Madonna: A Primer for GLEE Fans
Yeah, I still own my first Madonna cassette tape. That thing is never getting thrown out.
It has recently come to my attention that many of the people who will be tuning in to tonight’s Madonna-themed episode of Glee, entitled “The Power of Madonna,” are to young to be familiar with a lot of the songs that will be referenced. This must be remedied. I recently revealed in a blog post some of the details of my childhood Madonna obsession, so I figured that I should be the one to educate you ignorant masses. You’re welcome. Yes, Madonna had music BEFORE “Ray of Light,” as hard as that is to believe.
Madonna used to be awesome, people. Just look at the picture above. She was channeling Marilyn Monroe and James Dean–looking back into 50s cinema, while breaking all its taboos. ”True Blue” was the first Madonna album that I ever owned. I must have been about 7 when I found the cassette tape among my father’s music, and appropriated it for myself. He didn’t mind. Honestly, I have no idea why he even owned that tape, as he was more of a Bob Dylan and Bob Marley fan. Maybe because she was Italian? My dad will buy anything if it is Italian. Or maybe there was a rule in the 80s that everyone had to own a Madonna album? Who knows. But I got my hands on that tape and became obsessed.
Madonna was pretty much the natural progression from my love of Barbie and the Rockers and Jem and the Holograms. My mom often tells a story about when I was getting ready to go to my first day of kindergarten. I was wearing a tube top as a miniskirt, big earrings, and singing Barbie and the Rockers. Madonna soon replaced Barbie and Jem as my pop star idol, and luckily my parents found it adorable, and not disturbing. Thanks, guys. There was a bit of a pause when I took to wearing rosaries around the house (according to my Catholic parents, rosaries are not jewelry, despite what you might think), but they accepted it.
We never had MTV when I was little, but eventually I managed to watch all of Madonna’s videos, as I continued to be a fan throughout my tweens and teens. Unfortunately, due to copyright reasons Madonna’s videos are not embeddable on YouTube, but I will link the relevant videos as I go along. The most controversial is certainly “Like a Prayer,” which features stigmata symbolism and burning crosses, along with a Christ-like figure who was African-American (apparently, actually a saint), and interracial love. Hey, it was 1989, over 20 years ago, and that stuff was considered a big deal. In addition to the religious symbolism, the video tells the story of a girl who witnesses a rape, for which a black man is falsely accused. Madonna’s character enters a church, and eventually finds the strength to go to the police and tell the truth, thus freeing the innocent man. The video also features Madonna as a brunette for once, which I appreciated as an Italian girl. You can watch the video here: Watch the “Like a Prayer video. After you have watched the original, check out the “Like a Prayer” promo for tonight’s episode of Glee:
Another important Madonna song and video was “Vogue.” The title of the song, and the much-lauded video, were inspired by “Voguing,” a type of dancing that emerged in the gay club scene in 1980s New York, primarily in Black and Latino communities. I listened to a really fascinating interview about it on NPR a few years ago, but I could not find it anywhere on the internets. I am a failure. But, just know that Madonna didn’t invent the “Vogue” dance she does in her video out of thin air. Watch the “Vogue” video. After you’ve seen the original, compare it to the shot for shot remake for tonight’s episode of Glee, posted below.
One of my very favorite Madonna songs, and very favorite videos, is “Papa Don’t Preach.” I love that in the video she wears a t-shirt that reads: “Italians Do It Better.” Yeah, I have one too, but no one should be surprised by that at this point. It is just a classic song, and you can watch the video here: Watch the “Papa Don’t Preach” music video.
Another favorite is “Like a Virgin,” which is early Madonna, featuring her before her Marilyn phase. In the video, Madonna rides through Venice on a gondola, and there is a guest appearance by a lion. Seriously. There’s some Beauty and the Beast imagery there. Also, she dons a very-80s wedding dress, while getting very friendly with a table. Watch the “Like a Virgin” music video.
I will also call your attention to “Material Girl,” a song that was my favorite in third grade. As an adult, it doesn’t have quite the same effect on me, but it is still a classic. The awesome thing about the video, which I did not realize until years later, is that it is inspired by the Marilyn Monroe film Gentleman Prefer Blondes, now one of my very favorite movies, of all time. It is a work of comic genius that is underappreciated. Seriously, you must rent or buy it today. Check out Marilyn’s rendition of ”Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” below:
Then compare it to Madonna’s ode to the film: Watch the “Material Girl” music video. Quite the “homage.” ”Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” may be more familiar to you from Moulin Rouge!, which was also very inspired by the 1953 film.
And while I am on the Madonna-nostalgia path, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. The plot is too insane to explain here, but check out the trailer and a video clip from the film, featuring the hit song, “Get into the Groove.”
Yeah, in the 80s when a pop star was in a movie, she could dance to HER OWN MUSIC in a club, while playing someone else. Oh, what an age of wonder and hilarity.
Another classically bad Madonna film was 1987′s Who’s That Girl. This movie was the reason that I wanted to wear a tutu, motorcycle jacket, and fire-engine red lipstick. I have yet to live the dream. Someday. A future Halloween costume, perhaps? Check out the cringe-worthy clip below:
I could go on, but I’ll spare you. Now that I have exhausted you all with the nostalgia, I hope that you are better prepared for tonight’s Glee episode. Although, actually, despite all the time that I put into this post, I hope that you will be watching Lost tonight instead, and tuning in to Glee tomorrow. Priorities, people!
Love it. My first concert was Madonna….The Virgin tour..my parents took me!!! lol!! I walked around w/a tee that said “the virgin tour’…my neighbor asked me, “do you even know what a virgin is?” I so innocently replied..”yah! its her first concert!”
Ha ha ha! That’s great!
I am ignorant no longer!! Thanks Cia! I also loved the anecdotes:)Especially with the rosary; I too wondered about that when I was younger.
I’m so glad that I could help.
Should I make you a Madonna CD now? Or maybe we can watch cheesy 80s movies next time I visit.