Controversy not only surrounded Madonna's music and videos; it surrounded her entire celebrity image. She certainly had no problem making herself known. And whether you loved her, hated her, or anything in between, you knew Madonna and this is what gave her great success.
There were various events throughout her career that may be deemed some of her most controversial of all. One event that first comes to mind, and one that I think our generation can recall specifically, was the lip locking on the MTV Video Music Awards in 2003. This scandal occurred during a performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Madonna caught the crowd by surprised when she kissed each of them, before MTV threw Missy Elliott on the stage as a distraction. This event had everyone talking and wondering if any other VMA scandal could ever compare to this one. It is obvious that this moment in Madonna's career hasn't been forgotten, because this past year at the 2013 VMA's, critics were buzzing about Miley Cyrus's provocative performance and comparing her to Madonna 10 years ago. The fact that critics, fans, etc., are still relating today's celebrities to Madonna, shows that her controversies left a mark on pop culture.
There were also other controversial events that occurred during live performances such as exposing herself and simulating masturbation on stage. During the MDNA tour, Madonna pulled down her bra to expose her nipple to the crowd. Critics called this action "desperate" and say that at 53 years old on the MDNA tour, she is still itching for that controversy. As far as the simulated masturbation goes, it has occurred on stage as well as in multiple video clips. Madonna was almost arrested on tour in Canada for her simulated masturbation scene at the end of "Like a Virgin". Police came to check on whether or not the show was as obscene as people were saying, however in the end, no charges were pressed. Because of such obscenities, multiple videos/ clips of hers were banned from MTV. These included "What it Feels Like for a Girl", Erotica clip, and "Justify My Love." But none of these instances hindered her success. Even after "Justify My Love" was banned from MTV, Madonna still turned it into the first video-single and sold millions!
One of the most controversial aspects of Madonna's career was the debut of her own book entitled "Sex", one day after the release of her "Erotica" album. This book contained provocative images of herself, and other celebrities, such as Naomi Vanilla Ice (her boyfriend at the time). This book also revealed simulations of sexual acts and poems, stories and essays regarding sexual fantasies and possible experiences. She wanted to explore "sex in terms of domination and power", and she did this partially by the packaging of her book. The outside was pure aluminum (one pound per book) and the inside was all soft paper. She intertwined the notion of soft and hard and violent and soft. Her book contained lines such as : "ass fucking is the most pleasurable way to get fucked and it hurts the most too" and "[t]here is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It was an act of love." These statements were seen as vulgar, and most fans and critics reviewed this book negatively, saying that Madonna had gone too far. It was recognized as an element of hardcore porn and some even saw it as her being "a brat, not a revolutionary." This book earned Madonna the title of "The Queen of Obscene" which added to her long list with others such as the "Queen of Controversy" and the "Queen of Pop". Although many regarded Madonna as a "morally clueless singer" from Sex, she still was able to sell over 150,000 copies on the first day of it's release alone. Today, it is seen more positively as a "post-feminism work of art". With her provocative imagery, came a ton of success and press which helped to further her career. She wanted to push buttons and be rebellious; she believed that sex was not wrong to talk about because "everyone [had] their sexuality" and looking at a picture of a naked woman should not be noted as degrading. This book represented a sex era in Madonna's life, and was very controversial at the time. Times have changed since then, but back in the day, Madonna was itching for the scandal.
Madonna's stage presence may have been shocking to most of the general population, but it was also quite offensive to certain groups as well. One example was when she was on tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, and performed the song "Nobody Knows Me" in front of a screen displaying French National Front leader's face with a swastika on her forehead. Obviously offended by the action, the politician threatened legal action if the show were to continue in France. On another tour, Madonna enraged catholics when she sang "Live to Tell" while hanging from a cross. She also created an uproar in Puerto Rico when she rubbed the Puerto Rican flag between her legs on stage. A final example was when she wore Hindu facial markings at the VMAs. Hindus were offended by this act because her facial markings symbolized chastity, purity, and dedication to god while at the same time she was on stage promoting sex. Various instances like these caused her to lose her contract with Pepsi right after her commercial was aired. Pepsi had to cancel her contract because "anti-madonna" religious groups threatened to boycott all Pepsi products. Ordinarily, having a celebrity in a commercial is great advertising for a product, and Madonna certainly got the consumers attention. However, you can see that she is no ordinary celebrity by the way these groups have such strong opinions that they are willing to boycott any product associated with her image.
It is easy to see how Madonna got such a controversial reputation for herself. Although these actions may have caused groups to look upon her unfavorably, this is how she got herself known to the public and only made herself more famous. There's no doubt that Madonna has stood out from other artists both before and after her. Celebrities are still compared to her, saying "this person is trying to be the next Madonna". But, Madonna's history is so distinct that I believe she will always remain one-of-a-kind.
Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe's take on the reason for Madonna's provocative nature: "Madonna's motive for baring her breasts to the public feels more like personal gratification, less like commitment to a cause. She's not out to change the world. Let's face it: Few people get erotic in front of millions of viewers for purely selfless political reasons. It's hard to escape the view of Madonna as a difficult Catholic adolescent aiming the finger at everything repressive. And many of her songs are addressed to an authority figure of her youth -- from God and Jesus Christ to her own father. The heart of Madonna's outrageousness seems to lie beneath her liberal rationales, as if she's acting out something private and the world is her couch, not to mention her bank. Her politics are largely Electral."
