Madonna In April 2026 Madonna performed her latest re-invention, as herself. Madonna, 67 in pink corset, dancer’s heels, a new shade of blonde and a great fucking song had everyone roaring! It’s almost like you could hear the entire world unanimously clutching their pearls in a huff. Negative comments flooded the internet with opinions on her age, looks, and probable surgeries. From “grandma” to cringe, to “ She needs to realize she is a senior citizen.” Which brings up the question of sensuality and age. What is interesting is that people don’t tend to question sensuality when it is a man performing. Smokey Robinson performs and gairates to his famous hits that are older than Madonna herself.

Society has been hammering the idea that women have a an expiration date to be desired, interesting and even productive. But why the anger? Why the hate?

I discovered Madonna like much of the world did, in 1984 with the release of Like a Virgin. I was a kid at the time, not even 10 years old and I sang that song with whimsy and hopefulness that one day I would find true love and I would feel the same Like a Virgin, which in my mind’s eye meant to be adored. Growing up Catholic I was taught to adore the Virgin Mary and all Virgins hanging from my grandma’s wall. When my mom asked me why I sing that song what did I thought that meant? I answered her, “She loves her boyfriend cause her boyfriend loves her like I love the Virgin Mary. He makes her feel like a Virgin.” 

In junior high school my best friend Lila told me her mom didn’t want us being friends. Her mom had been disgusted with the fact that I went to see Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour. Telling Lila that I was dammed cause Madonna was the real Anti-Christ. The Vatican agreed with Lilia’s mom. It opened me to admiring Madonna more.

I never felt like I fit in anywhere, including within my family, and it seemed Madonna didn’t fit in anywhere either and creating a world where she was admired and mystified by her. Hypnotized by a 5 foot 4 inches woman who made it big at 26. In 1984 a woman at 26 was considered the declining years not the years of a woman start a career as a pop star.

Madonna offered her art to the world on top of a wedding cake, in a wedding dress and veil and a belt that read “Boy Toy.” Madonna married herself that day. She belong to herself. I was sold. 

The critics quickly pounced, called her a one hot wonder and laughed and were applauded  at her underwear showing after an outfit mishap. The audacity for a woman to say, “I own my self, my sensuality and I like it.”

Madonna arrived in New York in 1978 with $35.00 in her pocket, (160.00) In today’s money. Her goal, to become a professional dancer. She is a living representation of the American Dream we have been sold all of our lives to be more patriotic. Why isn’t that celebrated or talked about, or studied in the same way people talk about self made millionaire men? Because Madonna is a woman that defied defied convention. I’m not talking about her performing masturbation scenes in concerts or dating women and much younger men.

Madonna has defied convention by by simply loving herself. We as the public have never had an international female star with a muscular physique. Madonna made muscle tone in women popular. Sure our mother’s had Jane Fonda’s version of fit, all cardio no weights, “you don’t want to get bulky and manly.” Strong female bodies were suddenly sexy. Physical fitness and healthy eating has been Madonna’s way of living but she never pushed it down our throats like a Gweneth would. No, Madonna just lived her life, stood up for the underdog, influenced the world, preached about loving one another and raised a country of one million orphaned children in Malawi by funding orphanages, education programs and opening a state of the art pediatric hospital. The world watched her evolve, and by doing so women in the world changed with her. 

Women don’t have an expiration date. We as women don’t have to conform to convention because society has dictated it so; and most absurdly because the calendar says so. We can celebrate our sexual appetite and be sexual beings without guilt. As women we are desired, beautiful beings. Judgement makes a constant noise n the fray, trying to tell us what to do. We don’t have to need to ask permission from anyone to feel vibrant. Our job is to love ourselves enough to ignore the fray and celebrate ourselves.

Madonna remains comfortable with herself to perform and wear sexy outfits on stage and off stage reveals loyalty to her love for herself and loyalty to being a woman with power.