Madonna: Feminist or Antifeminist? Domination of Sex in Her Music Videos and Live Performances From the 20th Century to the Present Day

Abstract

After a nearly four-decade career, Madonna has not stopped with a modernist/postmodernist strategy of shock, which provides the reader or viewer the possibility of different interpretations of her art. While some art theorists condemn her as a ‘total antifeminist’, others praise Madonna’s work and point out her feminist side, through which she represents the ideal of a strong, independent and successful womanconfirming her own power and sexuality. Breaking conventional stereotypes through her videos and concert performances, the ‘Queen of Pop’ constantly demonstrates sexual dominance over both genders. In this paper, based on the contemporary research of Douglas Kellner and other theorists, I will analyze music videos and live performances from the 1990suntil the recent video for the song Bitch, I’m Madonna and consider why Madonna can be interpreted in two ways – as someone who ‘undermines her own feminism’ or as someone who is transparently presented as a feminist in the world of pop culture.