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MADONNA: Icon of Postmodernity
By: Mimi Makabi

Haunted by the memories of her mother's frailty and passive demeanor during her final days, Madonna was determined to make her own voice heard. "I think the biggest reason I was able to express myself and not be intimidated was by not having a mother," she said. "For example, mothers teach you manners. And I absolutely did not learn any of those rules and regulations." Her mother’s death played a huge influence on her life. "I became an overachiever to get approval from the world," she confessed. "I didn't have a mother, so I needed the whole world around me."

During her childhood, Madonna fell under the spell of strong and beautiful sirens like Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.  "I loved Carole Lombard and Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe. They were all incredibly funny...and I saw myself in them...my girlishness, my knowingness and my innocence.”

Like Monroe and Dietrich, whose novel treatment of men as playthings liberated women in the fifties, Madonna also luxuriated in her sexuality. She provoked a mixed bag of highly charged emotions.   She firmly established her highly sexualized image and status as a controversial figure with her tongue-in-cheek tart outfits made from fishnet and lace, Catholic accessories, bras and trade-mark exposed belly button.

In the 1980’s, already on her way to becoming a sex goddess, Madonna swapped dirty blonde for platinum and modeled herself more explicitly on the icons of pop culture that went before her. Her "Material Girl" music video recreated Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and she later studied the screwball comedies of the 1930’s, particularly those of Lombard, in preparation for her film Who's That Girl. The video for "Vogue" recreated the style of Hollywood glamour photographers, in particular Horst P. Horst, and imitated the poses of Dietrich, Lombard and Rita Hayworth, while the lyrics referenced many of the stars who had inspired her.

By this time, Madonna dominated the music charts while becoming an international celebrity, selling millions of records on the strength of her stylish, sexy videos and forceful personality.  Although she had never set out to be a role model, she had inadvertently kindled a new kind of feminism, as her fans began to look up to her and mirror her image.

Madonna also thrives on controversy; she is known for exploring religious symbolism and sexual themes in most of her work. Like Dietrich’s tuxedo or Marilyn’s white halter dress, the equally iconic blonde gave us one of the 20th century’s most memorable look when she wore the cone bustier, designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, on stage for her 1990 “Blonde Ambition World Tour.” It pointed skyward as she writhed around on a bed, while she sang “Like a Virgin”—reinventing the track and making it controversial once more. The Vatican even called it "one of the most satanic shows in the history of humanity."

True to her reputation as a career chameleon, Madonna has also tried her hand at movies. Her unmistakable genius for reinvention made for perfect casting to portray the changing faces of Argentine heroine Eva Peron in Evita, which won her a Golden Globe in 1997.

In 1996, Madonna reemerged once again when she was introduced to the practice of Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism), and also gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes Maria, fathered by personal trainer Carlos Leon. “I do think that the birth of my daughter was sort of a rebirth for me. It made me look at life in a completely new way. And that made me appreciate life in a way I don't think I ever had before.”

With a new sense of self and spirituality (aided by the study of Kabbalah), the once wild and rebellious pop icon unveiled her new incarnation: as a demure, Jewish girl called Esther. “I’ve learned from studying Kabbalah that if your happiness is based on people approving of everything you do, you're doomed to fail... Kabbalah helped me stand up and take responsibility for everything to do with me.” Her 1998 album, “Ray of Light” signaled a new musical direction, featuring electronic undertones, shades of ambient techno, Middle Eastern percussion and introspective lyrics about motherhood, fame and spirituality.

She solidified her reinvention as the more mature, family-friendly Madonna when she married British director Guy Ritchie in 2000. She and Ritchie have two sons, Rocco and David Banda, a Malawian child they adopted in 2006.

But a successful musical and acting career does not always equal harmony at home. In October 2008, eight years after their fairytale wedding in Scotland, Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie filed for divorce.  Few expect the latest personal setback to get in the way of Madonna's stellar career. At 50, fans say Madonna is moving and shaking like someone half her age, testament to the rigorous training that underlies the drive and professionalism of a woman who rose from small town humble surroundings to international fame and fabulous riches.

Last year, Madonna’s multi Grammy-nominated CD "Hard Candy" debuted at number one in over 37 countries and while the singer embarked on her 'Sticky & Sweet' Tour, which reigns supreme as the Number One Largest Grossing Tour in history by a solo artist. "Madonna has yet again demonstrated her true global appeal as a live performer whether in stadiums or arenas. Not only will this tour be the top selling tour of all time for a solo artist and a female artist (eclipsing her own record), but it will position her as one of the top selling touring artists of all time," said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's Chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring.

The periodical recreation of the Madonna image is now an eagerly awaited event, and each new look is worshipped and adored by fans and fashion houses alike. In January this year, Madonna collaborated with fashion photographer Steven Meisel for the 2009 Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer collection. Creative Director, Marc Jacobs, contacted Madonna to do the print advertising campaign after seeing a performance of her “Sticky & Sweet Tour” in Paris.

Aside from her astonishing career and professional accomplishments, Madonna has also been applauded by the Malawian government for her fundraising efforts for the country's AIDS orphans - and for raising the cause's profile. In October 2006, Madonna traveled to Malawi to help build an orphanage, which she also funded as part of the Raising Malawi initiative.

The charity Raising Malawi - focuses on trying to help Malawi's orphans, many of whose parents have died from AIDS. “Malawi is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Unfortunately, it is also one of the poorest - suffering from famine, drought, extreme poverty, and diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. All of which could be treated with proper health care and education, if it were available,” explains Madonna. “Malawi and her children are at the heart of the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenges facing these children are unimaginable. Everyday in Malawi, hundreds of children die from preventable illness, thousands are affected by abuse and neglect, and millions face a lonely struggle for survival without parents or adult supervision.”

Patricia Kaliati, the Malawian government's Information Minister says, "What she is doing for orphans of this country, very few super stars like her can do. She has managed to put their plight on the world stage. She has built clinics in rural areas where government has failed to reach and because of that, she has saved many lives of pregnant mothers who could have died."

Madonna is living proof that you can transcend your limitations and imperfections by believing in yourself. From the raunchy videos condemned by the Vatican to "Mamma-Donna" the mother of two heading up the aisle and now, an incredible humanitarian—this genuine global superstar has come full circle. “I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. How could I be anything else but what I am, having been named Madonna? I would either have ended up a nun or this.”

But it is not just stamina and determination that brought the superstar to where she is today. Perhaps more than anything else, it is her ability to reinvent herself and stay one step ahead of the game in the famously fickle world of pop.
“Why do I keep reinventing myself? I don’t think it’s a question of getting tired of myself…I’m just acting out different parts of my personality.” -Madonna




Highlight this quote somewhere on the page: “I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. How could I be anything else but what I am, having been named Madonna? I would either have ended up a nun or this.” Madonna

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