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Originally Posted by ButterCookie
The people are wrong. Debbie Harry invented provocative pop without getting naked. Come over here and argue that out with me if you dare.
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I would agree insofar as Blondie being the most successful (formerly) punk band in history. But I'm not sure there is anything there that is necessarily "provocative." Blondie's image has always been Deborah Harry's over-the-top sexbomb image, but it has always been strangely retro- in a Betty Boop meets Marilyn Monroe meets Ronnie Spector kind of a way. If anything, Patti Smith was the provocateur with her shamelessly androgynous image and her artsy peers.
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With all due respect to Christina, she was naked first. The album cover for Stripped has her only covered by her hair and a pair of laced up jeans.
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Actually Janet Jackson did it ten years earlier:
I am not a huge LG fan, and she is not the greatest musician in the world, but I do respect her, and I do think she was blessed with an ear for catchy pop music. But more than anything, I do respect her references, even if they are direct copies, e.g., Bowie, early Madonna, etc. And, yes, her image has largely overshadowed her decidedly unremarkable musical ability. But what an image it is! She has had a huge impact on fashion (good and bad), and has brought
haute designers like Alexander McQueen in to the mainstream as well as being the creative muse for Dior and Armani. As for her gay following... more power to her. Yes, other musicians have expressed support for gay equality, but it seems that only LG (and maybe Cyndi Lauper) has made it her core mission in life. Is she sincere? Who knows? But I would imagine that she puts herself at risk by taking such a bold, unwavering stance on a very divided issue. If nothing else, she's courageous if not calculated.
By contrast, Christina Aguilera has always been a bit of a lagging opportunist. You can always count on her to grasp onto a trend just as soon as it starts going out of style. Rather than being at the forefront or being a maverick, she is just this amorphous glob of goo that will take on the shape of whatever you throw her into. She's a poseur and she really has no creative compass. Don't get me wrong- she possesses an unworldly voice. Unfortunately that's not enough to nurture an ardent following. She is not the kind of performer that stuns you with her creativity or haunts you with the depth of her artistry. This is why her new music is flopping and she is unable to sell concert tickets- people have finally seen that the empress wears no clothes.