MTV And The Madonna Phenomenon Essay Research

MTV And The Madonna Phenomenon Essay, Research Paper

MTV and The Madonna Phenomenon

“Madonna’s intuitive grasp on the televisual world in which we live- of

the medium’s possibilities for engaging spectators in diverse ways- that in part

accounts for her success. She is the supreme television heroine.” (E. Ann Kaplan

271)

“What are the main theories which we have studied so far and how have

they affected how you view television.”-This is the question which this paper

is supposed to answer. Obviously there is not enough time or space in which to

discuss every theory which we have touched on. As a compromise I decided to

write about a topic to which almost every theory that we have discussed can be

applied: MTV and the .Madonna Phenomenon..

As E. Ann Kaplan stated in her article on feminist criticism, Madonna is

truly the ultimate television heroine. A discussion on contemporary popular

culture and especially on media culture could never be complete without bringing

up Madonna. She can be discussed in terms of feminism, ideology, hegemony and

commercialism as seen in both Kaplan’s as well as in John Fiske’s article on

British Cultural Studies.

In order to properly explain how the .Madonna Phenomenon. has become

such an important concept in media studies, one must look first at how

influential MTV (music television) has become in the last decade. MTV addresses

the .desires, fantasies, and anxieties. of young people(Kaplan 270) who have,

like myself, grown up in a decade when all the traditional institutions and

theories that were always respected, are being questioned. It has become the

center of discussions of many young people who have grown up idolizing the

figures shown on the network. MTV is a culture in itself. With it’s own news,

fashion and music programs it can easily be the considered the basis for the

formation of thought of an entire generation.

The images depicted in music videos, of androgynous stars and situations

have aided in rendering the clear line between the genders rather blurry. This

makes MTV an important aspect in the study of post-modern theories. Videos are

often quite abstract and it is hard to figure out their true meanings. Unlike

other television programming, videos are usually not made up of clear parts or

scenes which produce an easily identifiable and readable image. It is often hard

to tell, for example whether a music video is sexist or whether it is simply

making a parody of earlier, sexist, Hollywood productions. Looking at videos of

fully clothed men , singing about love while bleach-blond girls in bikinis dance

around them can be quite confusing at times. Is it possible that these videos

are actually daring to be so blatantly sexist. It is highly doubtful.

The people behind the Music Video industry have quite brilliantly built

up an entirely new television and music empire, complete with it’s own stars.

They have managed to use a form much like that of television commercials to

glorify their products which are in this case the singers. There are those stars

who are now known more for their videos than for their music. At times these

video stars are not even close to being good singers but have such strong

innovative videos that they manage to become successful without the possession

of talent. These stars must be analyzed not only as people but also as

industries. Their personas have been meticulously constructed and they have been

promoted as well as a can of .Coca-Cola Classic..

This brings us to the world of Madonna Veronica Louisa Ciconne Penn, or

rather Madonna- the most powerful woman in the Music Video world. Madonna is the

perfect object of analysis, if one wishes to look inside the MTV world. She is

the subject of numerous discourses. There are both differing feminist

constructions of Madonna as well as Madonna’s constructions of herself.

The main topic which will be dealt with in this essay is Madonna’s place

in the world of feminism. There are four categories of feminism which are

usually considered: Liberal feminism, Radical feminism, Marxist feminism and

Post-Modern Feminism. The .Madonna Phenomenon. can be looked at in terms of both

the third and fourth categories, and is often criticized by those who follow the

radical feminist theory. Madonna herself said, in bashing her radical feminist

critics: .Tell Gloria Steinem and the gang…to lighten up, get a sense of humor.

And look at my video that goes with Material Girl. The guy who gets me in the

end is the sensitive one with no money..

The first theory which I am going to discuss in relation to Madonna is

Marxist Feminism. Marxist feminism is based on the principle of how women as a

group are manipulated by economic and political factors which are out of their

control. In terms of television viewing, Marxist feminism explores the portrayal