At 60, Madame X takes on ageism in style

In a world full of male chauvinists, if anyone understands the lethal mix of sexism and ageism that’s used to demean ageing women, it’s Madonna.

The life of 60-year-old Madonna Louise Ciccone, the queen of pop, would have ended in ignoble solitude and inglorious obscurity, had she not defied societal norms and lived life on her own terms.

To mark her 60th birthday, the pop icon has once again reinvented herself and is out with her new album Madame X. So each time critics and vanguards of society tell her, ‘time to retire grandma’, ‘go away whore’, ‘put it away’, ‘FO fag hag’, the ‘sexual provocateur’ makes it point to hit back with a bang.

One of the greatest pop stars, Madonna has been constantly disparaged for her provocative performances and sexually charged music videos. She insists it is nothing but mere sexism and ageism.

Whether it’s Like a Virgin, Papa Don’t Preach, Bitch I’m Madonna, Express Yourself, Erotica or the latest chartbuster Medellin with Colombian heartthrob Maluma (who is 25), the pop diva lets her lyrics, voice and risqué performances do the talking. “Ten to 20 years from now, it’s going to be normal. People are going to shut up,” says the singer, when asked about ageism and body shaming. 

Not many know that Madonna is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 300 million units worldwide.

In a world of trolls and instant validations, ageism is indeed a serious issue like racism and discrimination based on sexual orientation, both in virtual space as well as on the ground. In a patriarchal society like ours, an ageing woman is often belittled for wearing ‘sexy’ clothes, drinking, smoking, watching raunchy movies, reading racy novels, mingling with men or going out for a late night spin with her close pals. The point here is why not? If a man can do these things then why can’t a woman?  Small wonders then that Madonna pushes the envelope a bit far in Madame X as a dancer, a professor, a prostitute, a head of state, a housekeeper, an equestrian, a prisoner, a student, a mother, a child, a teacher, a nun, a singer…. So if someone tries to tell her not to do something because she’s a woman, Madonna is bound to do it — her way. Some think her raunchy exploits should stop, but the queen of pop shows no signs of slowing down. Be it her iconic ‘lip service’ at the ‘symbolic wedding’ between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in 2003 or placing the mike between her legs on stage. Not to forget her teeth and butt implant controversies. The more flak she faces, the more ‘sexually creative’ she becomes. No wonder she thinks that the challenges she faced at the beginning of her singing career are “ludicrous”. Speaking to The Cut, she said: “It’s an outdated, patriarchal idea that a woman has to stop being fun, curious, adventurous, beautiful, or sexy past the age of 40. It’s ridiculous.

A recent report reveals that women’s careers tend to halt at 45, while men’s stagnate at 55. So does this mean that men and women above 45 years of age are useless and not fit for promotions? The pop diva has made it clear that age is just a number, and she would slam anyone attacking her age. So, whether you are a die-hard Madonna fan or not, she does have a point. Maybe it is time, we learn to respect people, irrespective of their gender and age, and take a firm stand when it comes to sexism and ageism!