LITTLE MONSTERS
Words by Carrie Stetler | Images by Akintola Hanif

The irony of Lady Gaga's little monsters is that by being someone else, they can truly become themselves.

Mid-80s Madonna, who Gaga repeatedly references in her videos, had her army of Material Girls in crucifixes and bustiers.

But like other pop star wannabes, they were just imitators. For hardcore Gaga fans, both male and female, dressing as their idol means bravely baring their soul to a world intent upon crushing it.

Some critics dismiss Gaga as a pretender who sings conventional pop songs in surrealistic drag and calls it art. Grace Jones, who Gaga has cited as a muse, declined to collaborate with her, calling Lady Gaga “unoriginal’’ for blatantly stealing her style.

Others think she’s evil. Her "Judas Kiss'' video was recently banned in Lebanon for offending Christian values. In the U.S., religious conspiracy theorists have denounced Lady Gaga as Satanic. But to her fans, she’s a savior.

"She wants me to be who I am,'' said little monster Tennisun Kronmiller. “She loves us all, no matter what.’’

These Lady Gaga fans were photographed outside the Prudential Center in Newark on Good Friday during Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour.