Whether Madonna Portrays Fluid or Fixed Identity - Literature review Example

Exploring Whether Madonna Portrays Fluid or Fixed Identity Exploring Whether Madonna Portrays Fluid or Fixed IdentityMadonna Louise Ciccone is an American actress, director, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist (Gauntlett, 2002). The birth of Madonna took place on August 16, 1958 in Bay City and moved to New York to follow her dream career in modern dance. She performed in music groups such as Emmy and Breakfast Club. She signed with Sire Records in 1982 and the following year she had an album out which was her self-titled debut. Madonna is famous for her continuous reinvention in both her image and music while keeping autonomy standard within the industry of music recording (Childs, 2003, pp. 70--71). She is known to push lyrical content boundaries making her immensely popular in the mainstream imagery and popular music in her music videos that gained airplay on MTV. Critics on the diverse musical productions have induced controversy as well as making her more famous. She is an icon both in the music industry and in culture with her style and music influencing a number of artists all over the world (Thurer, 2005). The “Queen of Pop” as she is commonly referred to by the media internationally, has had many incarnations in public resulting in her representation of numerous subcultures (Cranny-Francis and Waring et al., 2003). She brings such subcultures into the mainstream for critique as well as mass consumption. The many changes in the character of Madonna as an individual make her gender fluid rather than fixed. Gender fluidity portrays a more flexible and wider range of expressions in gender. A gender fluid character is capable of changing their behaviors and interests on a daily basis. Gender fluid persons can fit into any character with ease. This variability in gender, means defying the traditional gender roles of, fixed feminine or masculine identity. Gender fluid persons can easily dress up as opposite sex members, which are defined as gender trouble by Butler is seen as a means of challenging the notions of traditional gender identities (Childs, 2003, pp. 70--71). She uses this as a drag. She does not advocate for a specific way of how people can subvert gender roles but is against the fixed mentality when it comes to gender. Madonna is one person who is used often as an icon who does not stick with traditional gender roles. Some of her music videos like that of the song ‘Justify My Love’ portrays several characters dressed and behaving in a manner that makes their gender and sex hard to determine. Madonna defies traditional feminine roles in the open as seen in her tour Blonde Ambition (Wheeler, 2003). This is from her performance in a manner that shows sexual confidence and dominance. Madonna in demonstrating gender fluid identity is not so much constrained by boundaries of gender, which control a large part of her audience (Cranny-Francis and Waring et al., 2003). She simply uses her power as pop star to bring out the fantasies and sexualities that would have other women condemned if portrayed by them. Madonna’s identity is a constructed gender status which is theorized to be independent of sex radically which is the essence of gender fluidity. As a cultural icon, Madonna is an influential character and in expressing her gender fluidity she demonstrates a desire to change how society operates in assigning fixed gender roles and being judgmental to those who do not conform (Taraborrelli, 2001). That is the reason why she has interacted with many cultures by getting into the culture and showing that changes can be made from within the same culture. Madonna has had several accolades such as being considered a cultural icon by Forbes, all time best selling female artist in recording by Guinness World Records, recognition by Time magazine as being among the most powerful women of the century among many others (Prieto-Arranz, 2012, pp. 173--196). She has risen to a level which women in the 80’s were not perceived to reach. The many accolades that name her as the first woman to, or the only woman to, show her breaking out of the traditional gender roles and revolutionalizing the same. This is classically evident of a gender fluid identity according to Butler. Butler comes out as a feminist fighting and advocating for more equality between women and men that can only be achieved if gender roles are considered fluid (Herndon, 2001, pp. 20--22). Madonna is one of the proponents of this gender role with numerous varied representations of female character in her career in both music and film. In this sense, she has played the androgynous provocateur, the glamorous beauty, and the exotic nymph. She has also gone beyond exploration of the feminine to personify several cultures such as Latin, Asian, Indian, as well as gay culture. Remarkably, gender fluidity has enabled her to achieve so much as a woman and become extremely successful in a male dominated world. Madonna’s traditional ideologies confrontation concerning women and turning them on their heads further demonstrate her identity as gender fluid (Morton, 2001). This has made her to be viewed as a threat to status