Essay/Term paper: Madonna

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Culture

Madonna


Madonna was born on August 16, 1958, in the city of Bay City, located in
the state of Michigan. Her real birth name is Madonna Louise Ciccone. However,
most people know her as simply Madonna. She is known as a controversial singer,
actress, dancer, songwriter, and has become one of America's biggest and well-
known stars in the late 1980s.
Madonna's assertive behavior, outspoken personality, and aggressive acts
of sexuality, along with her great efforts to push back the borders of the
acceptable, have brought her tremendous commercial success in America and abroad.
She has achieved the reputation as a forefront performer and entertainer.
Before Madonna began her superstar career, she attended school at the
University of Michigan. Before she even attended college, she was already well
talented in the field of dance. She was so good that she won a dance college
scholarship in high school. This was the main reason she continued onto college.
In the beginning of her college education, she enjoyed going to school on a
daily basis. In addition, she enjoyed learning and meeting new friends.
However, she began to get bored with her college education and her stay in
college was brief. Within the next two years she dropped out of the University
of Michigan and decided to pursue a career elsewhere. She knew that she wanted
to either continue in the field of dance or somewhere in the music industry.
She believed that she had greater opportunities in these careers in a large,
diversified metropolitan city like New York City.
Once in New York City, she joined a band and began writing musical notes,
lyrics, and songs. This was the start of her music career. However, she still
wanted to pursue her dance career. She always had two career objectives in mind
and believed she would definitely achieve one or both of them.
She joined Alvin Alley Theater's third company group. She danced with
them for a short time period, however, she felt she could do better by focusing
her main efforts and ideas in the popular music and film industry.
Her first debut album was called Borderline. In addition to the album
she also produced a short musical video to accompany the album. Her music and
video were featured on MTV, a music television channel found on cable television.
After heavy airplay of her music video on the MTV cable channel, her album
became very well known. Her first music video for MTV reached the top of the
music video list. The album reached the top tin on the charts in the year of
1984.
Madonna's subsequent videos grew increasingly more elaborate and
sophisticated. Most of the videos went to the top of the charts, which resulted
in her drawing more and more attention, which in turn carried over to her later
music. Musical hits such as the songs "Like a Virgin," "Angel," "Dress You Up,"
"Pretender," "Over and Over," "Stay," "Shoo-bee-doo," and "Material Girl," from
her album titled Madonna, Like A Virgin, in 1984 stayed as the number one album
for about six weeks.
As her superstar status grew and became more and more assured, Madonna
became more willing to express her views on different controversial issues. Her
music song, "Papa Don't Preach," which was released in the year 1986, dealt with
the controversial issue of teenage pregnancy. Her song, "Like a Prayer," which
was released in the year 1989, treated the idea of spirituality in a
questionable way. Additionally, her song, "Justify My Love," made in 1990 was
accompanied by a video deemed too sexually explicit to be shown on the MTV
channel.
Madonna has broken several popular music sales records. Her song,
"Vogue," released in 1990, became one of the top selling singles ever produced.
The Immaculate Collection, including all previously released songs like
"Holiday," "Lucky Star," "Borderline," "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl," "Crazy
For You," "Into The Groove," "Live To Tell," "Papa Don't Preach," "Open Your
Heart," "La Isla Bonita," "Like A Prayer," "Express Yourself," "Cherish,"
"Vogue," "Justify My Love," and "Rescue Me," was produced in the following year
and was only the second greatest hits album to make the top ten list.
Furthermore, her album Erotica Madonna, including songs like "Erotica,"
"Fever," "Bye Bye Baby," "Deeper and Deeper," "Bad Girl," "Waiting," "Thief of
Hearts," "Words," "Rain," "Why's It So Hard," "In This Life," "Secret Garden,"
and "Where Life Begins," was timed for release with her controversial book
entitled Sex, was brought out late in 1992. The book immediately was a best
seller and sold over one million copies. Still, once it was released, it
immediately became and instant hit with her devoted fans.
Madonna also ventured into the area of movie films. She felt her career
was so successful that she could try another area and be even more successful.
Highlights of Madonna's less successful film and movie career include starring
roles in Desperately Seeking Susan, which was filmed in 1986, Shanghai Surprise,
also filmed in 1986, Who's That Girl, produced in 1987, Dick Tracy, filmed in
1990. The revealing documentary, Truth or Dare, which was filmed during her
1990 Blond Ambition world concert tour, but released in 1991 showed an explicit
side of Madonna that many had never seen. Woody Allen's film, Shadows and Fog,
produced in 1992, and the film, A League of Their Own, produced in 1992, were
also part of her movie career. Her latest movie, Evita, in which she stars, was
given some praise in the box office, and is probably considered her best work
yet.
Madonna is currently trying to gain more control of what is being
produced about her. She has entered the management areas of film, record, and
publishing by creating her own company. At present, she is still working on
numerous projects. One of these projects included that of having a baby, which
she just recently completed. One thing is for sure, whatever Madonna does, she
still makes front page headlines. Furthermore, she is still producing videos,
songs, movies, and books that appeal to people world wide. We will definitely
continue to see a lot of her, and her work, in the near future.

Works Cited

Kamins, Mark. Madonna, Madonna. New York, New York: Sire Company, 1989.

Leonard, Patrick. I'm Breathless. New York: Sire Company, 1993.

Pettibone, Shep. Madonna, Erotica. Los Angeles, California: Maveick Company,
1993.

Rodgers, Nile. Madonna, Like A Virgin. New York, New York: Warner Brothers,
1990.