Madonna

Ways Madonna uses postmodernism...

• Style over substance
• Intertextuality- Pastiche form mostly: i.e. Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen prefer blondes
• Constantly changes style and image
• Good for inserting queer theory- her sexuality is something she always appears to be exploring
• Fractures metanarratives- Jean Francois Lyotard 
• Parodies traditional gender and sexual identities
• Embraces consumer culture

Consuming: the more you consume, the more it will improve your life. i.e. Buy this deodorant by David Beckham and you’ll be like him- get the girls.

Postmodernism and queer theory breaks down binary opposition- male vs female

Fixed gender identity-metanarrative is rejected- heterosexual man and woman

Postmodernism celebrates all sexualities 
Annie Lenox
Lady Gaga

Judith Butler was positive in her reapproapiriation of sexual identity. She writes that gender and sexuality are constantly in transition. 60s and 70s feminism argued that sexuality and gender are biological. Judith Butler argued that it was constantly moving/ shifted and it’s about performance (how you choose to perform your gender/ sexual identity).

Laura Mulvy 1975 book, wrote how women are there to be looked at and fetishised. Judith is more postmodern.

Madonna parodies female stereotypes and adopts identities that 'contradicts' her as a heterosexual female.

In postmodern society, people are not restricted to traditional gender identities. In true queer theory style, one could participate in a range of identities= lesbian heterosexual, heterosexual lesbian, etc.

‘Material Girl’ embraces consumer culture and is also a pastiche of Marilyn Monroe in the film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’.

Madonna exposes femininity as a ‘masquerade’- something that’s not real.

Video reproduces the elements of blondness, sexuality and gold-digging in parody form.

She’s portrayed as ‘a more savvy’ monroe in contrast to the traditional nostalgic treatment of her as a ‘witless sex object’

Madonna mocks femininity as a ‘Meta masquerade’