Madonna- Feminism and Sexuality- Collin Junek

The world's best-selling female artist rose to popularity in the 80's. Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone) brought to pop culture good things along with the bad.

The 80's saw the birth of the pop-rock diva under Madonna. Before her, every music mega star was male, from Aerosmith to Queen to Elvis Presley, but as her career developed, so did the female image. As her music grew in popularity, her pop icon image also grew. Her influence spread from music to video and fashion. While pursuing her career as a musician, she also became a film star, further spreading her fame and influence. Hits like “Holiday”, "Vogue", and “Material Girl” helped increase her fame.  Her contribution to the entertainment industry as a whole, from film to music, helped the female image gain not only popularity but also reputability, as her success showed the world that a woman could successfully control the limelight. Her influence on women also spread beyond the world of music and into the real world, influencing the ideas of feminism. She portrayed how women could be in control of their own sexuality, free from the male view of female sexuality.

Madonna also had, what I believe to be, a negative effect on the entertainment industry. Because of the success Madonna acquired and the factors leading to her success, the industry became more sexual and revealing.  Her music videos, like “Like a Virgin”, were the subject of much controversy as they portrayed what was considered un-Christian-like conduct. Her performance of the single on the VMAs was just as controversial, as Madonna wore a white wedding dress and white gloves and rolled around on the ground. Madonna herself said that the performance was, "the bravest, most blatantly sexual thing [she] had done on television". This obvious display of sexuality and the more and more revealing clothing that was being worn at the time, helped create the illusion that in order to gain that level of popularity, female artists must be willing to show more skin and be more openly sexual.

While she may have caused much controversy at the time, Madonna helped open the door to acts that would follow her, like the Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, and Pink. Her contributions to the music industry helped her gain admittance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the very first year of her eligibility.

 

Works Cited:

Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Madonna, An Intimate Biography. Simon and Schuster, 2003. Print.

Vladimir, Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, and Stephen Thomas. All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive     Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. 3rd e. Backbeat Books, 2008. Print.