I daresay that Lady Gaga is the most interesting person of the moment. Why?

Because she manipulates her sex appeal in a way that no other female artists do.
Surely we’re well-acquainted with the sexualized violence in MTV music videos. As Sociological Images asserted, it’s very probable that sexualized violence is one of the contributing factors to the undying rape rates and sexual assault against women. But we also know that sex sells. Or, to be accurate, abusive sex sells. It’s the reason why pornography abounds and ads grow provocative. From the Freudian perspective, it’s a “spectacle” for the men who inherently fear castration. So we can’t blame Lady Gaga from wanting to manipulate the human psyche, even if we consider it unethical or immoral. She’s a business, and one that thrives on attention, whether it be positive or negative.
But while I find myself growing numb to Rihanna’s cleavage shows or Britney Spear’s underpants, I am both intrigued and taken aback by the way Lady Gaga markets her sex appeal. The “established” equation goes:
“Female singer+feminine clothes (dress or underwear, depends on choice)+singing live/lipsynching = billboard success.”
But Lady Gaga’s goes like this:
“Lady Gaga+outlandish and conceptual clothes+always singing live=billboard success.”
Her clothes are revealing, but not in the traditional sense. She wears no pants, but knee-high lace-up boots; no shirt, but a bra with spikes protruding from the bust. The Mickey Mouse sunglasses, the exaggerated make-up, and feathered hats are enough to surprise–or even repulse–the audience. The shock value from her performances are enough to repel the male fans and the female fans. Her recent performance at the VMA Awards 2009 featured her clad in white underpants and a glittery bra, accessorized with a neck brace and wheel chairs. She staggered across the stage and bled all over her stomach, yet the controversy only seems to have worked in her favor.

Lady Gaga, VMA 2009
How do we explain her sex appeal against the norms? Any thoughts?
*Images from: #1, #2