tastes like chicken

''a blog with bite, but still goes down nice''... stimulating prose, insightful commentary, unabashedly poetic, and occasionally political (with a left hook). in a word, goodread. hope you enjoy it.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

the madonna icon

Today, we are talking about icons. Or rather, I wish to discuss icons. And, no I am not referring here to religious objects of strongly held faith and mystical powers (such as the Russian Orthodox souvenir from Red Square I once regrettably sold at a garage sale for $3 to a non-Orthodox who rode off with it in her bicycle basket...) No, I am instead referring to the much more fun and temporal topic of famous contemporary people bestowed the venerable social status of pop culture icon. And, today's pick is Madonna. (No, again, not the madonna of Jesus fame, but the Madonna with a string of platinum albums spanning across more than two decades and a knack for producing club hits that are loved on every continent).

So, here it brings me to ask, what is it that makes a celebrity an icon? For me, if I may venture, a pop icon is a star of tremendous influence who possesses the ability to stay in the public's eye
(or at least in our hearts should they be woefully gone from this world), for a seemingly long, long time. That takes talent. Or, maybe I should better say, skill. Because talent is relative, isn't it? Madonna certainly would not be considered by anyone to be the best singer around. But, she has everything else: the sexy-savvy, the shrewd business sense, the guts, ambition, and she's tops in insight into the public's desirs and interpreting pop culture as a whole. And, oh yes, the dance moves and choreography that put her up there in the first place.

I must admit, I didn't find much favour in Madonna's earlier hits; nor did I take to her trampy-tart image. But, I think it was more so her voice, that high-pitched screeching sound she was espousing at the time, that turned me off as oppose to on. But, of course, dance track after dance track, I eventually grew to like her songs, depite myself. And, with decades filled with her chart-topping hits and a plethora of personas, I developed an honest repect for the mega-star who, like other greats before her, needed only one name.

There is no beating greatness, and Madonna has proven in time to be among the greatest talents, in the general sense of the word. Plus she's hot. Even now in her late forties, Madonna still elicits world-wide excitation by finding ever more creative ways to push our buttons or tease us from every imaginable angle---be it socially, sexually or politically (which is no small feat for a video culture that grows tired fast of anything so yesterday). We can't help but like her because there's no denying she's a hard worker. Plus, it helps she's got a fabulous pro-fit body that any twenty year old woman would die for. And, if she ever happens to say one day "Forget it, I'm off pilates," then no matter---she can just let her troupe of uber-sexy, hormone-inducing dancers take more stage time. While there is lots to be said about Madonna, there is something very specific to be said about her success: it is simply the sweetest sound.