Doppelgangers

I stumbled upon the Crawford picture (to the left) on the internet today and thought, "Hmm, that outfit looks pretty familiar. But where have I seen it?" It later dawned on me. "My God! That's Madonna's look from Desperately Seeking Susan!"

Comparisons of the two icons have been made before. Crawford ruled when silver-screen godesses were at the top of the celebrity pyramid, before the ascendance of the recording artist.

Joan and Madonna are known as difficult but respected divas by many in their different entertainment industries; both strong and determined women; both brilliant in reinventing their images so they would last in their respective careers through generations; fiercely competitive women driven by fame; among the most popular of gay icons; highly sexual, both used sex as a means to ascend to the top of their careers.

But aren't the images above, of both stars in their youth, incredibly similar; in fact, just about identical? The outfits, the hair, the make-up? I've never heard any buzz about the Desperately Seeking Susan outfit having been based on anything. And I'm not sure from what movie Joan's publicity still is courtesy of. (Could anyone comment and let us know?) I doubt the extreme similarity of images can be sheer coincidence.

What do you think?

In the below photo, an outtake for the W photo shoot in 2010, Madonna is clearly showing her age; her hot-bodied, young, naked stud not far away. As in Joan's films, Madonna's carefully controlled photo images present us with a woman who men of all ages find irresistible. Madonna is morphing into Joan in the autumn of her career. Or has she been possessed by Ms Crawford all this time?