We spend a lot of time mocking Madonna, but one thing we should always remember is that Madonna is very, very good at keeping herself in the news. Whether Madge is trotting around with boy-toy Jesus Luz, trying to adopt a Malawian girl, or just showing up to an event looking ridiculous, Madonna stays in the news. It’s as if headlines are the only things that sustain her, that good or bad press is no matter, it’s only about the attention.

Her outfit at the Metropolitan Costume Gala on Monday night is what’s sustaining her currently. While everyone seemed to look at Madonna and think “What is on that poor cracked-out grandmother’s head?”, Madonna knew she had a winning outfit. People are still talking about the puffy, ugly Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton dress she wore, as well as her accessories. Like the thigh-high leather platform boots, and the horrible teal headpiece/hat/bunny ears/whatever. Page Six compiled the prices of each piece, and the total price tag for Madonna’s outfit is a stunning $8805. The “bunny ears” alone cost $350!

For $8,805, you, too, can look like a cross between a medieval dominatrix and Bugs Bunny.

Wearing thigh-high boots, a blue minidress topped off with matching blue little girl’s rabbit ears, Madonna (left & right) stunned a crowd — including fashion industry honchos, Hollywood celebs and business leaders who could still afford a $7,500 ticket — at Monday night’s Costume Institute gala at the Met.

These wacky photos show Madge looking feisty and fierce in her $2,696 frock, $3,784 leather footwear and $350 velvet ears. Completing the rabbit motif were $770 lambskin gloves studded with baubles of unknown carats.

She carried a Monogram Paillettes pocketbook that sells for a mere $1,205.

Taking credit, or responsibility, for her outfit was Marc Jacobs who designed it for French luxury label Louis Vuitton.

Madonna’s fashion choice fascinated the media. New York magazine’s Web site said she showed up “looking like a cleaning lady moonlighting as a stripper who washed her Xanax down with one too many margaritas before she changed outfits.”

But it called her appearance “a genius, if not very attractive, fashion moment for her . . . Because on a night dedicated to the world’s most beautiful women, no one — especially a nonmodel — could win by trying to look the most beautiful.”

The Los Angeles Times Web site said Madonna looked “ready for Neverland” and asked, “does she look like the love child of Tinkerbell and Captain Hook?”

Madonna had some competition for worst dressed: Kate Moss in her gold lamé turban, toga and face paint, looked like Norma Desmond if she were still alive and well and clinging to the ’60s in Miami Beach.

[From Page Six]

She definitely loves the attention. She is probably listening to all of the criticism, and thinking to herself “those peasants don’t understand high fashion like I do”. If you have to “explain” your outfit, perhaps you should be wearing something else, though. However, I doubt Madonna actually paid the $8805 for the outfit, it was probably entirely borrowed or given to her. Would you wear that, even if it was free?

Images thanks to WENN.com .