M13 Assignment: Nano-History Research Paper on Why

Madonna Was So Controversial.

Adriana Gerardo

History 153

Professor Patrick McDonald

April 17, 2017

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The 1980s and 1990s: Why Madonna Was So Controversial.

She is known in all corners of the Earth. She is the queen of pop, the goddess of reinvention, the

material girl, the muse, the fashion icon, the list can go on and on. Young girls are inspired by

her, their mothers grew up listening to her, and their grandmothers shook their head in dislike at

the thought of her. She is one of the most influential women in the 21th century and the most

talked about woman in the entertainment industry. Weather they love her or hate her, she

couldnt care less. Madonna is so provocative, she couldnt have said it best, "People say that

I'm so controversial. But I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around.

(Fontana)".

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in August 16, 1958, she was raised Catholic in a Detroit

affluent suburb, in the city of Rochester Hills, Michigan. Since an early age, Madonna was

unconventional, far from the stereotypical girl. She was smart, refused to shave her armpits, and

liked to play around at school showing her underwear to the boys. As a teenager, she dropped

college and moved to New York to pursue a career in dance. Soon after that, a pop icon was

born.

In the 1980s, her single Like A Virgin debuted at the first MTVi Video Music Awards. The

song had sexual lyrics, it referenced to a womans sexual status, that of a virgin about to be

touched for the first time. Yet, what infuriated most, even more than her shameless lines, was her

MTV music video. Madonna showed her rebellious personality and portrayed a young religious

young woman, wearing a big crucifix, red provocative lipstick and sensual moves. Like a
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Virgin drew everyones attention, it was the song that ultimately launched her career. All eyes

were on her.

In 1986, came Papa Dont Preach. Like a Virgin was a spark, compared to, the fire that

Papa dont Preach caused among the 80s generation. The American singer dared to talk about

teen-pregnancy; moreover, she openly sang about abortion, But I made up my mind, I'm

keeping my baby. Conservatives pro-choice loved her song and praised it for the positive

message to preserve life. Others shunned her and encourage radio stations to stop playing her

tune.

Alfred Moran, the executive director of Planned Parenthood of New York City in

1986 mentioned, ''The message is that getting pregnant is cool and having the

baby is the right thing and a good thing and don't listen to your parents, the

school, anybody who tells you otherwise -don't preach to me, Papa. The reality is

that what Madonna is suggesting to teen-agers is a path to permanent poverty

(Dullea).''

In 1989, everyone thought Madonna couldnt get worst; after all, she had done it all, but they

were wrong. Crosses where on fire in Like a prayer, but even more disrespectful, was her

tongue kiss to a black saint.

In 1992, Sex, a book written by Madonna with photographs by legendary Steven Meiselii was

released. The adult book displayed photographs of several artists including Naomi Campbell and

Isabella Rossellini, its pages showed a vast content of images of sexual acts, some of them

ventured to showed sadomasochism. The immorality of the book was the primary concern of

many librarians at the time. According to a 1992 article published in the American Libraries,
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Librarians who decided to purchase Madonna's 'Sex' for their collections found themselves at

the center of a media circus. (Kniffel) . Library directors where threatened if they choose to sell

the book; thus, many boycotted it. Madonna was again in the spotlight, her conduct at the time,

was socially unacceptable.

There is no boundary that Madonna did not cross, and is for this exact reason, she has become an

inspiration behind every modern female artist. After thirty years, Madonna continues to be in the

limelight and is recognized as the highest-grossing female touring artist of all time (Rosenberg).

Recently she accepted the award of Woman of the Yeariii, an annual event held by Billboard

since 2007. Her speech was dedicated to empowering women, it was broadcasted on every news

media outlet and was highly shared in social apps. The 58-year old artist hasnt stop, she

continues to very active in the music industry and making mayor headlines. Despite all

controversies, Madonna is still standing.

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Annotated Bibliography

Kniffel, Leonard. "Justify My Purchase: To Buy Madonna's Sex Or Not." American Libraries,

Dec. 1992, p. 902+. General OneFile. Web. Accessed 17 Apr. 2017.

This article was published after the release of Madonnas book Sex, in the American

Libraries, the six times yearly magazine of the American Library Association.

Dullea, Georgia. Madonnas New Beat Is a Hit, But Songs Message Rankles. New York Times,

18 Sep.1986. General OneFile. Web. Accessed 15 Apr. 2017.

In 1986, Dullea, a journalist for the reputable New York Times, published this article after

the debut of Madonnas song, Like a Prayer. In it, Dullea explores social conducts

against the new tune.

Fontana, Kaitlin Madonna: 'The Most Controversial Thing I've Done Is Stick Around'." Vulture,

10 Dec. 2016. General OneFile. Web. Accessed 15 Apr. 2017.

This article was published on Vulture, a partner of The New York Magazine. Vulture

explores entrainment sources, such as movies, theater, music and beyond.

Rosenberg, Eli. To Age Is a Sin: In Blunt Speech, Madonna Confronts Bias in Various Forms.

New York Times, 10, Dec 2016. General OneFile. Web. Accessed 17 Apr. 2017.

Eli Rosenberg earned his Master's degree in broadcast journalism, he also works with

NBC Boston and teaches several journalism courses at Baylor University.

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End Notes
i MTV or Music Television was launched in 1981. It was a music video-based TV-program
that caused a redefinition to the recording industry.

ii Steven Meisel is a successful American fashion photographer, he is recognized for his

work and collaborations with Vogue magazine.

iii According to billboard.com, the Woman of the Year award was established to recognize
extraordinary women in the music industry who have made significant contributions to
the business and who, through their hard work and continued success, inspire
generations of women to take on increasing responsibilities within the field.