Social and Cultural Factors Collide at HRC Dinner

Outspoken gay rights supporter Lady Gaga, one of 2008-2009's biggest and brightest pop musicians, performed a cover of John Lennon's classic ballad "Imagine" at this year's Human Rights Campaign Dinner. There has already been a post about the HRC Dinner and President Obama's encouraging speech, but we felt compelled to note Gaga's appearance/performance as an excellent example of meshing social and cultural trends.

In the post containing our large scale graph, we talk about increased celebrity involvement in the gay rights movement as a potential cause of charted trends. American fame culture and the kind of publicity that a figure like Lady Gaga garners are undoubtedly influential in shaping opinions of consumers, particularly in the younger demographics where the public has a more flexible world view.

Just some food for thought!