Lady Gaga has announced she is to divorce the movie star Sean Penn, claiming the split to be amicable. The apparent “Queen of Pop”, who is of Italian descent and emerged from the New York club scene, has become a global superstar in recent years by peddling catchy synth-pop hits whilst flirting publicly with bisexuality, appropriating ideas from the underground gay scene, making numerous outrageous fashion statements, and embracing taboo subjects and provocative imagery in her lyrics, videos and concerts (sadomasochism, same-sex kissing and brief nudity have all been employed, and Catholic imagery has been adopted and exploited, leading to accusations of blasphemy). Hailed by some as an embodiment of female empowerment, others see her as a cynical opportunist who will stop at nothing to inflate her personal fame and fortune. Sean Penn is said to have become bemused as well as irritated when an interviewer raised the touchy subject with him; the actor then quickly steered the conversation back to his latest film project and his extensive political and social charity work. Gaga’s personal life has been the subject of much speculation since she announced the split, and rumours have been rife. Consequently, both Dennis Rodman and Guy Ritchie are said to be troubled by the news, whilst Warren Beatty has already filed a preemptive restraining order.
“Hegel remarks somewhere that all facts and personages of great importance in world history occur, as it were, twice. He forgot to add: the first time as tragedy, the second as farce.”
Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte
