Madonna performing, "Like A Virgin" at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards
Madonna’s shock factor during performance is what some say “her most important asset”. In 1985, Madonna debuted the first single from her second album, of the same name, titled “Like a Virgin.” The singers performance of the song would shoot the single straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year, as well as define Madonna as a sex-symbol. In the performance, Madonna comes out in a bridal gown singing the first lines of the song, “I made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through.” The performance takes a twist when the singer begins to roll around the floor (in a very sexual manner) and continue belting out the lines, such as, “Like a Virgin, touched for the very first time.” Freddy Demann (Madonna’s manager at the time) instantly told the singer that her career was over. (1) Little did he know, the “Like a Virgin” LP would go on to sell 21 million records worldwide and spawn 5 hit singles. “Like a Virgin” would also raise eyebrows on the singers Blond Ambition World Tour in
The song was choreographed in a religious based setting where the singer would blatantly insinuate masturbation, while singing the song. During the tours stop in Toronto, Police threatened to arrest Madonna for pubic indecency and immoral stage
Madonna performing, "Like A Virgin" on her 1990 "Blond Ambition World Tour"
performance if she didn’t change the set and take out the scene. Madonna said she would rather cancel her show than alter it, and it was freedom of expression. Freddy Demann told the police they could let the show stay as is, or they would have to explain to 30,000 people why it was being cancelled. (2) The show went on, as planned and Madonna was not arrested or charged after the show. In 2003, just before her
Madonna and Britney Spears lock lips during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
“Re-Invention World Tour” (which would also cause quite a stir) Madonna, along with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott, would do a rendition of “Like a Virgin” that ended with a kiss between Madonna, Britney and Christina.
The performance was talked about weeks after the event and is known as one of the greatest performances at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Back to 1989, Madonna was readying the release of her new album and single, “Like A Prayer.” The singer signed a multimillion dollar contract with Pepsi (Pepsi paid a reported $5 million just for the use of the song.) The original commercial broadcasted to over 250 million people. Madonna then released her music video for the song, causing Pepsi to pull the commercial from air waves, and discontinued promotion. In the video Madonna is seen dancing in front of burning crosses outside of a Catholic church.
Madonna dancing in front of burning crosses in her "Like A Prayer" music video.
The video also features scene of rape and a love scene between Madonna and a black man dressed as Jesus. Pepsi no longer wanted to be affiliated with the singer because of the criticism from the public and, most of all, the Catholic Church. Madonna walked away from the deal with $5 million in her pocket. Her response to the situation? “When I think of controversy, I never really think people are going to be half as shocked as they are at what I do. I really couldn’t believe how out of control the whole Pepsi thing got.” (4)
1992-1993 (known as the “Erotica” era) is perhaps Madonna’s most crucial controversy era. After the release of “Justify My Love” in 1990, Madonna began work on a new album with producer Shep Pettibone. While writing and recording the album, Madonna was also working on an undercover book project, later known as, “Sex.” The coffee table would be released simultaneously with her 5th full length studio album, “Erotica.”
Madonna's album cover for her "Erotica" LP
The book features the singer in many sexual situations that Madonna claimed were her sexual fantasies. “Nothing in this book is true. I made it all up,” are Madonna’s closing words in the prologue for the book. Madonna narrates the book as her erotica alter ego, Dita Parlow. It features photographs of Madonna (and several other guest celebrities, such as Vanilla Ice) naked (or nearly naked) and in some form of sexual situation (many of the pictures have a dark theme to them.) The “Erotica” album was a concept album about Sex. The song “Where Life Begins” is an ode to oral sex, while “In This Life” is about a friend of Madonna’s who has died of AIDS. The backlash began when Madonna’s film “Body Of Evidence” was released in 1993. The film was an erotic thriller that did not perform well in the box office and began to make the public believe that Madonna was over exposed and too overtly sexual. After the backlash had continued on for several months, Madonna toured Japan, the US and Australia with her “Girlie Show World Tour 1993” to rave reviews. Madonna would go on to record, “Bedtime Stories” a much softer, more appropriate album in 1994.
After starring in “Evita”, in 1997, Madonna released her albums, “Ray Of Light” and “Music” with much softer images. By 2003, Madonna was ready to create a stir again. Her 2003 album, “American Life” was another concept album (her first since, “Erotica”) but this time the subject was materialism and war. The original video for “American Life” was to feature the singer in a war zone. It was also shot and planned to end with a George Bush look-a-like kissing Saddam Hussein.
For the first time Madonna felt pressure to not release the video and it went unreleased until the singers 2004 “Re-invention World Tour.” The show was based around Religion and War. Her performance of “American Life” featured scenes from the original, unreleased video. The show went on to gross 44.9 million people and was ranked as the highest selling tour of 2004. (5) She would also performed “Live To Tell” two years later on her “Confessions World Tour” while attached to a crucifix and dressed as Jesus (the performance was cut out of the tours DVD release).
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