Madonna s*xuality and feminism

She's use of at times shocking s*xual imagery has both benefitted her career and had an impact on public discourse on s*xuality and feminism. The Times has commented that, "Madonna, whether you like or not, started a revolution amongst women in music. She made the female body seem more like a machine with cravings, rather than a Barbie doll. Her attitudes and opinions on s*x, n*dity, style and s*xuality forced the public to take up and notice." Rodger Streitmatter reported in his book s*x Sells! (2004) that "from the moment Madonna burst onto the nation's radar screen in the mid-1980s, she did everything in her power to shock the public, and her efforts paid off". He further commented, "The reigning Queen of Pop thrived on the criticism, and continued, throughout the decade, to reiterate the most fundamental of her issues by consistently celebrating women's s*xual power". The book s*x depicts her in s*xual situations with men and women, and she has been credited with educating people about bis*xuality. At the time there was even speculation about her relationships with other women, including Naomi Campbell and Sandra Bernhard. Part of the recent academic sub-discipline of Madonna Studies has been taken up with the iconography of minority groups such as gay and lesbian people, which she uses in videos such as those for "Vogue", "Like a Prayer", "La Isla Bonita" and "Borderline"[221].

Madonna's openly s*xualised persona has influenced many younger performers. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge (2000) stated, "Madonna may have preached control, but she created an illusion of s*xual availability that many female pop artists felt compelled to emulate". Writer-author Santiago Fouz-Hernández, in his book Madonna's Drowned Worlds has commented that female pop performers such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue and Pink were like Madonna's daughters in the sense that they grew up listening to her and admiring, while deciding to emulate her style. Among all of them, Madonna's influence was most notable in Spears, who was called her protégé. Britney Spears has commented on their similarity: "I think we have the same drive. When we want something, we get it." Madonna's influence on the Spice Girls came with her reinterpretation of feminism as a power in her music videos. The Spice Girls' slogan of "girl power" is noted to have been derived from this portrayal of female independence. Beyoncé Knowles of Destiny's Child was influenced by her sense of control over her music. Madonna has also been credited with the introduction of European electronic dance music into the mainstream of American pop culture, and bringing European producers like Stuart Price and Mirwais Ahmadzai into the spotlight.

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