Hi Nerina. My weekly two hour indie music radio show is 50/50 male female artists. Is this difficult to achieve? Yes, it’s tricky to find good new music by male artists or bands, whereas there is an increasingly dominant supply of good new material from women-led bands, female artists and all-girls bands!
Madonna unfortunately has become a parody of herself, giving in to pressure to continue to look good, when in fact if she had allowed herself to age gracefully and say "yes this is me in all.my glory take it or stick it where the sun doesn't shine", she would have earned a lot more admiration and respect, rather than the ridicule I have read about. Instead of staying true to herself and earning the respect of women of all ages everywhere, she has just become like a lot of other overly vain women, those who feel that they have to maintain a role, which certainly isn't girl power in my book.
I don't think that anyone would say that she has to start wearing fluffy slippers, blue rinses and rwin sets, but there are many older women who are still so naturally beautiful and stylish, without feeling the need to behave in a vulgar way in order to appeal to men, and as a result are more appealing. Madonna has quite frankly gone against everything that she supposedly stands for and sadly it smacks of desperation.
I have thought long and hard about this - which is why I’m replying a fortnight later! I have two takes on it: the immediate take is that she can do what she wants, she’s Madonna. But then my second more considered take, as someone who was a child when Madonna first burst into culture, is that she was always showing us a way of being a woman - just one of many possibilities. But her image always came first because while she is a brilliant pop song writer her voice is not her greatest gift, love it though I do.
Look; I know where you are coming from especially as I reach an age where so many people I know are using cosmetic surgery and such openly and readily. Is it fear of ageing? Possibly. Quite likely. But age is sold to us so so so badly - something to be avoided at all costs; something that renders us out of touch culturally, socially etc. And it’s 99% ageing in terms of our appearance. I hate seeing strong women thrown on the scrap heap simply because they are older - so if that’s what Madonna has chosen to do to stay relevant in the public eye- because she is a living breathing human with a wealth of experience who automatically IS relevant - then so be it.
Another woman who has had a formative influence on me is Patti Smith. There is zero artifice with Patti but there never was. She was androgynous from the off and that was one of her (many) defining powers. It stands to reason that Patti would be wholly disinterested in any denial of ageing. Her defiance is what made her sexy (in every sense) - in the way that one might argue Madonna’s brazen wantonness is what made her sexy.
They’re both of them just showing us different ways to be older women. I love that our generation of women have a choice.
Sometimes I (personally) feel like it’s a path we are constantly navigating. I want to find my way of ageing somewhere between Patti and Madonna. So for now that means I’ll dye my hair but I won’t stick or snip anything in/on my face. But I can’t judge anyone who does because it’s hard enough being a woman in this world, never mind an ageing one. Ask me how I feel as I near 60 Anji…!!!
Well said Nerina. I totally agree with you; it's so hard to navigate ageing. I'm 41, and tbh I'm grateful I've made it this far, thank you for your words of wisdom. sending you much love on this beautiful Sunday (it's not raining for a change 😃) x
Hi Nerina. My weekly two hour indie music radio show is 50/50 male female artists. Is this difficult to achieve? Yes, it’s tricky to find good new music by male artists or bands, whereas there is an increasingly dominant supply of good new material from women-led bands, female artists and all-girls bands!
Madonna unfortunately has become a parody of herself, giving in to pressure to continue to look good, when in fact if she had allowed herself to age gracefully and say "yes this is me in all.my glory take it or stick it where the sun doesn't shine", she would have earned a lot more admiration and respect, rather than the ridicule I have read about. Instead of staying true to herself and earning the respect of women of all ages everywhere, she has just become like a lot of other overly vain women, those who feel that they have to maintain a role, which certainly isn't girl power in my book.
I don't think that anyone would say that she has to start wearing fluffy slippers, blue rinses and rwin sets, but there are many older women who are still so naturally beautiful and stylish, without feeling the need to behave in a vulgar way in order to appeal to men, and as a result are more appealing. Madonna has quite frankly gone against everything that she supposedly stands for and sadly it smacks of desperation.
I have thought long and hard about this - which is why I’m replying a fortnight later! I have two takes on it: the immediate take is that she can do what she wants, she’s Madonna. But then my second more considered take, as someone who was a child when Madonna first burst into culture, is that she was always showing us a way of being a woman - just one of many possibilities. But her image always came first because while she is a brilliant pop song writer her voice is not her greatest gift, love it though I do.
Look; I know where you are coming from especially as I reach an age where so many people I know are using cosmetic surgery and such openly and readily. Is it fear of ageing? Possibly. Quite likely. But age is sold to us so so so badly - something to be avoided at all costs; something that renders us out of touch culturally, socially etc. And it’s 99% ageing in terms of our appearance. I hate seeing strong women thrown on the scrap heap simply because they are older - so if that’s what Madonna has chosen to do to stay relevant in the public eye- because she is a living breathing human with a wealth of experience who automatically IS relevant - then so be it.
Another woman who has had a formative influence on me is Patti Smith. There is zero artifice with Patti but there never was. She was androgynous from the off and that was one of her (many) defining powers. It stands to reason that Patti would be wholly disinterested in any denial of ageing. Her defiance is what made her sexy (in every sense) - in the way that one might argue Madonna’s brazen wantonness is what made her sexy.
They’re both of them just showing us different ways to be older women. I love that our generation of women have a choice.
Sometimes I (personally) feel like it’s a path we are constantly navigating. I want to find my way of ageing somewhere between Patti and Madonna. So for now that means I’ll dye my hair but I won’t stick or snip anything in/on my face. But I can’t judge anyone who does because it’s hard enough being a woman in this world, never mind an ageing one. Ask me how I feel as I near 60 Anji…!!!
Hope this all makes sense xxx
Well said Nerina. I totally agree with you; it's so hard to navigate ageing. I'm 41, and tbh I'm grateful I've made it this far, thank you for your words of wisdom. sending you much love on this beautiful Sunday (it's not raining for a change 😃) x