Gaga On Weels...Missing the Bigger Picture

It's now secret to anyone that knows me that there are two VERY obvious facts about my life: I LOVE Lady Gaga...and I'm disabled.  While these aren't things that would ever seem inherently connected, for me they are, and thanks to some media frenzy in the last 24 hours, here I sit to write about them.

So, here in a nutshell is the controversy: Gaga performed in Sydney, Australia and while performing You And I, she sang dressed as a mermaid while sitting in a wheelchair.  From here it seems that there was outrage an organization that advocates spinal cord research that said Gaga needed to educate herself on disabled people rather than do something for "shock value"

Yet, I have a question, exactly what is that this organization is so angry about?  Is it as my cousin said to me earlier that this organization is angry because Gaga is able-bodied and can leave her chair when her performance is over?  If so, they have much to be angry about because Gaga isn't the first able-bodied person to use a wheelchair in performance.  Most notably in comparison would definitely be legend Bette Middler (whom I love) when she performed 20 years ago (and in recent years in Vegas) as mermaid Delores DeLago.  Arguably, the most visible person right now when it comes to portrayals of people with disabilities in pop culture would be able-bodied actor Kevin McHale who plays Artie on the smash hit Glee.  While this is in no way a slam against the Divine Miss M or McHale, it does leave me wondering where is all the outrage is over these portrayals; not to mention the fact that in the case of Glee, there was and is, high praise for McHale (and I don't deny that I have been among those praising him).

I believe the outrage here is misguided for two major reasons.  First, as shown in the link above, the criticism says Gaga needs to "...try 2 get us out of wheelchairs."  Well, as I see it there is nothing more visible to the world than the most famous name in the world using her platform to highlight the fact that we exist.  After all, what is everyone talking about now....the fact that she used a wheelchair.  Last time I checked, there isn't really anyone currently with Gaga's global influence using their power to bring awareness to the lives of people with disabilities.  That matters!