Madonna and Hillary Clinton are perhaps the two most influential women of the past 25 years. They are also the most vilified. While the two have done some controversial things, many have said that if they were men, Madonna and Hillary would be universally loved instead of being successful but generally disliked.
This morning, the New York Times compared these two marginalized women.
“Madonna and Mrs. Clinton: both trailblazers, both polarizing figures, and both attacked for actions, choices and behavior that are broadly accepted — even applauded — when done by their male peers.”
Many see parallels between Madonna and Hillary Clinton. [Image by CBS/Getty Images]
The article added that Madonna herself made a connection with Clinton before a highly publicized speech Friday and said it was important for her to speak out about women’s rights after Hillary Clinton lost the election in November.
While accepting the Woman of the Year Award from Billboard, Madonna gave what has been called a powerful and tear-jerking speech. Rolling Stone has the news.
“Madonna delivered a powerful, brutally honest speech at the Billboard Women in Music event Friday where the singer talked about sexism, feminism and her own perseverance.”
The article adds that Madonna likened herself to a doormat, which she believes female entertainers are treated as. She thanked people for acknowledging her ability to continue her career for 34 years in the face of harsh sexism, misogyny, constant bullying, and relentless abuse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkfbG9OkiPM
“I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around,” Madonna can be heard discussing in a video clip from the event.
“Michael is gone. Tupac is gone. Prince is gone. Whitney is gone. Amy Winehouse is gone. David Bowie is gone. But I’m still standing. I’m one of the lucky ones and every day I count my blessings,” the Queen of Pop said while lamenting the deaths of artists she has shown love for in interviews and performances the last several years.
Many believe that Madonna has faced unfair misogyny since the 1980s. [Image by Mike Windle/Getty Images]
Madonna also talked about the “sin” of being a female entertainer and aging. Boy Culture also quotes Madonna talking about her early days in New York City.
“There were very few people I had to ‘clap back at’ because life was simpler there. People were just dying of AIDS everywhere, Manhattan was under the siege of a plague and it wasn’t safe to be gay — it wasn’t cool to be associated with the gay community.”
The article also quotes Madonna talking about how she was robbed at gunpoint, raped on a rooftop with a knife digging into her throat, and how she lost almost every friend she had to AIDS, drugs, or gunshots. The commenters after the article are very touched.
“GD, that woman is so fu***ng intelligent and well spoken. I have loved her since I was 10 years old. For the very many UP’s and the downs as well. She’s a good egg and I will never not respect/love MLVC,” says Trey.
“What a fantastic, bada** speech! Honest, vulnerable, and defiant. And though I don’t love the outfit, I DO love that it’s a pantsuit. Well done, Madonna!” shouts out GregSD.
Madonna has been widely praised on Twitter for her speech.
Some fans speculate that Madonna will enter politics. After all, her career has been political from the beginning. Madonna has largely been seen as a huge influence in the gay rights movement. Her extremely influential “Like a Prayer” video dealt with police abuse of African Americans before it became a mainstream topic. Now, Madonna’s main interest is women’s rights.
Do you think Madonna would make a good politician, even if she hasn’t worked in Washington yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Featured Image by Evan Agostini/AP Images]
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