Core post: Madonna

      The Cvetkovich article immediately caught my attention because of the stand she took on how women being the object of gaze, actually gives them power. I found this shocking because it completely goes against common beliefs in feminist film theory. Madonna was always the object of gaze. She wasn’t afraid of addressing controversial topics and never shied away from the strange and taboo. From the burning of the cross in her “Like A Prayer” music video to her song “Papa don’t Preach” which deals with teenage pregnancy, Madonna maintained all eyes on her. Who knows if that’s because she liked the attention or because she was actually a genius who saw the power that a woman could have while constantly being the object of gaze.

My mom was, and still is a huge Madonna fan. She told me about one of the first Madonna concerts that she went to and how unforgettable and almost uncomfortable it was. Madonna sang “Like a Virgin” but slowed it down to a ballad like speed while she lay in a bed that slanted downwards so the audience could see her while she pretended to masturbate. My mom recalled how it was almost like everyone was too afraid to move because of how powerful the performance was.  Madonna was inviting the whole audience into her bedroom to watch and think about the taboo topic of women’s sexuality during a time where nobody spoke about such things. Cvetkovich says “Madonna expressed a female sexuality or pleasure that is not defined or circumscribed by patriarchal power and that she provides a model or resistance for her young girl fans.” I completely agree with this statement as I believe Madonna was a key figure that helped bring the topic of women’s sexuality into the mainstream, whether she was doing it for shock value or because she was truly passionate about being able to express ones sexuality.  I think you can say that Madonna held a large amount of power, as she was able to get people talking and thinking about relatively new ideas and controversial topics.