There were various events throughout her career that may be deemed some of her most controversial of all. One event that first comes to mind, and one that I think our generation can recall specifically, was the lip locking on the MTV Video Music Awards in 2003. This scandal occurred during a performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Madonna caught the crowd by surprised when she kissed each of them, before MTV threw Missy Elliott on the stage as a distraction. This event had everyone talking and wondering if any other VMA scandal could ever compare to this one. It is obvious that this moment in Madonna's career hasn't been forgotten, because this past year at the 2013 VMA's, critics were buzzing about Miley Cyrus's provocative performance and comparing her to Madonna 10 years ago. The fact that critics, fans, etc., are still relating today's celebrities to Madonna, shows that her controversies left a mark on pop culture.
There were also other controversial events that occurred during live performances such as exposing herself and simulating masturbation on stage. During the MDNA tour, Madonna pulled down her bra to expose her nipple to the crowd. Critics called this action "desperate" and say that at 53 years old on the MDNA tour, she is still itching for that controversy. As far as the simulated masturbation goes, it has occurred on stage as well as in multiple video clips. Madonna was almost arrested on tour in Canada for her simulated masturbation scene at the end of "Like a Virgin". Police came to check on whether or not the show was as obscene as people were saying, however in the end, no charges were pressed. Because of such obscenities, multiple videos/ clips of hers were banned from MTV. These included "What it Feels Like for a Girl", Erotica clip, and "Justify My Love." But none of these instances hindered her success. Even after "Justify My Love" was banned from MTV, Madonna still turned it into the first video-single and sold millions!
One of the most controversial aspects of Madonna's career was the debut of her own book entitled "Sex", one day after the release of her "Erotica" album. This book contained provocative images of herself, and other celebrities, such as Naomi Vanilla Ice (her boyfriend at the time). This book also revealed simulations of sexual acts and poems, stories and essays regarding sexual fantasies and possible experiences. She wanted to explore "sex in terms of domination and power", and she did this partially by the packaging of her book. The outside was pure aluminum (one pound per book) and the inside was all soft paper. She intertwined the notion of soft and hard and violent and soft. Her book contained lines such as : "ass fucking is the most pleasurable way to get fucked and it hurts the most too" and "[t]here is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It was an act of love." These statements were seen as vulgar, and most fans and critics reviewed this book negatively, saying that Madonna had gone too far. It was recognized as an element of hardcore porn and some even saw it as her being "a brat, not a revolutionary." This book earned Madonna the title of "The Queen of Obscene" which added to her long list with others such as the "Queen of Controversy" and the "Queen of Pop". Although many regarded Madonna as a "morally clueless singer" from Sex, she still was able to sell over 150,000 copies on the first day of it's release alone. Today, it is seen more positively as a "post-feminism work of art". With her provocative imagery, came a ton of success and press which helped to further her career. She wanted to push buttons and be rebellious; she believed that sex was not wrong to talk about because "everyone [had] their sexuality" and looking at a picture of a naked woman should not be noted as degrading. This book represented a sex era in Madonna's life, and was very controversial at the time. Times have changed since then, but back in the day, Madonna was itching for the scandal.
Madonna's stage presence may have been shocking to most of the general population, but it was also quite offensive to certain groups as well. One example was when she was on tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, and performed the song "Nobody Knows Me" in front of a screen displaying French National Front leader's face with a swastika on her forehead. Obviously offended by the action, the politician threatened legal action if the show were to continue in France. On another tour, Madonna enraged catholics when she sang "Live to Tell" while hanging from a cross. She also created an uproar in Puerto Rico when she rubbed the Puerto Rican flag between her legs on stage. A final example was when she wore Hindu facial markings at the VMAs. Hindus were offended by this act because her facial markings symbolized chastity, purity, and dedication to god while at the same time she was on stage promoting sex. Various instances like these caused her to lose her contract with Pepsi right after her commercial was aired. Pepsi had to cancel her contract because "anti-madonna" religious groups threatened to boycott all Pepsi products. Ordinarily, having a celebrity in a commercial is great advertising for a product, and Madonna certainly got the consumers attention. However, you can see that she is no ordinary celebrity by the way these groups have such strong opinions that they are willing to boycott any product associated with her image.
It is easy to see how Madonna got such a controversial reputation for herself. Although these actions may have caused groups to look upon her unfavorably, this is how she got herself known to the public and only made herself more famous. There's no doubt that Madonna has stood out from other artists both before and after her. Celebrities are still compared to her, saying "this person is trying to be the next Madonna". But, Madonna's history is so distinct that I believe she will always remain one-of-a-kind.
Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe's take on the reason for Madonna's provocative nature: "Madonna's motive for baring her breasts to the public feels more like personal gratification, less like commitment to a cause. She's not out to change the world. Let's face it: Few people get erotic in front of millions of viewers for purely selfless political reasons. It's hard to escape the view of Madonna as a difficult Catholic adolescent aiming the finger at everything repressive. And many of her songs are addressed to an authority figure of her youth -- from God and Jesus Christ to her own father. The heart of Madonna's outrageousness seems to lie beneath her liberal rationales, as if she's acting out something private and the world is her couch, not to mention her bank. Her politics are largely Electral."