Madonna Persona: Media Provocateur (Origin: circa birth. See: "Like a Virgin" performance at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, "Like a Prayer" video, the Sex book and documentary, the performance of "Live to Tell" on her 2006 Confessions tour. Basically, everything she does.)
In Her Footsteps: Tie: Christina Aguilera, Lily Allen
Even if you think her singing's about as good as her acting, Madonna has two undeniable talents: making headlines and pushing buttons. Whether she's crucifying herself, making out with Britney, masturbating onstage or burning crosses, she's got our full attention. Many pop stars since have similarly provoked the flesh-hungry media (some tragically and unintentionally). And while none have done it quite as well or as consistently as Madge, we think Christina Aguilera (for her excessively pierced Xtina stage) and Lily Allen (for her sweet-tart songs, barbed comments and celebrity brawling) best embody this Madonna.
