Fantastic article, of course, but I have to disagree somewhat with the assessment of Madonna. Maybe early on, her sexualised image was as titillating for guys as it was empowering for the wannabes - but while Gaga does it for the fans, Madonna was always driven by herself. Even though Vogue was a rallying cry for the gay community, it was just as much her daring the audience to think any less of her than the golden-age Hollywood icons she paid tribute to.
Really, her image has for a long time been too powerful, too potentially emasculating for most straight guys to get off on. And as a self-proclaimed feminist, that’s something I love about both Madonna AND Gaga.
Brilliant observation on Gaga’s role as “den-mother” too… really, she’s positioned herself as the patron saint of certain types who could use a little of her fearlessness in their lives. And as much as I empathise with Gaga’s mythos beyond the music, of all the “freaks” listed - “fat girls, gay boys, lesbian girls, Goths, nerds, everyone who gets picked on at school” - I’m not quite any of them. A freak among freaks, perhaps, but maybe more unhinged from normality. Hmm.
I’m considering starting another Tumblr for commentary on Gaga’s more eventful comings and goings - something to really look at what’s going on, to offset all the fawning and unconditional love that reblog buttons make even easier. Nothing Iconography-length, but I hope people enjoy it nonetheless.
