Imagine getting a string of texts from your friends about your ex ― and how he’s been tagged by the paparazzi as Lady Gaga’s new “mystery man”.
Well, ot happened to a senior staff editor for the
New York Times’ Opinion section, Lindsay Crouse, and she unpacked how it made her reevaluate life, celebrity and social media in an article for the NTY.
In the piece, Lindsay relates the wild story from the moment she discovered that the man she’d dated for seven years was now seeing the world-famous, Grammy-winning singer, highlighting how the strange turn of events had prompted positive change in her own life.
“I was eating bodega grapes at my desk on a recent Monday morning, gearing up to wrangle my inbox, when my phone started buzzing: ‘Check Facebook.’ ‘Check Twitter.’ ‘Are you OK?’” she begins in the hilarious piece.
“It was an emergency: My ex-boyfriend, I learned, had a new girlfriend.”Earlier this month, Page Six named Lady Gaga’s new boyfriend as San Francisco tech CEO Michael Polanksy after paparazzi shot images of the “mystery man” leaving
Super Bowl LIV with the singer in Miami.
The celeb made it official with a pic shared to her 39.4 million
Instagram followers days later and a Valentine’s Day snap not long after that ― although Michael was not identified by name in her posts, or in Lindsay’s article.
Other sources reported on the new relationship, including Refinery29, which declared the singer had followed in the footsteps of
Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone and Ellie Goulding in selecting a “normal boyfriend”. View this post on InstagramA post shared by
Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 3, 2020 at 2:20pm PST“As you can guess from the fact that you’ve probably never heard of me, I’m not famous,” Lindsay quipped.
She said that she and her ex had moved on, and they no longer followed one another on social media, writing: “I hadn’t googled him in forever (I promise). But this month I knew everything about his new relationship status, within hours of when it was disclosed.”
It’s natural for people to compare themselves to their exes’ new partners, she wrote, but “how do you compare yourself to Lady Gaga?”.
Although first feeling confounded by the concept, the writer soon shifted her perception to see this comparison in a flattering light, she said.
“Lady Gaga is amazing. Comparing yourself with her is incredibly motivational, and I recommend you try it, regardless of how you relate to who’s dating her.” View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) on Feb 14, 2020 at 10:50pm PSTLindsay highlighted the singer’s achievements and advocacy campaigns as the “ambitious life that we keep saying women should embrace,” realising that, in comparing herself to her, it motivated her to step outside her own comfort zone.For example: Instead of wearing an old dress, she purchased an expensive new one for an event.
Because “why should I accept less than Lady Gaga?”
And the changes didn’t stop there. She got her makeup and lashes done, upgraded her coffee order, forwarded praise she received to her boss and accepted a daunting work presentation ― why should she allow herself to grow complacent, she wondered, when “Lady Gaga continues to challenge herself, to try new things, to thrive”?
Finally, the editor reflected on how we all behave online, dropping a little spice with her final line: Recently someone sent me a photo of my fiancé and me dancing at a wedding, and I posted it on Instagram. I saw Lady Gaga’s boyfriend in the views, and I realized we’re actually all the same: strangers, smiling on a screen.The piece was met with praise online for being an incredibly healthy take on fame, moving on, self-improvement and living in an age when it’s nearly impossible to unplug from social media."Social media in 2020 is so ingrained that it’s no longer a supplement or even an addiction... You want to unsubscribe? Well, you can’t." Great read from @lindsaycrouse in the @nytopinion section today, on finding out her ex is dating Lady Gaga: https://t.co/2W3kwi8a8qpic.twitter.com/Llra8fgoKd— Heather Martino (@HeatherSaidTHAT) February 27, 2020I am living for this piece. 'I went to a nice store I’d never been inside before and I tried something on. The clerk asked me what the occasion was. I found out from
Facebook that my ex-boyfriend was dating Lady Gaga, I told her' https://t.co/ykNfxiGsam— Olivia Petter (@Oliviapetter1) February 27, 2020Years after @lindsaycrouse and her boyfriend broke up, he got a new girlfriend: Lady Gaga. I love the bravery and optimism in her @nytimes piece about it. https://t.co/7nf5LXhZb1— Hannah Orenstein (@hannahorens) February 27, 2020This is a very healthy take on many levels, and also find that it captures so well how it actually feels, to be over someone—whether they are dating Lady Gaga, or not: https://t.co/jdiWn7Pnzx— Annalisa Merelli (@missanabeem) February 27, 2020This piece by @lindsaycrouse is such a funny and self-effacing read on social media, celebrity, and how it is to reshape the image you have of yourself 💓https://t.co/pG41ly9E2q— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) February 27, 2020"It was an emergency: My ex-boyfriend, I learned, had a new girlfriend. Lady Gaga." COME FOR THE SCANDAL STAY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF CELEBRITY IN 2020 (and the Bad Romance jokes) via @lindsaycrousehttps://t.co/1eh9L9IRFU— Zoe Greenberg (@zoegberg) February 27, 2020Worth a read for all the reasons... @lindsaycrouse amazing and inspirational no matter who your ex dates after you https://t.co/V5QBFpCtJX— The Guidance Girl, Emily Roberts, LMHC (@GuidanceGirlEm) February 28, 2020READ MORE: Lady Gaga's Stupid Love Music Video Is Suitably Camp And, Of Course, Completely Bonkers 10 Facts You Probably Never Knew About Lady Gaga's Bad Romance Lady Gaga Vows To Fight Potential Lawsuit After Being Accused Of Copying
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