Is
      Madonna
      good
      for
      feminism?
     
     
      by
      Stacey
      Pinchuk
      from
      the
      Charlatan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Over
      the
      past
      few
      years,
      Madonna
      has
      been
      many
     
     
      things:
      a
      sexy
      boy
      toy,
      a
      blond
      bombshell
      and
      a
      lean,
     
     
      mean
      muscle
      machine.
      Somehow,
      ‘‘feminist’’
      doesn’t
     
     
      quite
      make
      it
      onto
      this
      list.
      Yet
      some
      of
      today’s
     
     
      feminists
      are
      heralding
      Madonna
      as
      a
      woman
      of
     
     
      power
      and
      prestige
      who
      is
      promoting
      the
      advancement
     
     
      of
      women
      in
      the
      90’s.
      Yeah,
      right.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      argument
      in
      Madonna’s
      favour
      os
      that
      she
      has
     
     
      proven
      capable
      of
      inventing
      and
      re-inventing
      herself,
     
     
      and
      avoids
      being
      restricted
      to
      a
      single
      ‘‘female’’
     
     
      image.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Caleton
      graduate
      and
      feminist
      philosopher
      Susan
     
     
      Bordo
      spoke
      on
      the
      subject
      ‘*
      Feminism
      Reconceives
     
     
      the
      Body’’
      oncampus
      Sept.13.
      She
      opposes
      the
      pro-
     
     
      Madonna
      view
      but
      explained
      that
      some
      feminists
     
     
      admire
      ‘‘the
      plasticity
      of
      Madonna’s
      continuous
     
     
      transformation
      and
      her
      erotic
      energy
      that
      escapes
     
     
      containment.’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Madonna
      cannot
      be
      pinned
      downto
      a
      single
      image,
     
     
      and
      thus
      escaped
      containment.
      She
      changes
      her
      image
     
     
      so
      often
      that
      she
      negates
      all
      substance
      to
      her
      asa
     
     
      person.
      The
      result
      is
      fake
      and
      unreal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Why
      is
      plasticity
      viewed
      ina
      positive
      light?
      what
     
     
      ever
      happened
      to
      reality?
      Barbie
      dolls
      are
      now
      facing
     
     
      still
      competition
      from
      anatomically
      realistic
      ‘‘
      Happy
     
     
      To
      Be
      Me’’
      dolls.
      So
      why
      is
      Madonna
      being
      praised
     
     
      for
      possessing
      the
      same
      fake
      and
      outdated
      qualities
      as
     
     
      Barbie?
      Madonna’s
      ever-changing
      persona
      leaves
      her
     
     
      about
      as
      deep
      as
      Barbie’s
      gaze.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      addition,
      Madonna
      is
      commended
      for
      being
      in
     
     
      complete
      control
      over
      her
      career
      and
      herself.
      She
      in
     
     
      not
      being
      exploited
      by
      anyone.
      Rather,
      as
      Bordo
     
     
      explained,
      she
      is
      consciously
      choosing
      to
      exploit
     
     
      herself
      and
      her
      body.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Exploitation
      is
      indeed
      a
      negative
      word.
      By
      being
     
    
   
   
    
     
      self-imposed,
      it
      does
      not
      miraculously
      take
      ona
     
     
      positive
      connotation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Madonna
      is
      conforming
      to
      the
      long-standing
      oppres-
     
     
      sive
      system
      that
      compels
      women
      to
      exploit
      their
     
     
      bodies
      as
      a
      tool
      for
      success.
      Whether
      this
      conformity
     
     
      takes
      place
      by
      choice
      or
      by
      force,
      how
      can
      it
      be
      good
     
     
      for
      feminism?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      os
      difficult
      to
      draw
      the
      fine
      line
      between
      choice
      an
     
     
      force.
      Perhaps
      Madonna
      has
      consciously
      chosen
      to
     
     
      wear
      minimal
      amounts
      of
      clothing
      and
      to
      flaunt
      her
     
     
      body.
      But
      would
      she
      be
      as
      successful
      if
      she
      didn’t?
     
     
      Did
      she
      really
      have
      a
      choice?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Madonna
      has
      succumbed
      to
      the
      woes
      of
      societal
     
     
      pressure,
      under
      the
      guise
      of
      choice.
      She
      isconform
     
     
      ing
      to
      the
      system
      instead
      of
      using
      her
      power
      to
     
     
      change
      it.
      Not
      only
      is
      Madonna
      failing
      to
      advance
     
     
      feminism,
      she
      is
      taking
      it
      a
      giant
      step
      backwards.
     
     
      In
      the
      ‘‘Justify
      Your
      Love’’
      video,
      Madonna
      is
      the
     
     
      aggressor.
      She
      is
      seeking
      sex
      and
      calling
      the
      shots
     
     
      So
      is
      a
      prostitute
      who
      makes
      the
      first
      move
      when
     
     
      approaching
      a
      client
      considered
      a
      feminist
      too?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*She
      grabs
      her
      crotch
      alot.
      This,
      too,
      os
      suppose
     
     
      to
      be
      feminist:
      Michael
      Jackson
      did
      it
      and
      so
      can
     
     
      she,
      nyah,
      nyah,
      nyah,’’
      writes
      Barbara
      Grizutti
      in
     
     
      article
      ‘‘Can
      Madonna
      Justify
      Madonna’”’
      from
      Jun
     
     
      issue
      of
      Mademoiselle.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      ‘‘Open
      Your
      Heart’’
      video,
      Madonna
      gyrate:
     
     
      repulsively
      as
      a
      peep
      show
      dancer,
      while
      a
      young
      b
     
     
      plays
      a
      would-be
      customer.
      At
      the
      end
      of
      the
      vide:
     
     
      Madonna
      kisses
      the
      boy.
      Not
      only
      are
      Madonna’s
     
     
      dance
      moves
      degrading
      and
      insulting
      to
      women,
      bu
     
     
      she
      hints
      at
      paedophilia
      and
      eroticizes
      the
      sexualit
     
     
      a
      child
      at
      the
      video’s
      end.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*What
      is
      Madonna
      doing
      there?’’
      Bordo
      asked.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘*What
      did
      she
      do
      to
      get
      herself
      there?
      Whatare
      |
     
     
      little
      boys
      doing
      when
      they
      watch
      her?
      And
      whata
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEKI
      X-PRESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      10.
      1991
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pace