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I've always got the impression that Stefani Germanotta's Lady Gaga character is an intentional amalgamation of all those huge icons - Madonna, Bowie, Grace Jones, Bette, others - like bringing together years of adoration, celebrity worship and idolisation into one (fake) and enigmatic shape shifting figure. I think it does her a disservice to accuse her of plagiarism and jacking other people's style, as if she's just thieving and thinking noone will notice. I kind of think that's the point.

Pretty much.

She's a parody of every icon that came before her, and she's mentioned endless times how her "performance art" is an emulation of all those icons that seemed larger than life and untouchable. She's also obsessed with the way the public makes someone a superstar then becomes intent on destroying him/her once the superstar becomes the icon, hence all the bloody imagery and performances where she starts off or ends up dead on stage (see Marry The Night on X-Factor, Paparazzi at the VMAs).

I think the difference with her is that she understands the flaws of a superstar and attempts to make up for those shortcomings. The biggest flaw to her is that superstars end up becoming detached to their fans, or are just generally unaware of what their respective fan bases want from them. She's obsessively communicating with her fans (almost to the point of it coming off as creepy or co-dependent) and because of it she has a crazy cult following. Seriously, her super fans are insane.