“Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set,” Lady Gaga sang on her pop smash ‘Born This Way’ and throughout her career, the avant garde performer has championed the message of self esteem and tolerance and now she hopes to take her message to an even younger audience by partnering with Mattel and their popular ‘Monster High’ brand, which teaches a similar lesson in self-worth. Gaga and Monster High are launching a program that will run for three years to help bring this message to struggling young people.
Since 2012, Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta have used her Born This Way Foundation to promote “mental, emotional and physical well-being for youth” by working with organizations like “GLSEN, YMCA, National Council of Behavioral Health, Mentoring USA and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.”
‘Monster High’ is a toy line featuring the offspring of legendary monsters like Frankenstein and Dracula, who attend a high school for paranormal adolescents. The toy line has generated over $1 billion in sales and is also the subject of an online animated series, DVD movies, books and coming up, a live action musical movie.
In addition to typical teen angst, the student body at Monster High must also grapple with their supernatural endowments which can often complicate things. Don’t worry, it never gets too dark. Draculaura never has to deal with bloodlust or anything. A typical struggle is swamp amphibian Lagoona Blue’s Romeo and Juliette style crush on ocean-dwelling Gil Webber. She’s a fresh water breather and he’s a salt water breather! What would her parents say?!
From its inception, ‘Monster High’ has championed “acceptance, individuality and celebrating people for their differences.”
Born This Way Foundation president Cynthia Germanotta said of the partnership:
“Supporting the empowerment and well-being of our young people will take individuals and organizations of all kinds working together. That’s why Born This Way Foundation is excited to partner with Monster High. This collaboration is a wonderful and unique opportunity to meet young people where they are, a crucial first step toward building a kinder and braver world.”
Senior VP and general manager of the ‘Monster High’ brand, Lisa McKnight added:
“Together using our global reach and platform we can find ways to positively affect the next generation of kids by creating a kinder and braver community for young people.”
Gaga has long referred to her fans as Little Monsters and to herself as Mama Monster. On this season of ‘American Horror Story’ she lives up to that literally as a vampire-like creature known as The Countess who mothers a clan of juvenile blood-suckers.
But despite the macabre nature of some of her work and her risqué performances, the bounciness of her pop music has attracted a legion of underage fans and she hopes to use her popularity to educate her fan base with this initiative.
As Gaga often chants, “Put your paws up!”
What do you think? Is this a good match?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
