Blurred Boundaries

For poststructuralist feminists, “sex and gender are social and cultural constructions that are not to be explained in terms of biology or to be reduced to functions of capitalism” (Barker, Sex, Subjectivity and Representation).

Everything that Madonna’s image includes pushes the boundaries of gender roles. There is always a tension of the crazy party girl/sex symbol, the feminist who is a strong example of an independent woman, to the devoted mother who has her own and adopted children, to the humanitarian who fights for the rights of children in third world countries. Madonna breaks the mold for how a woman is viewed and defined in our culture.

Baker points to Madonna as an example of a woman that is able to continually challenge the preconceived notions of gender roles. Specifically, he says that Madonna’s videos “seek to empower women by exhorting them to take control of their lives; play with the codes of sex and gender to blur the boundaries of masculinity and femininity.”

This concept of blurred boundaries is quite obvious in most of Madonna’s videos and photos, like the example posted. Her outfit is undeniably sexy and provocative--the lacy bra, the fishnet stocking, and tall leather boots. However, she is wearing a men’s top hat and rocking out with a guitar, like Kid Rock. This combination of masculinity and femininity is what makes Madonna’s persona such a loud statement and an example for other women, and an example of poststructuralist feminism.

One final thought: Madonna is powerful icon and force not only in American culture, but worldwide. When I was living in Sevilla, Spain last year, Madonna come to play in concert. The show was sold out, and she was “the talk of the town” for weeks prior to and after the concert. I think it is interesting that the things women are struggling with in our culture (how to define ourselves, what is femininity, in what ways can we break the mold, etc.) are more universal than we think. Women in Spanish culture see Madonna as a role model to a modern, independent woman as well.