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On Thursday, October 24, Lady Gaga sent out a simple statement on Twitter.
Without context, the singer and actress posted:
Fame is prison— Lady Gaga (@Lady Gaga) 1571967510.0
Gaga's tweet, an apparent comment on the nature of celebrity culture, immediately went viral, generating countless jokes and observations.
One critique came from Amanda Knox, who spent four years in an Italian prison for the alleged murder of her roommate before she was acquitted of the charge.
I hear you, but...prison is prison. https://t.co/5cclYYZxk7— Amanda Knox (@Amanda Knox) 1572009392.0
Many people quickly sounded off in support of Knox.
@amandaknox @yashar Hello, I would like to report a transaction. Lady Gaga has just been owned.— Michele Alexander (@Michele Alexander) 1572010695.0
@amandaknox @greatwetshart The irony of TWEETING that being famous is prison.— Jorge Godinez Jr (@Jorge Godinez Jr) 1572009938.0
@amandaknox @yashar https://t.co/ZTHKtoLivI— John B. (@John B.) 1572009861.0
@amandaknox Oop https://t.co/JefJmmUCu7— Sean Campbell (@Sean Campbell) 1572009947.0
A couple people did think Lady Gaga might have had a point...
Lady Gaga is trying to open up about mental health and fame with how it can be isolating, scary and damaging to one… https://t.co/WRIegD8jct— My Name Is James (@My Name Is James) 1572026136.0
- fame is isolating - fame changes human interactions - fame changes the way people look at you and interact wit… https://t.co/dPpVqW9QO8— Martina is here for Selena and Gaga. (@Martina is here for Selena and Gaga.) 1572035612.0
Lady Gaga talks her “Fame is prison“ tweet during her Jazz & Piano show tonight. https://t.co/AHqbfABTaT— Gaga Now 👾 (@Gaga Now 👾) 1572161374.0
But, for the most part, people seemed to think Gaga's tweet didn't take prison quite seriously enough.
@ladygaga As a person who has been to prison this is a huge eyeroll from me girl— ElizaBOO BLOODerick (any pronouns ok) (@ElizaBOO BLOODerick (any pronouns ok)) 1572009938.0
@ladygaga That $300 million prison with no bars and no restrictions is a tough life... https://t.co/W3XQLxuek4— Brent Bush (@Brent Bush) 1572010637.0
@ladygaga but a nice prison like the ones in sweden https://t.co/2xd7geVd7y— paiva alto astral (@paiva alto astral) 1571967852.0
Fame is most definitely difficult, but comparing incredible wealth and privilege to incarceration was a bridge too far for many.
@nevie_sticks @TockTockTock @diabilitaa @LidsRodney @ladygaga She feels like minimizing the torture of prison by co… https://t.co/RpXcldYUQ5— Chenzo (@Chenzo) 1572114520.0
@ladygaga Correction - fame is a self-imposed prison that you can walk away from at ANYTIME. Dry your eyes on that… https://t.co/6g0A6gfmLz— Molotov Cocktail (@Molotov Cocktail) 1572046633.0
@ladygaga No. This. Is. Prison. https://t.co/1rYgdMjKvd— I’m With WikiLeaks (@I’m With WikiLeaks) 1572035487.0
Amanda Knox returned to the thread a little bit later to make it clear she had no personal beef with Gaga.
For the record, s'all love to @ladygaga. The psychological pain of living under obsessive scrutiny is real AF. In s… https://t.co/35bv74KBI3— Amanda Knox (@Amanda Knox) 1572111742.0
Knox has dreams of a Gaga duet, but as someone who's gotten a helping of both, she had to make it clear: fame is nothing like prison.
Amanda Knox's book, Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir, is available here.