Editing Cher (section)

==Legacy==
[[File:Cher - Casablanca.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|1970s publicity photo of Cher|alt=Cher poses with voluminous curly hair, wearing an off-the-shoulder white garment and gazing at the camera.]]

[[Ann Powers]] of the ''Los Angeles Times'' called Cher a "mainstream translator" of [[1960s counterculture]], underscoring her role as the link between [[teenage rebellion]] and marketability.<ref name=powers2008/> Music critic Jeff Miers credited Cher with setting the template for generations of female pop artists, citing her mastery of [[Extravaganza|theatrical presentation]], seamless [[Crossover music|genre shifts]] and knack for provoking without losing mainstream appeal.<ref name=Miers-2014>{{cite news |url=https://buffalonews.com/2014/04/17/tracing-chers-influence-among-pop-divas/ |title=Tracing Cher's influence among pop divas |newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]] |first=Jeff |last=Miers |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=January 18, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226221407/http://buffalonews.com/2014/04/17/tracing-chers-influence-among-pop-divas/ |archive-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> According to ''The New York Times'', Cher has "earned her [[:wikt:mononym|mononym]]" and inspired "an entire industry of imitators, both figurative and literal".<ref name=Schneier-2015>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/fashion/at-the-met-gala-cher-and-marc-jacobs-make-a-dream-duo.html |title=At the Met Gala, Cher and Marc Jacobs Make a Dream Duo |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 5, 2015 |access-date=January 17, 2016|first=Matthew |last=Schneier |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927050729/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/fashion/at-the-met-gala-cher-and-marc-jacobs-make-a-dream-duo.html |archive-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref> [[Shon Faye]] of ''[[Dazed]]'' wrote that her legacy underpins many modern pop stars: "If Madonna and [[Lady Gaga]] and [[Kylie Minogue]] and Cyndi Lauper were playing football, Cher would be the stadium they played on and the sun that shone down on them."<ref name=shonfaye/> [[Rob Sheffield]] of ''Rolling Stone'' called her "the one-woman embodiment" of [[pop music]].<ref name=cher-stands-alone/> Cher has been referred to as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Goddess of Pop]]" in publications such as ''[[The Washington Post]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''Billboard''.{{efn|Cher has been referred to as the "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|Goddess of Pop]]" in various publications. Primary sources using the title include ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Quintero |first=Estevan |url=https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/2017/05/music-megastar-cher-to-perform-at-the-bbmas/ |title=What You Should Know About the Goddess of Pop, Cher |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706181855/https://www.billboardmusicawards.com/2017/05/music-megastar-cher-to-perform-at-the-bbmas/ |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Fisher |first=Lauren Alexis |url=http://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a11248/cher-twitter/ |title=An Ode to Cher's Twitter |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |date=June 19, 2015 |archive-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719130954/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a11248/cher-twitter/ |url-status=live |quote=With the Goddess of Pop's natch for reinventing herself each decade, it's safe to say that this time she's coming back as a social media superstar.}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Flemming |first=Jack |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-08-26/chers-former-miami-beach-mansion-seeks-22-million |title=Cher's former Miami Beach mansion seeks $22 million |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 26, 2020 |archive-date=April 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423211014/https://www.latimes.com/business/real-estate/story/2020-08-26/chers-former-miami-beach-mansion-seeks-22-million |url-status=live |quote=An opportunity to live like the Goddess of Pop just surfaced in Miami Beach, where Cher's&nbsp;... mansion has hit the market[.]}}</ref> ''[[Love (magazine)|Love]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bardsley |first=Ella |url=https://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/article/sonny-and-cher-who-the-goddess-of-pop-fronts-dsquared2s-ss20-campaign |title=Sonny and Cher who? The Goddess of Pop fronts Dsquared2's SS20 campaign |magazine=[[Love (magazine)|Love]] |date=February 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104181856/https://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/article/sonny-and-cher-who-the-goddess-of-pop-fronts-dsquared2s-ss20-campaign |archive-date=November 4, 2020 |url-status=dead |quote=In 1995&nbsp;... Dean and Dan Caten had no idea they'd be swarmed by a rush of buyers keen to snap up their covetable designs. Fast forward 25 years, and the Goddess of Pop, Cher, stars in their 2020 campaign.