As her orbit in the world of pop music gained altitude, I took notice of an archly costumed female figure stalking throuh her music videos. What I would describe as a conspicuously concealed personal identity, her various appearances smothered in eyeliner, platinum-blonde wigs and sex object-shiny costumes. Her image was more a cipher than singer; conveying more 'sync' than 'lip'.

Besides the mindless mass adoration her singles and videos churned up, I found it troubling that a performer would go to such trouble to banish nearly all uniquely identifying charicteristics. The gawk-seeking, chameleon quality of her public appearances aroused in me a suspicion as to what exactly she could be hiding or attempting to deflect attention from?

One day it finally struck me--how prominently the bridge of her nose stood out from her face. Given Stefani Germanotta's Italian ancestry, her acquiline feature should surprise no one--though it does deviate from the prevailing WASP ideal (without which rhinoplasty would have no talisman).

She has asserted never having submitted to the scalpel on priciple that plastic surgery promotes insecurity. The photos accompanying the April 1, 2011 Harper's Bazaar feature display what appear as protrusions of bone at her cheeks and from either corner of her forehead. What intrigue she summons when stating the newly sprung bones (obviously the prosthetic magic of a make up artist) are her own--indeed fitting the angular thrust of her own Roman nose. Yes, there's promoting insecurity and then there's hemming said insecurity with all manner of visual gimmicks (who wouldn't fancy a meat dress?). Falling short of shocking, her wardrobe only manages to flout already-trampled middle class senses.

Irony swings every which way for this mediocre talent with the stand-out face. The more outrage or shock she attempts to compel, the louder the protest against her own ordinariness.