On July 9 1985, Madonna appeared on the cover of the New York Post with one of her most famous quotes, “I’M NOT ASHAMED!”
The quote was in response to the controversy swirling around the Playboy and Penthouse releases of nude photos that were taken of Madonna when she was a struggling model in her early days in New York.
Do you think Madonna should have been embarrassed of her early nude modelling work?
No-she was just going through her phases!
Would you believe I shoplifted a copy of this magazine from the corner 7-ll back in the summer of ’85? I was terribly worried of my Mom finding it, and to be honest I was a little grossed-out by the pictures at the time. I was in my early teens, and it wasn’t really an image of Madonna that I liked. I’d barely even seen a picture of a naked woman at that point, much less photos of a woman who hadn’t shaved. I think I ended up giving it away or throwing it away–I don’t remember which. It never occurred to me at the time that it would become a valuable collector’s item. I didn’t see the Penthouse copy until I was well into my 20s. I think I would’ve liked the pics in that magazine better as a kid.