|
Like A Prayer Whooh, did this one ever start a fire! Literally!
Her album, 'Like A Prayer,' and its title track were both given so much publicity due to its accompanying
music video. It features Madonna wearing a thin slip, dancing in front of a burning cross, and kissing an African American
saint. Pepsi had previously agreed to sponsor her upcoming 'Blond Ambition' tour, but cancelled this sponsorship and
the commercial that she had done for them because of complaints from religious groups threatening to boycott the product.
Perhaps, soon after, Madonna realized that scandals equal to sales. People ate this controversy, and the album, up.
So she later used similar techniques to boost ticket sales for her 'Blond Ambition' tour in 1990, her documentary 'Truth Or
Dare' in 1991, and her X-rated book 'Sex' and album 'Erotica' in 1992.
The Boy Toy, In The Beginning The first Madonna controversy that most fans are aware of is the title of her first #1 song, on the album with the
same name: "Like A Virgin." Back in the early 1980s, it was still risque to hear the word "virgin" in the title
of a song that would be played over the radio. Add to this the fact that the singer debuted the song at the first MTV
Awards. She sung the song wearing a full, white wedding gown while writhing on the floor. Accompanying the dress
was an article of clothing that caused a controversy within itself: the infamous "Boy Toy" belt buckle.
The Infamous Kiss It was at MTV's twentieth annual Video Music Awards. The audience knew that they should be expecting
a little bit something different for the opening act, but few were actually prepared for what they got. Britney Spears
and Christina Aguilera opened the show dressed like brides singing Madonna's classic "Like A Virgin." The song then
segued into Madonna's at-that-time new hit "Hollywood," as Madonna herself stepped out of the wedding cake wearing a
modified tuxedo. From then on, Madonna was the "groom" and Britney and Christina were her two virginal brides.
The act's climax was when Madonna shared a French kiss first with Spears, and then with Aguilera. Madonna's
dominance of the act was clearly established at the beginning, through the body language and interaction that she shared
with the two other singers. Britney and Christina both eagerly lapped it up. But then, Madonna has always
been about pushing the envelope, and has built her career on incorporating shocking twists into both her music and performances.
However, both Britney and Christina have only recently started following in Madonna's footsteps in this regard. So,
while this kiss has been widely celebrated by many, it has also stirred up lots of controversy. For example, an editor
of an Atlanta newspaper apologized at one time to his readers for publishing the photo.
|