quo by some dominant groups. In her relationships, the aspect of gender fluidity in her identity has denied her the chance to stick with one spouse. Her marriage with Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie were not successful mostly due to her sexual expression that makes her the boss in every relationship. This is totally the opposite of traditional feminine roles where the woman is seen as a sexual slave to the male. Madonna’s identity has influenced many young women and girls all over the world to take charge of their lives and be who they want to be instead of conforming to oppressive roles that are fixed by society. As a strong female image, fluidity in gender keeps her going and unashamed to portray who she really is in public even in terms of her dressing (Obrien, 2007). Some of her roles in film have been greeted with a lot of criticism due to the nature of gender roles portrayed as negating the conventional or fixed ideas. Despite this, fluidity keeps Madonna afloat and able to confront issues of cultural oppression for the girl child. The same gender fluidity has caused her to be criticized for voicing her stand on male domination, which she defies and opposes. Madonna as a woman portrays an image of one who is a sexual being blatantly and is in control of as well as proud of her sexuality. This is evidenced in her song in 1984, ‘Like a Virgin’. Whereas sex is seen as a topic not to be discussed openly, she sings of sex. Sex is seen as a means of making the woman a man’s possession but Madonna sings of it as making her bolder, as well as stronger. This identity is truly fluid, as it does not conform to the norm or the usual (Prieto-Arranz, 2012, pp. 173--196). Gender fluidity does not have anything to do with the person’s set of genitalia or sexual orientation but is just about being oneself as portrayed by Madonna (Morton, 2001). Butler observes that some configurations of gender culturally have gotten a hegemonic hold that makes them to be seen as natural in culture but they are not supposed to be so (Herndon, 2001, pp. 20--22). Madonna has a free-floating identity and her world lacks a room for prejudice because she seems to enjoy every minute of fame and attention that she gets from controversy. She is seen as queer by some of her critiques and is acclaimed to have been bold enough to lead the 80’s generation or crop of women pop artists to bring queer to the limelight and the masses. In conclusion, queer is whatever gets into odds with what is normal, dominant, or legitimate (Fouz-Hernández & Jarman-Ivens, 2004). Madonna has been changing her image constantly, has had an assertion of power to the females as well as their sexuality. She appropriates from queer or gay culture, which definitely and clearly defines her gender identity as fluid rather than fixed. Butler sees Madonna as a perfect embodiment of her arguments in her book ‘Gender Trouble’ in which she critiques the politics of identity basis (Mcclary, 2002). Just like Madonna does in the entertainment industry, Judith Butler derationalizes and exposes the power systems in society which make the norms with regard to natural identities of gender. Madonna likes to parody traditional stereotypes of females and adopts identities that contradict her as heterosexual female at will (Fouz-Hernández & Jarman-Ivens, 2004). This variability in the construction of her identity leads to the conclusion that her gender identity is fluid. Madonna likes to represent the queer in society in her fashion statements as well as in her music videos, songs, and film. She is one woman who is not afraid to express herself as evidenced in her music, image, and pop culture. Madonna demonstrates ambiguity and fluidity in her sexual political works such as noted in the music videos such as ‘Erotica’, ‘Vogue’, and ‘Justify My Love’. This fluidity is also expressed in her book titled ‘Sex’. In conclusion, Madonna is a controversial figure regarding sex, but that is what makes her identity fluid (Mcclary, 2002). Reference List Childs, C. 2003. The Madonna Connection. Representational politics, subcultural identities, and cultural theory. Musicology Australia, 16 (1), pp. 70--71. Cranny-Francis, A., Waring, W., Stavropoulos, P., Kirkby, J. and Others. 2003. Gender studies: terms and debates| Macquarie University ResearchOnline. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Fouz-Hernández, S. and Jarman-Ivens, F. 2004. Madonnas drowned worlds. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate. Gauntlett, D. 2002. Media, gender, and identity. London: Routledge. Herndon, A. 2001. Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity Reviewed by. Philosophy in Review, 21 (1), pp. 20--22. Mcclary, S. 2002. Feminine endings. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Morton, A. 2001. Madonna. New York: St. Martins Press. Obrien, L. 2007. Madonna. New York: HarperEntertainment. Prieto-Arranz, J. I. 2012. The Semiotics of Performance and Success in Madonna. The Journal of Popular Culture, 45 (1), pp. 173--196. Taraborrelli, J. R. 2001. Madonna. New York: Simon & Schuster. Thurer, S. 2005. The end of gender. New York: Routledge. Wheeler, J. C. 2003. Madonna. Edina, MN: Abdo & Daughters. Read More