With her new album out and her current tour drawing in crowds and creating headlines and controversies, it is time to turn back to one of the most famous women in the world, and arguably the most famous woman in entertainment today: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone.
Madonna has always been one to cause a lot of controversy, debate, heated feelings. To quote one of my favorite songs of all times, "Like it or not": "Put me op on a pedestal, or drag me down in the dirt" - that seems to sum up most people's reactions to her over the years. Many times has she been declared "dead" career-wise, people have pronounced her "over", "too old" and similar things, but Madonna didn't care. She hasn't gone away, much to her critics' dismay - and to my delight. I freely admit that I consider myself a fan. I truly enjoy her music. I like what she has to say, I like how she does her own thing, regardless of what others may say or think about her. Is she perfect? Of course not. Does she make mistakes? Most certainly. But that is what Madonna is all about - acceptance of our humanity with all its flaws, combined with a celebration of life and a willingness to confront our own fears, desires, dreams, and weaknesses. This is my tribute to "the power of Madonna".
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| Source: dailymail.co.uk |
Madonna is who she is. That may sound like a trivial thing, but to me, as a teenager, that was immensely important. As I was struggling to figure out who I was, and how I fit into the world, I was incredibly grateful to see someone resist society's demands - or better yet, to figure out that she didn't fit in, and never truly would, and to turn this vice into a virtue. I don't believe that she doesn't care what people say - everybody does. Spitefulness, name-calling and insults usually reach their target, and they always sting. So I don't think she was able to move ahead because she didn't care - I think she did despite the fact that she did care. Ever since she has appeared on the stage of pop music, she has been saying to the world: "This is who I am - you can like it or not" (again a quote from the song "Like it or not") - and I do believe that this is why so many have been attracted to her.
Madonna has a message. Yes, she has been controversial, and I, personally, probably would not have adopted every single one of her strategies, but she always managed to say what she wanted to say, and to make people notice her. She has caused debates, controversies and outcries, but I believe that she has also made some people think, at least once in a while, about society's deeply ingrained hypocrisies - one of them being the different conceptions we have of men and women when it comes to sexuality. Men who are suspected of similar levels of sexual activity as Madonna are not usually called "sluts" - oftentimes, they are even somewhat admired for being so successful with "the ladies". Take the time to look past the controversies and listen to her interviews and the lyrics of her songs, and you'll see find a strong message of empathy, tolerance, kindness, forgiveness, joy, and acceptance of others (and ourselves) how they (and we) really are. This, even more than her in-your-face tactics, has always resonated with me.
Madonna is smart. I know, I know, we all have heard thousands of people who have repeatedly called her stupid. Watch closely, and you'll see that she is anything but. She has a hugely successful career, and she has always remained in control of it, even in the early 80s, when most female performers were anything but in control of their careers - or even their public images. She started her own record label, she took up directing, and she proved to be savvy when it comes to financial affairs in general - as evidenced by the fact that she has not, as so many of her colleagues have done when reaching the zenith of stardom, squandered her money on castles and cars and drugs (which is not to say, of course, that she has not spent more money on luxury items than most of us will ever earn in their entire lives - she just has not gone overboard with it). She hasn't, at least in that respect, gotten carried away by fame. I know, many of you will now point to countless stories of her eccentricities as counter-evidence - apart from the fact that nobody knows how much of this is true, and apart from the fact that stories like that are overwhelmingly written about female celebrities - just look around you and admit it: many people have eccentric tendencies - most of just don't have the money to fully act them out!
Madonna is a subject, not an object. I know we've all heard people refer to her as a sex object - she isn't. Pay attention to her performances, her songs, her music videos. Madonna is always active, never passive. She "does" instead of "being done to". She confronts her desires, her dreams, her fears. She acts out her fantasies, instead of trying to be a screen for someone else's.
Madonna is a feminist. She has, simply by being who she is, by shattering so many of our images of what women should be, how they ought to behave, by poking fun at our narrow-mindedness and shining a light onto our hidden prejudices (whether they come in the disguise of racism, sexism, homophobia, or ageism), helped advance openness and tolerance. She has broken so many rules, so that we, following in her footsteps, don't have to break them ourselves - just like an older sister blazing a trail for those to come.
Madonna is funny. Seriously. Take the time to listen to some of her interviews. Her sense of humor is simply awesome.
For all these things, let's show her some respect, and let's join in her celebration of life in all its flawed greatness. I, for one, am eternally grateful to my paternal grandmother who, unintentionally, helped me discover Madonna and her music many years ago.
Madonna has a message. Yes, she has been controversial, and I, personally, probably would not have adopted every single one of her strategies, but she always managed to say what she wanted to say, and to make people notice her. She has caused debates, controversies and outcries, but I believe that she has also made some people think, at least once in a while, about society's deeply ingrained hypocrisies - one of them being the different conceptions we have of men and women when it comes to sexuality. Men who are suspected of similar levels of sexual activity as Madonna are not usually called "sluts" - oftentimes, they are even somewhat admired for being so successful with "the ladies". Take the time to look past the controversies and listen to her interviews and the lyrics of her songs, and you'll see find a strong message of empathy, tolerance, kindness, forgiveness, joy, and acceptance of others (and ourselves) how they (and we) really are. This, even more than her in-your-face tactics, has always resonated with me.
Madonna is smart. I know, I know, we all have heard thousands of people who have repeatedly called her stupid. Watch closely, and you'll see that she is anything but. She has a hugely successful career, and she has always remained in control of it, even in the early 80s, when most female performers were anything but in control of their careers - or even their public images. She started her own record label, she took up directing, and she proved to be savvy when it comes to financial affairs in general - as evidenced by the fact that she has not, as so many of her colleagues have done when reaching the zenith of stardom, squandered her money on castles and cars and drugs (which is not to say, of course, that she has not spent more money on luxury items than most of us will ever earn in their entire lives - she just has not gone overboard with it). She hasn't, at least in that respect, gotten carried away by fame. I know, many of you will now point to countless stories of her eccentricities as counter-evidence - apart from the fact that nobody knows how much of this is true, and apart from the fact that stories like that are overwhelmingly written about female celebrities - just look around you and admit it: many people have eccentric tendencies - most of just don't have the money to fully act them out!
Madonna is a subject, not an object. I know we've all heard people refer to her as a sex object - she isn't. Pay attention to her performances, her songs, her music videos. Madonna is always active, never passive. She "does" instead of "being done to". She confronts her desires, her dreams, her fears. She acts out her fantasies, instead of trying to be a screen for someone else's.
Madonna is a feminist. She has, simply by being who she is, by shattering so many of our images of what women should be, how they ought to behave, by poking fun at our narrow-mindedness and shining a light onto our hidden prejudices (whether they come in the disguise of racism, sexism, homophobia, or ageism), helped advance openness and tolerance. She has broken so many rules, so that we, following in her footsteps, don't have to break them ourselves - just like an older sister blazing a trail for those to come.
Madonna is funny. Seriously. Take the time to listen to some of her interviews. Her sense of humor is simply awesome.
For all these things, let's show her some respect, and let's join in her celebration of life in all its flawed greatness. I, for one, am eternally grateful to my paternal grandmother who, unintentionally, helped me discover Madonna and her music many years ago.
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