At 2023, Madonna is living her best life. The global superstar and patron of rock-solid abs recently stole the show at the 2023 Grammys, where she introduced diabolical duo Sam Smith and Kim Petras , which later became the first transgender woman in history to win a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Group/Duo.
However, instead of focusing on her rousing speeches, the news media and Twitterverse were all about radical self-acceptance and celebrating those who disobeyed, and instead decided to hone in on Her “unrecognizable” appearance amid thinly veiled accusations of extreme plastic surgery. And, as always, Madonna got nothing.
“Once again, I’m caught up in the ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” she wrote on Instagram. “A world that refuses to celebrate a woman over the age of feels compelled to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working, and adventurous.”
She makes an important point: Despite growing calls for inclusion and diversity, we still seem to have a problem with women over a certain age choosing to take care of their appearance. First we shame them for having wrinkles, then we shame them for what they do about it. Thankfully, however, we have women like Madonna who keep this sexist, misogynistic behavior out of the equation.
“I’ve never apologized for any of the creative choices I’ve made or the way I look or dress, and I’m not going to start,” she continued. “From the beginning of my career, I have been belittled by the media, but I understand that this is all a test, and I am happy to be a trailblazer to make life easier for all the women behind me in the years to come”
In the words of Beyoncé: “You won’t break my soul.” Drop the mic.
2023
