The Material Girl has never had the best voice or the sexiest hooks. She boasted a bit of everything – an attractive figure, radio-friendly sound, and lyrics that matched the zeitgeist.
His greatest talent? Know how to grab people by the scruff of the neck. By this measure, she had few peers.
Time has not dulled this instinct.
The superstar, adored the world over and with all the resources western society can offer, is now a professional victim at the tender age of 64. She follows in the footsteps of Meghan Markle, who proved that you can claim victimhood no matter how rich, handsome or handsome you are. privilege
Madonna introduced future Grammy winners Sam Smith and Kim Petras on Sunday’s Grammy telecast. Viewers may have been shocked by what they saw, and it had nothing to do with the satanic showcase the pop duo performed.
Madonna looked bloated and deformed, her face incredibly smooth. it didn’t take a plastic surgeon to see that the singer got the job done. Memories of the face of the late Joan Rivers floated in mind, as did pop superstar Michael Jackson.
So Twitter did what Twitter always does…weigh in on the subject with less than lovable results.
It’s natural. Her fans knew her best during her provocative youth, a time when she showed off her curves and cleavage on MTV and elsewhere. She literally wrote a book called “Sex” and trained feverishly to stay young and slim.
And it worked.
Her sexuality has become part of her brand, her song. It’s hard to put aside as the calendar pages go by.
So Madonna, like many stars before her, medically delayed the inevitable.
Now, as the public reacts to her decision, she goes on the offensive. She refused to age gracefully, and now her critics must be punished.
The media quickly seized on his cause of the day. Reporters echoed his cries of “ageism,” though many laughed as comedians poked fun at President Donald Trump for his skin color and headdress.
The New York Times contorted itself into a pretzel to say Madonna’s face was the singer’s latest performance art explosions, empowering all the way.
… Whatever her intentions, the superstar had us talking about the subjectivity of beauty and the pervasiveness of ageism. In the end, whether she wants to make a statement or just look younger, better, “refreshed”, almost doesn’t matter. If beauty is a construction, it was Madonna who exposed her scaffolding.
Vogue, the magazine, and not the name of Madonna’s perky hit, also rallied to her side.
Instead of focusing on her catchy speech, however, which was all to do with radical self-acceptance and celebrating those who don’t conform, news outlets and the Twitterverse decided to focus on her looks. “unrecognizable” amid thinly veiled accusations of extreme plastic surgery. And, true to form, Madonna has none of that.
Television reports followed suit.
For what?
Liberal tastemakers couldn’t turn on the princess of pop, at least not yet. She has been an “ally” for all good causes, from abortion to the LGBTQ+ nation. The scribes will twist and turn, as needed, to retrieve it.
Here’s why they’re wrong.
Madonna could have been brave in embracing her wrinkles and defying beauty standards.
“Hey everyone, it’s 64, and I’m loving every second of it.”
That would be empowering, a former sex symbol looking at Father Time. Yasss queen! Instead, she clung to her youth with all her might. What worked for a while is now backfiring. Unfortunately.
She’s just mad, we noticed.
Beneath the star’s new look lies a terrible truth. Western culture routinely allows men to tinkle without a collective tsk-tsking. Aging superstars like Sylvester Stallone, Liam Neeson and Clint Eastwood are getting older and tougher, while cruel insults are generally kept under control.
Female stars, from actresses to rock goddesses, are getting more attention for the sin of getting old.
Madonna could have challenged this imbalance, daring us to poke fun at a star for standing up to the reality we all face.
What subversion! Instead, she chose the surgical route, open only to the wealthiest among us.
Madonna addressed her “changes” on social media,
“I’m happy to be pioneering so that all the women behind me can have it easier in the years to come.”
Pioneers do not adopt the fetal position and do not attack the detractors. They continue to advance, unaware of the taunts directed at them.
And does she really think, or even want, future Madonnas to wreck their faces to appease our youth-obsessed culture?
If so, this is the most alarming part of Madonna’s new pose.
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