Sucking on her candy of choice in those days–a Mike and Ike–she says, “I think I have unconsciously chosen people that are emotionally crippled in some way. Or who need mothering in some way. Because…I think it comes natural to me. It fulfills a need in me to be mothered.” Madonna found this insight into herself regarding her dancers, the collection of ragtag youths plucked from obscurity (and later refusing to accept said obscurity with the release of Strike A Pose) for her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990, the one that would become the subject of 1991’s Truth or Dare rockumentary directed by Alek Keshishian.
In the image that officially broke the (gay) internet from M’s illustrious post-Oscars bash now simply referred to as “The Party,” she seems to be adopting this long ago persona, the version of maternalness that she tried to embody before having children of her own and adopting a gaggle of them from Malawi. Clutching–yet not too tightly or oppressively–to Lady Gaga, her longtime media nemesis (invoking the still iconic quote, “Look it up”), Madonna seems to be doing her best to remedy all of Lady G’s own emotional crippledness of late (see: her most recent engagement cancellation). In a flowing silk white caftan (the theme of the party and Madonna’s life at the moment–apart from Lisbon–was “Morocco”), Madonna knowingly gazes at the camera with her hand on Lady G’s cheek as though to say, “I know exactly what I’m doing, and you probably do too. This is a publicity stunt–same as all the ones I’ve shrewdly pulled over the years, and that you’ve all been happy to accommodate with your tongue-wagging.” Except this time, the difference is Madonna using a slightly less sexual tack (though she can’t help but ooze the sensual with her leonine nature). Whereas in the past–e.g. 2003 with Britney Spears (and one supposes Christina Aguilera)–M was a firm believer in using sex and its subsets as ironclad fodder for shock value, here she is literally embracing full mom mode.
And it is this parading of maternalness that is perhaps among her most shocking antics of all. For, as it has to be said, the bitterness between Lady Gaga and Madonna has been mutual over the years, with the former spewing to People Greece (not even People) when asked her musical influences, “I would like to say Madonna, but let me tell you something… if I was an acclaimed artist, I would love to help new artists.” The interviewer then asked, “What do you mean, that Madonna has no soul?” She returned, “You said it, not me!” But apparently, Lady G is feeling all kinds of warmth emanating from Madonna’s so-called soullessness whilst wrapped in her den of Oscar party influence. What’s more, Madonna’s entire reason for founding Maverick Records in the 90s was a means to nurture “new artists” like The Prodigy and Alanis Morissette. Where the fuck is Lady Gaga’s nurturing other than of the breakup of Bradley Cooper’s relationship?
Of course, Madonna, too, has exhibited her fair share of ire for the pop star so often falsely compared to her (except in the case of “Born This Way” being likened to plagiarism). That Lady G has managed to earn more respect as an actress by sheer virtue of the twenty-first century being more accepting of camp likely hasn’t sat well with Madonna either, who still has yet to fully conquer this one artistic aspect of her career (Evita or not, people will always seem to remember her instead for Swept Away or Body of Evidence–despite all of Madonna’s films being redeeming from a feminist standpoint).
That Madonna was strategic enough to sanction Lady Gaga’s invite to The Party (she has final say over it, after all, much to Guy Oseary’s occasional dismay) proves that she’s, as usual, the one who has been pulling the strings of their publicized interactions all these years. She could have fueled even more epic headlines had it gotten out that she chose not to include Lady G on the guest list. But no, the genesis of early 90s Madonna’s motherly affection toward those merely seeking her approval underneath their “bravado”–and those she knows can also help her own image and career in some way–was too overpowering to ignore in this case. And seamlessly captured by the artful ways of JR, in a now immortal photograph that should probably be prominently placed in the Met (New York being a city that holds sentimental value for both parties, though Madonna perhaps being more “New York” as a result of not actually being born there).
