Madonna and Me Women Writers on the Queen of Pop

by Barcella, Laura; Valenti, Jessica

• ISBN13: 9781593764296
• ISBN10: 1593764294
• Edition: Original
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-06
• Publisher: Soft Skull

Summary

For nearly 30 years, Madonna has been at the center of the media spotlight. She has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, launched her own record label, headlined an Oscar-award-winning film, authored bestselling books for both adults and children, inspired global street-fashion trends, and instigated international debates over a range of feminist issues from sexual fetish to adoption ethics. Masterfully harnessing her talent and power to navigate her ascent to stardom, she has become the very definition of iconic. She has also been a constant companion. In Madonna and Me, more than forty women write about Madonna’s influence on their lives. No subject goes unexplored—from sex and money to fashion and identity, the stories are just as brazen, bold, and balls-to-the-wall as Madonna. They explore the evolution of her chameleonlike personas—material girl and “boy-toy” tartlet, kooky Kabbalist and savvy businesswoman, siren and mother—and her impact on culture as a groundbreaking feminist. Of course, not all women worship at her altar, and likewise the essays in Madonna and Me are brutally honest, funny, engaging, and real. They delve into the hearts, souls, memories, and moments of contemporary women, celebrating the ways in which Madonna has inspired us and challenged us, pushing us to be bolder, edgier, braver versions of ourselves.

Author Biography

Laura Barcella has been published in The Village Voice, Salon, ELLEGirl, BUST, Bitch, Alter Net, Chicago Sun-Times, and many other publication. She has been a Madonna devotee since age six.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
This Used to Be My Playground
Before Beyoncé, Tween Thongs, and Baby Tiaras	p. 9
Articles of Faith	p. 14
Strike a Pose	p. 18
B-Sides	p. 22
Bad Girls from Bay City	p. 26
Like a Prayer
Madonna vs. the Virgin Mary	p. 35
Are You There God? It's Me, Madonna	p. 43
Our Lady of the Hot Pants	p. 49
The Black Madonna	p. 55
Mad Mensch	p. 61
Burning Up
Madonna is Down with the Swirl	p. 75
Madonna Speaks Sexual Truth to Power	p. 81
My Pocket Madonna ?	p. 87
Safe Harbor	p. 94
And I Feel	p. 103
Keep it Together
In the Name of a Mother	p. 111
Mother Madonna	p. 119
Marrying Madonna	p. 128
Into the Wilderness	p. 134
Ciccone Youth	p. 145
Lucky Star
Our Lady of Perpetual Motion	p. 153
Desperately Seeking Stardom	p. 162
Madonna is Boring and Lazy	p. 168
Touched for the Very First Time	p. 173
Immaterial Girl	p. 181
"Vogue:" Madonna's Creative Zenith	p. 186
Count Madonnicula	p. 192
Fighting Spirit
Fuck You, Seattle	p. 199
Madonna in My Corner	p. 210
Borderline: Madonna's Rebel Stance	p. 216
My Movie and Madonna	p. 223
In Costume	p. 227
Burning Up	p. 233
Bonus Track: Now I'm Following You
Madonna and Me	p. 239
Madonna, Myself	p. 243
Where's That Girl?	p. 249
Conversations I Will Never Have with Madonna	p. 253
A Borderline History of My Relationship with Madonna	p. 259
Justify My Love	p. 268
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