'I was called a witch': Madonna opens up on being ‘shamed’ for her sexuality and paving way for artists
In a statement posted on her Instagram story on Oct 22, Madonna spoke about her role as a trailblazer for women in the entertainment industry. The 64-year-old pop singer spoke about the criticism she has taken during her decades-long career as the undisputed 'Queen of Pop,' particularly for being vilified for being outspoken about her sexuality. The Grammy Award winner believes she "paved the way" for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, and Kim Kardashian.
In an Instagram post, Madonna spoke about her famous 'S.E.X.' picture book, published in 1992. The racy book sparked fury but was praised as avant-garde. It helped her gain new notoriety. On October 22, Madonna shared her thoughts on the criticism she faced at the time of the release of her album 'Erotica' and the picture book in honor of its 30th anniversary.
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“30 years ago I published a book called S.E.X. In addition to photos of me naked there were photos of Men kissing Men, Woman kissing Woman and Me kissing everyone. I also wrote about my sexual fantasies and shared my point of view about sexuality in an ironic way,” she wrote.
“I spent the next few years being interviewed by narrow-minded people who tried to shame me for empowering myself as a Woman,” Madonna continued in her note on Instagram. “I was called a w****, a witch, a heretic, and the devil.”
“Now Cardi B can sing about her WAP. Kim Kardashian can grace the cover of any magazine with her naked ass and Miley Cyrus can come in like a wrecking ball,” Madonna said. “You’re welcome b—-es.”
She then proceeded to show a 1992 interview footage in which she was matched with a male interviewer who seemed uncomfortable with the contents of her book. Photos in the book showed her frolicking in threesomes, sucking on her own toes, and hitchhiking in Miami while completely naked. She also made allusions ranging from bestiality to bondage. Along with the Material Girl, other celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Big Daddy Kane, Isabella Rossellini, and Vanilla Ice—who at the time was dating Madonna—partook in a series of pictorial fantasies that occasionally bordered on soft porn according to New York Post.
When challenged about the book's message, Madonna said “What did you get out of it?” “I got afraid,” he admitted. “Why?” she asked, to which he replied, “I’d never seen the likes of it.“You have so,” she teased. “You’ve never read Playboy magazine, or Penthouse, or anything like that?” “Yes,” he said, “But it was different with you. The picture of you astride the mirror, masturbating — I thought that was horrible. It just strikes me as horrible.” “I think people’s reaction to specific situations in the book was much more a reflection of that person than me,” she pointed out (The full interview can be found on YouTube)