}}</ref> ''[[The Mercury News]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Harrington |first=Jim |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_26081508/review-cher-says-farewell-fine-fashion |title=Review: Cher says farewell in fine fashion |newspaper=[[The Mercury News]] |date=July 3, 2014 |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408194946/http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_26081508/review-cher-says-farewell-fine-fashion |url-status=live |quote=Cher kicked off her first farewell tour in 2002. A dozen years later, the 'Goddess of Pop' is still on the road.}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Epstein |first=Dan |author-link=Daniel Mark Epstein |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/davewatch-countdown-to-lettermans-last-late-show-day-11-175169/ |title=DaveWatch: Countdown to Letterman's Last ''Late Show'', Day 11 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816053209/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/davewatch-countdown-to-lettermans-last-late-show-day-11-175169/ |url-status=live |quote=... the evening's biggest surprise [was] an appearance by Cher, the real Armenian goddess of pop culture[.]}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref name=Lang2016/><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lang |first=Cady |url=https://time.com/4688449/cher-j-lo-britney-spears-las-vegas/ |title=Cher on Britney Spears and J. Lo: 'I Was Doing Vegas When They Were in Rompers' |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 2, 2017 |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215022442/https://time.com/4688449/cher-j-lo-britney-spears-las-vegas/ |url-status=live |quote=Before Britney Spears&nbsp;... there was Cher, who's held court as the 'Goddess of Pop' for nearly five decades.}}</ref> ''[[USA Today]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Gundersen |first=Edna |author-link=Edna Gundersen |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/09/17/cher-talks-about-new-album-closer-to-the-truth/2824385/ |title=Cher's ''Truth'' is 'as good as I'm ever going to do' |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=September 17, 2013 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209104440/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/09/17/cher-talks-about-new-album-closer-to-the-truth/2824385/ |url-status=live |quote=Cher has blazed trails&nbsp;... and yet the Goddess of Pop hasn't quite mastered the art of self-promotion.}}</ref> ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue España]]''<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hernando |first=Sara |url=https://www.vogue.es/moda/articulos/cher-looks-tendencias-primavera-verano-2020 |title=5 veces en las que Cher se adelantó a las tendencias del verano 2020 |trans-title=5 times Cher was ahead of summer 2020 trends |magazine=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue España]] |date=June 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704181209/https://www.vogue.es/moda/articulos/cher-looks-tendencias-primavera-verano-2020 |archive-date=July 4, 2020 |url-status=live |quote=Excéntrica y osada, la diosa del pop se atrevió, en los años 70, con los colores y las prendas más arriesgadas de esta temporada. |trans-quote=Eccentric and daring, the goddess of pop boldly experimented in the '70s with this season's most daring colors and garments. |lang=es}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Polus |first=Sarah |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/ |title=Celeb endorsement of the week: Cher for Hillary Clinton |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 22, 2016 |archive-date=January 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250116032513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2016/04/22/celeb-endorsement-of-the-week-cher-for-hillary-clinton/ |url-status=live |quote=While it's unclear whether [Cher's] endorsement will noticeably help Clinton's campaign, it's safe to say the free publicity from the goddess of pop won't hurt the Democratic front-runner.}}</ref> Secondary sources describing her as "often called", "nicknamed" or "known as" the "Goddess of Pop" include [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Leib |first=Mason |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/cher-jennifer-hudson-perform-fiery-duet-2024-iheartradio/story?id=108750717 |title=Cher and Jennifer Hudson perform fiery duet of 'Believe' at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=April 2, 2024 |archive-date=April 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240402223319/https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/cher-jennifer-hudson-perform-fiery-duet-2024-iheartradio/story?id=108750717 |url-status=live |quote=Meryl Streep presented the award to Cher&nbsp;... with a heartwarming tribute to the singer known as the Goddess of Pop.