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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume Two
Spring 2003
Madonna: Rebel
With a Cause? - Page 7
by Duyen Pham
Commentary: Neha Bagchi
Response: Duyen Pham
Response
Duyen Pham
Madonna is an infinitely complex character, and her polymorphous identities make it such that comparisons to equally vast numbers of artists and issues may abound. Although the primary focus of my paper was to elucidate the roles that Madonna and her audiences play in creating popular culture, comparisons between the King and Queen of Pop would have been very interesting.
While the messages conveyed in their music may differ-Michael Jackson advocated tolerance for all people while Madonna pushed female empowerment-both artists effectively used the resources and captured audiences that were most readily available to them. Michael Jackson, born African American, shocked the world in 1987 when he suddenly became "white" after a procedure that lightened his once cocoa skin. With the controversy surrounding this move, it is no surprise that Jackson chose to address issues of racial equality. Being a man (albeit one whose masculinity is at times challenged), Jackson would be less relevant as a role model from which females could derive inspiration. On the other hand, Madonna's bold, independent style and mode of performance sent reverberations around a world that had up to that point been entrenched in a largely male-produced music industry. Her femininity and sexuality being the most readily available sources for expression, Madonna's music thus displayed themes of female empowerment. In order to be effective cultural icons, artists cannot rely on their music alone-they must have the "whole package." Thus, an artist's image, as much as his or her music, is vital to his or her success in the public arena. The similarities between the King and Queen of Pop exist on levels other than their music; for instance, they are comparable in their ability to transform their current situations into meaningful texts for public exploration.
More than simply that Madonna has not given a concrete opinion of Britney Spears (she seldom does this), I did not discuss the Madonna-Britney Spears dynamic, in the true spirit of allowing the audience to piece together its popular culture from the bits and pieces offered to it by artists. The audience's interpretation of how Madonna truly sees Britney is yet another important culture-shaping process that will reflect Madonna's own dealing with the issue as well as each individual's view of the subject matter, and will have implications on trends of the past, present, and future.
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