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Demi Lovato Slams Lady Gaga's Vomit Performance for "Glamorizing Eating Disorders"

Plenty of people were grossed out by Lady Gaga's performance at SXSW, in which she allowed artist Millie Brown to vomit on her during the song "Swine" — but Demi Lovato was actually angered. "Sad... As if we didn't have enough people glamorizing eat disorders already," Lovato, who has spoken publicly about her struggles with bulimia, tweeted Friday. "Bottom line, it's not 'cool' or 'artsy' at all."

liz-raftery.jpg
Liz Raftery

Plenty of people were grossed out by Lady Gaga's performance at SXSW, in which she allowed artist Millie Brown to vomit on her during the song "Swine" — but Demi Lovato was actually angered.

"Sad... As if we didn't have enough people glamorizing eat disorders already," Lovato, who has spoken publicly about her struggles with bulimiatweeted Friday. "Bottom line, it's not 'cool' or 'artsy' at all."

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Lovato, 21, was forced to clarify her position when some Gaga fans responded that the performance was art, and that Lady Gaga has also struggled with an eating disorder.

"All I'm saying is, artists in pop culture have influence on people.. Some of which are people who aren't capable of understanding the art that is that is expressed by their idols," she wrote. "Young people who are struggling to figure out their identities are seriously influenced by the things they see their idols do.

"People emulate what they see celebrities do or let happen," she continued. "And that's why I had to say something ... to let the people who don't understand the art in it, that bulimia isn't cool, and it won't get you on stage with your favorite artist. I can't NOT say anything because I stand up for what I believe in and speak out about mental illnesses."

Lovato added that she remains a fan of Gaga overall. "Ps. I'm still a little monster myself," she tweeted.

Gaga has not responded to Lovato's comments, but Brown defended the performance in a statement to TMZ: "There's a clear difference between using my body to create something beautiful, to express myself and feel powerful, rather than using it to punish myself and conform to society's standards." 

What do you think of Lovato's comments?