}}</ref> ''[[CR Fashion Book]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Eismann |first=Eve |url=https://crfashionbook.com/cher-victorias-secret-fashion-show/ |title=Cher Headlines the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show's Return |magazine=[[CR Fashion Book]] |date=September 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918132826/https://crfashionbook.com/cher-victorias-secret-fashion-show/ |archive-date=September 18, 2024 |url-status=live |quote=Cher, often referred to as the 'Goddess of Pop,' revolutionized the model of the female pop star.}}</ref> ''[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Flanagan |first=Hanna |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/cher-best-looks-outfits-fashion.html |title=The Cher Lookbook |magazine=[[The Cut (magazine)|The Cut]] |date=June 28, 2024 |archive-date=June 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240628121850/https://www.thecut.com/article/cher-best-looks-outfits-fashion.html |url-status=live |quote=Often referred to as the Goddess of Pop, Cher is a true triple threat[.]}}</ref> [[E!]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirk |first=Kamala |url=http://www.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/news/598992/the-9-biggest-divas-in-the-history-of-forever |title=The 9 Biggest Divas in the History of Forever |publisher=[[E!]] |date=November 18, 2014 |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715040522/https://www.eonline.com/shows/house_of_dvf/news/598992/the-9-biggest-divas-in-the-history-of-forever |url-status=live |quote=Nicknamed the 'Goddess of Pop', [Cher]'s been able to establish herself across multiple music genres and has a huge fan base.}}</ref> ''[[The Independent]]''<ref>{{cite news |last=Usborne |first=David |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cher-donald-trump-asshole-world-youth-summit-2016-dangerous-candidate-a7340331.html |title=Cher denounces Donald Trump as 'an a**hole' at world youth summit and claims 'he traumatises me' |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=September 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108134942/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cher-donald-trump-asshole-world-youth-summit-2016-dangerous-candidate-a7340331.html |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |url-status=live |quote=Sometimes called the 'Goddess of Pop', Cher was invited to the annual summit[.]}}</ref> and ''[[New York Post]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kato |first=Brooke |url=https://nypost.com/2024/02/10/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-announces-15-nominees-including-cher-mariah-carey-ozzy-osborne/ |title=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces 2024 nominees: Mariah Carey, Cher, Ozzy Osborne make the list |newspaper=[[New York Post]] |date=February 10, 2024 |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112011736/https://nypost.com/2024/02/10/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-announces-15-nominees-including-cher-mariah-carey-ozzy-osborne/ |url-status=live |quote=The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the 15 nominees for its Class of 2024, including&nbsp;... Cher, known as the 'Goddess of Pop.'}}</ref>}}

Cher's career has been marked by continual reinvention;{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=7}} professor [[Richard Aquila]] described her as "the ultimate pop chameleon",<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc |last=Ransford| url=http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,-1019-11364,00.html |title=Professor: Cher is the ultimate pop chameleon |publisher=[[Ball State University]] |date=May 27, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605011648/http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0%2C1370%2C-1019-11364%2C00.html |archive-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> while ''The New York Times'' dubbed her the "Queen of the [[Comeback (publicity)|Comeback]]".<ref name=Holden-1996/> Cher remarked, "It's a thousand times harder to come back than to become."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/11/cher-memoir-review/680726/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124110508/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/11/cher-memoir-review/680726/ |access-date=April 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 24, 2025 |first=Sophie |last=Gilbert |website=[[The Atlantic]] |date=November 21, 2024 |title=Cher Has a History Lesson for Us All}}</ref> ''Billboard'' highlighted her role in expanding visual storytelling in [[pop music]], noting that her ability to shift personas on and off stage redefined the scope of [[Music and fashion|image-making for performers]].<ref name=Mazurek-2017/> ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' described her as a forerunner of transformation in pop music, crediting her with driving her own evolution and turning reinvention into a deliberate strategy rather than a survival instinct.