Resurfaced 1987 clip shows Johnny Carson asking Madonna about her skimpy outfit: "What are you...?"

Carson asked, "Yeah if I went into a lingerie shop and I wanted to buy one of those for somebody not for me but for somebody what would I call it?”
PUBLISHED MAR 3, 2025
Screenshot of Madonna and Johnny Carson from the show 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Photo By @johnnycarson)
Screenshot of Madonna and Johnny Carson from the show 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Photo By @johnnycarson)

Madonna has always been a magnet for controversy, and a resurfaced interview from 1987 proves that even in her early days, she was a provocateur. Her first-ever late-night talk show appearance was on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,’ where her flirtatious and rebellious nature took center stage. The interview is packed with playful banter, but the standout moment came when Carson, taken aback by Madonna’s skimpy outfit, bluntly asked what she was wearing.



 

From the moment Madonna walked onto the stage, Carson couldn’t help but comment on her bold fashion choice. He welcomed her with a warm, “Now that is a nice outfit,” to which Madonna laughed and thanked him. But Carson, clearly intrigued, wanted more details. He inquired if she designed her outfits, and Madonna casually explained that while she worked with designers for performances, the outfit she was wearing that night was simply something she had bought at a lingerie store. This led Carson to hesitantly ask, “Well, no, I may not be up on these things exactly, but what would you…Yeah, if I went into a lingerie shop and I wanted to buy one of those for somebody not for me but for somebody, what would I call it?”


 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Johnny Carson (@officialjohnnycarson)


 

Without missing a beat, Madonna confidently responded, “It's called a bustier.” Carson repeated the word as if trying to process it, “A bustier... oh that's nice sounds good doesn't it.” The audience erupted in laughter while Madonna grinned, clearly enjoying his reaction. The conversation took an even more surprising turn when Carson acknowledged that Madonna wasn’t frequently seen on talk shows. He asserted, “I think I want to thank you for coming here tonight. I don't see you very often on television except notices one of your specials I saw your 'Saturday Night Live' once in several years ago; you were excellent in that.” Madonna then dropped a bombshell: “Thanks, it's fun. I don't…this is the first talk show I've ever done.”



 

A stunned Carson asked if she felt uncomfortable, to which Madonna provocatively responded, “No I don't feel uncomfortable I just I don't I never thought about doing one but I figured if I was gonna present myself as a virgin to anyone it should be you.”  The remark left Carson momentarily speechless before he nervously chuckled, “No way all right suppose there has to be a first in my life I'm going to run.” Madonna further teased him, “The first girl you spoke to of a bustier.” Carson, still in shock, confessed, “Yes, I think you are, yeah, at least on television, yes on television.”

Madonna speaks onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Frazer Harrison)
Madonna speaks onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo By Frazer Harrison)

As per The Mirror, while the resurfaced Tonight Show moment is nostalgic, another old interview has landed Madonna in hot water. A 1991 interview with The Washington Post recently resurfaced, where Madonna remarked, "It's the obsessive fanatics whose attention seems very hostile, it's beyond admiration, it's very creepy. It's always fat people, too. They are the most unattractive social outcasts, like really overweight girls or guys with lots of acne that follow me around and pester me. It's frightening because not only are they bothering me, but they're horrible to look at, too."

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