know, what? We don't all feel perfect, but did you try that lipstick? It's divine.'"
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