Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper Team Up
Feb. 10, 2010— -- Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper have more than just Grammy awards and a reputation for outrageous fashion in common. Now the two have joined forces to raise awareness and funding for HIV-AIDS research.
Appearing on "Good Morning America" this morning, the duo said MAC's Viva Glam program has already raised more than $150 million to combat the disease.
The "$2.5 million off the top of money that we raise from the Viva Mac lipstick is going to go right to women right away," Lady Gaga said.
The lipstick and gloss come in eight shades and are sold for $14. MAC said that every cent of the selling price will go to the MAC AIDS Fund.
"I'm hoping and Cyndi's hoping that mothers and sisters and best friends buy each other this lipstick and say, 'This lipstick represents you protecting yourself, having safe sex and remembering to have loving, monogamous relationships to protect you and those around you,'" Lady Gaga said.
The highest new rates of infection are in women between the ages of 17 and 24, and between 39 and 60, Lauper said.
"It is like Boy Scouts; their motto is my motto. Be prepared. Always be prepared. …. You know the heat of the moment, I understand that, but it's not worth your life" Lauper said.
Lady Gaga said one reason she is supporting this campaign is because not enough women are educated about HIV and AIDS, and how quickly it is spreading.
"Everyone has that phone call: 'Oh my gosh, you wouldn't believe what I did last night,' and 'I was so stupid I didn't use a condom,' and there is all this laughter on the phone, because I have gotten those phone calls," Lady Gaga said. "And it is our jobs as friends to one another to say, 'I don't know why you are laughing because it is very serious.'"