<ref>{{cite news |last=Reed |first=James |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/04/03/before-she-was-icon-cher-was-simply-soul-singer/qZ9tqiAoXVkUXVr2hJzNWM/story.html |title=Before she was an icon, Cher was simply a soul singer |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=June 23, 2018 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620015313/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2014/04/03/before-she-was-icon-cher-was-simply-soul-singer/qZ9tqiAoXVkUXVr2hJzNWM/story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Author [[Craig Crawford]] described Cher as "a model of flexible [[career management]]", highlighting how she [[Positioning (marketing)|adapted her image]] to align with cultural trends while maintaining a [[Anticonformity (psychology)|rebellious persona]] that made her transformations both strategic and authentic.{{sfn|Crawford|2007|pp=31–32}} Author [[Lucy O'Brien]] saw her as embodying the [[American Dream]] of [[Self-actualization|self-reinvention]] by challenging [[Ageism|assumptions around aging]] in the entertainment industry.{{sfn|Carson|Lewis|Shaw|2004|p=130}}

[[File:Cher-Wax-338354947 Cropped.jpg|upright=0.65|thumb|left|alt=A wax figure of Cher, barefoot and holding her shoes, wears a sheer black beaded gown with a dramatic cape and intricate embellishments.|Wax figure of Cher wearing a replica of her [[60th Academy Awards]] outfit]]

Cher's sustained success in a [[Gender inequality#In television and film|male-dominated entertainment industry]] has invited discussion around [[gender role]]s and autonomy in entertainment.<ref name=Miers-2014/>{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=164}} ''Billboard'' credited her with establishing an "androgynous musical identity" that predated and influenced artists such as [[David Bowie]] and [[Patti Smith]].<ref name=Lynch-2018>{{cite news|title=Why Cher Is More Musically Radical Than You Think|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7800161/cher-music-radical-icon|last=Lynch|first=Joe|date=May 18, 2018|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=July 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719050246/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7800161/cher-music-radical-icon|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]''{{'}}s Phill Marder said Cher advanced "feminine rebellion" in 1960s rock, calling her "the prototype of the [[Women in rock|female rock star]]".<ref name=Marder-2010/> ''Billboard'' described her as a "pioneer of female autonomy" in the music industry, as her unconventional themes—including racism and prostitution<ref name=Marder-2010/>—challenged expectations for [[Women in music|female artists]] in a "male-driven" era.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Tom |first=Lauren |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-best-trump-tweets-7800173/ |title=Cher's 10 Best Trump Tweets |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=May 18, 2017 |archive-date=November 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119101215/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/cher-best-trump-tweets-7800173/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Marder tied this perception of autonomy to her commanding, "near [[dominatrix]]" stage persona alongside Sonny Bono and her rise to greater prominence as a solo act.<ref name=Marder-2010/>

Early in her career, Cher's critics often framed her output as an extension of male collaborators,{{sfn|Negra|2001|p=170}} a view Cher addressed directly: "It was a time when girl singers were patted on the head for being good and told not to think".<ref name=Holden-1996/> Over time, her image evolved, reflecting what professor [[Yvonne Tasker]] described as her ambition to build an acting career "on her own terms" by rejecting both "dependence on a man [and] the conventional role assigned to women [over 40] in an industry that fetishises youth".{{sfn|Tasker|2002|p=191}} [[AllMusic]] noted that during her popular 1970s TV shows with Sonny Bono, "he was a diminutive [[Foil (narrative)|foil]] to Cher's sexually provocative comedienne", reversing traditional gender dynamics and positioning her as the comedic lead.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eder |first=Bruce |title=Sonny Bono – Biography & History |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-bono-mn0000036402/biography |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=April 6, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814022740/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sonny-bono-mn0000036402/biography |archive-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref> Director [[George Schlatter]] credited Cher with redefining women's roles in [[TV comedy]], stating, "Until Cher, women have been the joke, not [[Women in comedy|done the joke]]&nbsp;... She's the first female star to carry a show in the same way that men have".{{sfn|Howard|2014|p=82}}

