Lady GaGa > Ke$ha

What's really the difference between Lady GaGa and Ke$ha? Both have numerous songs that describe endless, wild parties, both dress pretty crazy (who could forget GaGa's meat suit or Ke$ha's 'tribal' neon paint job?), and both have massive, largely youth followings. Ostensibly, both just seem like your typical, run of the mill, party girl pop stars, with not a whole lot distinguishing one from the other.

Obviously, I disagree with that. While Ke$ha is definitely just another wild child starlet, Lady GaGa is  a lot more than just party music and crazy clothes. Lady GaGa is one of very few stars who effectively uses her celebrity for the greater good. Among the issues she's tackled are homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. In fact, by some measures, she was 2010's most charitable celebrity.

But it's not just about her charitable donations; pretty much every celebrity donates to charity if for nothing else than PR brownie points. The thing that really sets Lady GaGa apart not only from Ke$ha, but from pretty much all celebrities, though, is her ability to spur new, refreshing conversations about important issues. She wears bizarre clothes and makes bizarre statements, but to create dialogue about the issue surrounding what she's saying, not her world tour or who designed her outfit. Unlike Ke$ha who uses her eccentric nature to draw attention to herself, GaGa's outlandish ways are her tools to foster social change and equality for the otherwise ignored. GaGa gives agency to those the present social agenda glosses over when they're not exactly in vogue. I mean, really, when is homelessness ever considered a pressing issue in the celebrity activist world, especially since it's far more glamorous to take pictures with babies in Africa?

GaGa's also unique in her use of her music to challenge pop culture to be more inclusive and kind to everyone. Now that's not just to say that her music is widely accessible, because that's nothing unusual. What's different about GaGa is the way her lyrics actually mean something to both the cheerleader and the band kid, the homecoming queen and the outcast (please excuse the petty high school stereotypes, they were just to make a point). A shining example of this is her new single "Born This Way," which preaches, in a nutshell, that you're perfect exactly the way you are. And though that's a pretty common message, no one proclaims it better than the one-and-only GaGa.

So let's recap. Ke$ha and Lady GaGa both dress, act, and sing pretty crazily, but that's where the similarities end. GaGa gives a damn about a lot more than partying and fitting into some stereotypical, rebellious pop star mold; she speaks up about social issues with creative means (ARE YOU LIIISTENING?) and her lyrics seek to include everybody, while handily avoiding being generic. Seriously, what really distinguishes Ke$ha from Britney's "Slave 4 U" romp or Christina's "Dirrty" phase?

Ke$ha is bound to last as long as she can get away with brushing her "teeth with a bottle of Jack," so to speak, but GaGa's movement (it's naïve to say it's anything less than that now) is far more than just drinking and partying; and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

But that's just what I think.