Joe Biden, Lady Gaga get on Oscars stage for a cause

Los Angeles, Feb 29 (IANS) US Vice President Joe Biden and singer Lady Gaga took to the stage of the 88th Academy Awards here on Sunday to call for end of rape culture, urging artistes and viewers to fight against sexual assault.

As Biden walked onto the stage here at the Dolby Theatre to introduce Gaga, he was greeted with a standing ovation. He thanked the crowd and said: "I'm the least qualified man here tonight."

Biden then introduced Gaga to sing her nominated song "Til it happens to you" from the documentary "The Hunting Ground", and asked the viewers to sign on to the pledge at the "It's On Us" website to stop sexual assault especially at campuses.

In a white attire and singing accompanied on a white piano, Gaga poured her heart out as she struck an emotional chord while giving a rendition of her "Till it happens to you".

The fact that Gaga addressed the issue with the song had a more personal approach, as the pop star herself was raped when she was 19.

As her performance at the Oscars neared its end, a group of men and women joined her on stage with messages like 'not your fault' and 'survivor' written on their arms.

The soulful rendition moved the audience to tears, and was applauded with a standing ovation. Gaga was also appreciated for addressing the issue by singer and songwriter Kesha.

"Thank you @ladygaga and VP @JoeBiden for bringing attention to sexual assault at Oscars. It hit very close to my heart for obvious reasons," Kesha tweeted.

While her performance at the glitzy night was a winner, Gaga's track lost to Sam Smith's "Spectre" number "Writing's on the wall" in the Best Original Song category.