Following her 1988 Academy Award win, ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} Stephanie Brush compared Cher's impact on women to [[Jack Nicholson]]'s cultural appeal among men, stating that she embodied women's "revenge fantasies" by confronting those who underestimated her: "You need to be more than beautiful to get away with this. You need to have been Cher for 40 years."<ref name=Brush-1988/> Later that year, ''[[Ms. (magazine)|Ms.]]'' magazine praised her as an "authentic [[feminist]] hero" and "the quintessential woman of the '80s", emphasizing her refusal to conform to expectations of feminine decorum—both in appearance and behavior.<ref name=msmag>{{cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/07/20/cher-as-feminist-extraordinaire-is-a-ms-erable-choice/|title=Cher As 'Feminist Extraordinaire' Is A ''Ms.''-erable Choice|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=July 20, 1988|access-date=January 18, 2016|last=Parker|first=Kathleen|author-link=Kathleen Parker|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201030811/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1988-07-20/lifestyle/0050360144_1_cher-extraordinaire-real-women|archive-date=February 1, 2016}}</ref> It cited her flamboyant self-presentation, her public confrontations with David Letterman, TV censors and [[:wikt:patronizing|patronizing]] film directors, as well as her candor about single motherhood, younger partners, cosmetic surgery and her struggle to be taken seriously as a rock singer and actress.<ref name=msmag/> A 1996 ''[[Dateline NBC]]'' interview clip featuring Cher's response to her mother's advice to "marry a rich man"—"Mom, I am a rich man"—went [[viral video|viral]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/watch-this-vintage-clip-of-cher-explaining-why-men-arent-necessary_n_57daf31ee4b08cb140946293 |title=Watch This Vintage Clip Of Cher Explaining Why Men Aren't Necessary |first=Zeba |last=Blay |date=September 15, 2016 |website=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620101901/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/watch-this-vintage-clip-of-cher-explaining-why-men-arent-necessary_n_57daf31ee4b08cb140946293 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]'' magazine described the quote as a subversion of traditional gender norms and a landmark feminist statement.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/the-cher-quote-in-taylor-swifts-you-need-to-calm-down-video-might-have-a-deeper-meaning-18011002 |title=Taylor Swift Referenced This Iconic Cher Quote in The 'You Need To Calm Down' Video |magazine=[[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]] |date=June 17, 2019 |access-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619182456/https://www.bustle.com/p/the-cher-quote-in-taylor-swifts-you-need-to-calm-down-video-might-have-a-deeper-meaning-18011002 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Cher's public image—marked by defiance, flamboyance and an unwavering [[Self-concept|sense of self]]—has itself become a subject of cultural study and popular fascination.<ref>{{cite web |website=[[Cleveland.com]] |url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/10/does-she-believe-in-life-after-snubs-cher-deserves-her-roses-from-rock-hall-next-weekend.html |title=Does she 'Believe' in life after snubs? Cher deserves her roses from Rock Hall next weekend |date=October 9, 2024 |access-date=March 16, 2025 |first=Peter |last=Chakerian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211141739/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2024/10/does-she-believe-in-life-after-snubs-cher-deserves-her-roses-from-rock-hall-next-weekend.html |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Mapa-2003/> In ''Rolling Stone'', [[Jancee Dunn]] noted her enduring [[Cool (aesthetic)|coolness]], attributing it to her refusal to conform: "Her [[:wikt:motto|motto]] is, 'I don't give a shit what you think, I'm going to wear this multicolored wig.'"<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cher-19960919|title=Cher|date=September 19, 1996|access-date=January 18, 2016|first=Jancee|last=Dunn|author-link=Jancee Dunn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202150510/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cher-19960919|archive-date=February 2, 2016}}</ref> [[Alexander Fury]] of ''The Independent'' described her celebrity as "seemingly immortal" and operating at a "[[Omnipotence|omnipotent]], [[Mononym|uni-monikered]] level",<ref name=Fury-2015/> while [[Frank Bruni]] of ''The New York Times'' wrote that she personifies "a magnitude of [[celebrity]] for which the word fame is pathetically insufficient".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=An Ageless Diva of a Certain Age |author-link=Frank Bruni |first=Frank |last=Bruni |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21cher.html |date=November 18, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211204633/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/movies/21cher.html |archive-date=February 11, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Bego emphasized her [[Multiple careers|multifaceted career]]: "No one in the history of show business has had a career of the magnitude and scope of Cher's. She has been a teenage pop star, a television hostess, a fashion model, a rock star, a Broadway actress, an Oscar-winning movie star, a disco diva and the subject of a mountain of press coverage."{{sfn|Bego|2001|p=3}} Lynch concluded, "The world would certainly be different if she hadn't stayed so irrevocably Cher from the start."<ref name=Lynch-2018/>