Supplemental Post #6 - Megan Henckel

     Since our screening of Truth or Dare, I will admit that went down the Madonna rabbit hole and have been fascinated by all things Madonna. Now I wouldn’t call myself a Madonna fan and I’ve only known her up to this point as a provocative pop artist with a complex star image and history combined with a star image that is entrenched in 1980’s iconography and pop culture. My curiosity was piqued after our screening because Madonna was always this larger than life Queen of Pop that I never really knew outside of pop culture references and movies. Her impact on popular music and popular culture can’t be overstated, but I wondered what that impact really looked like in practice. So I dove into Madonna’s current star image and one of the most interesting things I discovered is the way she has taken her solid provocative persona that she established more than thirty years ago, and has brought it into the modern age. For example...

     In 2003, Madonna made headlines during her performance at the MTV VMA’s while performing with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. I find this performance interesting because 1) it combines, in image and music, the reigning pop queen with the more recent pop princesses Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, 2) this performance was a way for Madonna to remind a modern generation that even with newer pop acts gaining popularity, she will continue to reign supreme. The performance begins with Britney spears standing atop a wedding cake dressed as a bride singing Madonna’s smash hit “Like a Virgin”. Soon Madonna joins her, singing her new song “Hollywood”, along with Aguilera. At the crescendo of the song, after suggestively grinding close to both stars, Madonna leans over and kisses Britney before doing the same thing with Christina. In an interview with Oprah after the incident, Madonna notes that she had no idea it would cause such a big ruckus and that “it was a friendly kiss I swear, if it was more than just a peck it was not planned by me” suggesting she had co-conspirators in the matter. The story made newspaper headlines across the globe and reminded old Madonna fans, and more importantly introduced new ones, to her unique, expressive style. I remember watching the VMA’s that year and being stunned at the performance because it was so provocative in ways I hadn’t seen from other stars at the time (this was before Britney’s head shaving incident or Amanda Bynes’ outburst so it was big news).


Madonna's Interview with Oprah about 2003 VMAs

     Another interesting Madonna moment I was remembering was the episode of Fox’s Glee, which combined the “Power of Madonna” with the smash hit of the show. The episode features a reimagining of Madonna’s musical numbers and because the show was already such a hit with teenagers, this focus on a pop star from the past was another way Madonna was situated in a modern era. Glee was known for bringing great music from the past to younger audiences, and the episode was a perfect catalyst to do the same thing for Madonna. It also taught younger audience members about Madonna’s pop culture significance as the show touched on Madonna’s impact on pop music and style.
Glee cast performance of Madonna's Express Yourself


Notice the allusions to Madonna’s costume during her Blonde Ambition Tour displayed in Truth or Dare.

     In her more recent days, Madonna can be seen embracing the late 2010’s as she posts actively on Instagram and Twitter bringing her star image into the 21st century while connecting with audiences young and old. She still appears on popular talk shows such as Ellen, The Tonight Show, and she even nabbed the coveted spot of title performer on the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2012. More recently as a guest on the popular Carpool Karaoke segment of the Late Late Show with James Corden. Here we were once again reminded that Madonna is still just as current as any other guest that has been on the segment previously. Madonna has even released her own skincare line MDNA and has been promoting it in partnership with Kim Kardashian... talk about relevancy. 

Madonna on carpool karaoke with James Corden

Madonna takes the audience back in time for a Vogue session during her Super Bowl Halftime performance in 2012.

From what I can tell, Madonna was and continues to be the “Queen of Pop”, transcending time and wowing fans for decades. She still seems to have all the elements that made her a star in the 80s: flashy fashion, progressing artistic style, and flare for the provocative. One can easily say that Madonna has made a tremendous impact on the way we understand female stardom in the pop era and I expect her to continue making her mark for years to come.