Lady Gaga's Super Bowl performance splits the internet because of her 'belly'

God forbid a woman reveal less than washboard abs

It says a lot about the society we live in that Lady Gaga showing the tiniest amount of soft flesh on her stomach has caused the outrage it has.

The singer performed an incredible 12-minute set for her half-time show at the Super Bowl on Sunday, complete with demanding dance routines, piano-playing and costume changes.

But unfortunately one part of the show got people talking more than others: her figure.

Some people slammed Gaga for daring to wear a crop-top, whilst others made an equally big fuss over how brilliant it was that she was brave enough to do so.

Women (and men) the world over rolled their eyes and face-palmed upon seeing how many people were criticising Gaga’s figure because she is clearly incredibly fit - most women are in fact envious of her strong physique.

And yet, haters are of course going to hate:

She was lambasted for not doing enough work on her abs and having the audacity to show off a stomach that moved.

Her fans - known as Little Monsters - jumped to her defence, praising the singer for having the guts to reveal her “cute belly”:

She was praised for showing girls they don’t have to have the “perfect body”, despite the fact that her figure is in fact aspirational for most women.

And many of us can do nothing but sigh in response to the fact that Gaga’s practically flat stomach is considered something to talk about because it’s bigger than what we’re used to seeing in popular culture.

But if this is one small step towards defeating the societal pressure on women to have the bodies of Victoria’s Secret models, it’s no bad thing.

Maybe one day people will focus more on women’s achievements than looks and the performance we give rather than the size of our waists, but sadly it doesn’t look like that day is today.