Photoshoot homages are a dime a dozen at this point, and it's hard to separate one starlet's Breakfast at Tiffany's tribute from any of the hundreds of others. That's why Lady Gaga's new cover shoot for Vanity Fair, in which she toasts My Fair Lady and Funny Girl, is so ideal: Unlike most celebrities, she can take iconic images, juxtapose them with her own persona, and make them mean something new. She's not just aping Barbra Streisand's pucker like Jennifer Aniston, she's relating a muse to herself, and that's impressive even in a bombastic Annie Leibovitz shoot like this one. It's what really makes her the new Madonna, not sheer popularity. Photos after the jump.
The My Fair Lady garb seems pretty inspired when Lady Gaga wears it. If Katy Perry tried it out, I'd surely roll my eyes like vintage Madonna. Instead I'm thinking, "Hey! Rex Harrison! Grow accustomed to THIS." There's also a NSFW shot that's pretty stunning here.
All in all: I support this PR package. Bring on the starring roles -- even it means adapting The Fame Monster into a horror movie.