Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Mothers of Reinvention

I can’t remember where I got this cool picture, exactly, but it’s been posted at different sites for a while. Pop stars Lady Gaga and Madonna watched a fashion show last year, which must have blown the minds of the other attendees.

Anyway, Madonna’s reinvented herself countless times since the ‘80s. With every album, she takes on a new identity, transforming and evolving with her new music. Gaga’s reinvention, at least attire-wise, is almost daily. It’s perpetually Halloween for her, so I’m wondering, will she get sick of it one day? Years from now, a more mature Gaga, performing her music in less attention-grabbing outfits, even “regular” clothes--is that possible?

It’s interesting that both inspire with their music and with their views. Gaga, of course, champions the underdog, especially gay people, while Madonna’s largely about liberation and female empowerment. Musically, as with everything they do, they can’t win ‘em all. Revered folk goddess Joni Mitchell likened Madonna to Nero, “the turning point” for the supposed dumbing down of pop music.

Country-folk singer Jewel, however, acknowledged the importance of Madonna in a 1997 Rolling Stone interview: “My favorite quote is Liz Phair’s. She said, ‘Madonna is the speedboat, and the rest of us are just the Go-Go’s on water skis.’ Madonna paved the way in so many ways. She was never afraid to break down taboos… she taught a lot of women of my generation to believe in what you’ve got.”

Singer-songwriter Tori Amos, in a separate interview in the same issue, also recognized Madonna’s significance: “Madonna is social. The music is not really important. The music was a backdrop for her. Please understand when I say this that it doesn’t take away at all from her emancipation. A woman called Madonna--it was very important that that happen.”

I like that both Gaga and Madonna sometimes challenge listeners of their music, and viewers of their videos with their use or interpretation of religious iconography. Anyway, I do hope that they collaborate on something. It just has to happen.

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