Madonna
It’s not a novel theory that Madonna’s success is due in large part to her ability to re-invent and thereby re-market herself accordingly. (See “alternative feminist” Camille Paglia’s pieces, for example, which make dubious assertions at times, but which also latch onto the key to Madonna’s greatness.) Madonna has marketed herself by touching on the innovative (and borderline risqué), by writing and performing in a manner which lives within the mainstream of popular music, by costuming and choreographing in a way which meets with current trends, and by pioneering such styles a minute beforehand that she endures as an artist and icon.
But besides being the fashion-setter for little girls in the eighties, a sex symbol for little boys (and big boys) in the nineties, and a spiritually and physically knowing authority in the 00s, Madonna has maintained an image and kept a name for other reasons. It is from her own commentary, then, that we can take note, take a lesson, or even take heed. That is, we can learn from and apply to our own lives the lessons of the superstar.
Madonna on [Her] Art
“I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” She takes responsibility for her work and acknowledges her canvas—that which is re-painted accordingly.
Madonna n Sex and Sexuality
“Strong women leave big hickies.” Great analogy. No need for editorializing here, is there?
“Everyone probably thinks I’m a raving nymphomaniac, that I have an insatiable sexual appetite, when the truth is I’d rather read a book.” Is it getting clear that Madonna makes a distinction between who she is and who her working persona is…or was. The sex and religion montages on stage, for instance, were a combination of intellectual curiosity and artistic experimentation, while they were also perfect advertisement strategies, as well. Kissing a religious icon and undulating on a bed wearing never-before-seen conical brassieres, that is, are not all that dances about in Madonna’s head. She is way smarter—or more dimensional than that, folks.
Madonna on Madonna
“Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion.” See what I’m saying? She’s got brains. Heh-heh.
Madonna on Success
“I stand for freedom of expression, doing what you believe in, and going after your dreams.”
"I want to rule the world. Every time I reach a new peak, I see a new one I want to climb. It's like I can't stop. Maybe I should rest and admire the view, but I can't. I've got to keep on pushing. Why? I don't know. I don't know what motivates me. I just know I've got to do it."
"I worked my butt of before I got where I got and literally starved and lived off the street and ate out of garbage cans before any of this happened."
And one more quote, from one of her documentary-style films, is one I will need to paraphrase: she discussed success and failure and said that she couldn’t afford to focus on the “what if I fail” aspect of the business and of her goals. That stuck with me for years. We cannot afford to focus on the possibility of failure….
The understanding of what it takes to make it to where one wants to be is what gives Madonna her fame, her incredible talent, keen mind, and work ethic notwithstanding.
I have taken her lessons to task in my own life, as have many people I know. Her comments about herself, then, are not merely self-indulgent, self-satsfying, self-aggrandizing nothings attached with a safety pin to the bustier of her stardom. They are mantras to be practiced, rules to be lived, hints to be taken advantage of in our lives—whether we are teachers, writers, mothers, brothers, or dads.
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