Has Lady Gaga gone too far for even her fans?

Everyone expects controversy from pop singer Lady Gaga. In fact, that’s why many of her fans adore her. Life with Gaga is never boring, whether she’s wearing a dress made of meat to an awards show or adopting an alter ego of the opposite sex. Her loyal followers, whom she calls her “monsters” count on her to stir up controversy and push the limits of what’s acceptable. Her latest stunt, however, appears to many people to be more insensitive than adventurous, and has upset even some of her most loyal fans.

On Tuesday, Gaga tweeted “Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger. #PopSingersDontEat.” The last phrase immediately sparked surprise, disappointment and discussion that spread across the Twittersphere and the offline world. Some of Gaga’s followers interpreted the tweet as promoting not eating as a way to stay thin. A post on the blog proud2beme.org, which is affiliated with the National Eating Disorders Association, said “If it was meant to be a joke, there are plenty of people who aren’t finding it so funny.”

The tweet was apparently meant as a lament to the chores of dieting and exercise, but critics have accused her of glorifying anorexia. Gaga admitted earlier this year to battling bulimia as a student, saying “The dieting wars have got to stop. Everyone just knock it off.”

There’s plenty of irony in the controversy surrounding Lady Gaga’s tweet: she’s known as an advocate for youth who feel they don’t fit in, a message echoed in many of her songs, including “Born This Way.” She’s spoken out in defense of anti-bullying campaigns and LGBT rights. After all the time she’s spent creating a persona devoted to uninhibited self-expression and unconditional self-acceptance, would Gaga really promote unhealthy behavior for the sake of beauty? We may never know, because the pop superstar, who has millions of followers on Twitter, hasn’t responded to the debate surrounding her tweet.

What do you think of Lady Gaga’s tweet? Was it just a harmless joke, or was she being insensitive to the millions of people who suffer from eating disorders? Tell us what you think in the comment section below.