On November 27 1991, Madonna contributed a pre-taped monologue for the MTV 10th Anniversary – Money for Nothing special that aired on ABC-TV. Madonna’s segment was filmed by Alek Keshishian.
The following quote is how Madonna started her monologue:
I’m here because I wanted to talk to you about us.
And all that we’ve been through.
I wanted to talk about me and you.
I remember when we first met.
You didn’t know who you were yet.
I didn’t know who I was.
We grew up together.
On October 2 1992, Madonna’s Erotica video premiered on MTV.
The Erotica video was directed by fashion photographer Fabien Baron, and featured a masked Madonna in a dominatrix costume. It also featured celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Isabella Rossellini and Big Daddy Kane. The video was highly controversial, being aired by MTV a total of three times, before becoming Madonna’s second video to be banned, after Justify My Love in 1990.
MTV spokeswoman Linda Alexander said, “The themes of the video are clearly aimed at a more adult audience. It is not appropriate for a general viewing audience”.
The footage of Madonna lip-synching the song in her S&M dominatrix costume was filmed on August 22, 1992 at The Kitchen in New York City, while the rest of the footage for the video was shot during the photo sessions for Madonna’s Sex book.
In order to imitate the look of old home-made movies, the entire video was shot with Super 8 film.
On March 16 2001, MTV and VH1 networks announced that Madonna’s new video for What It Feels Like For A Girl would be broadcast only once on March 20 at 11:30 pm because of the controversy over its violent content.
Madonna later released What It Feels Like For A Girl as a DVD single.
Madonna biographer Andrew Morton had this to say about the video:
“The video is entirely consistent with the themes that she has been exploring for the last twenty years, namely the relationship between the sexes, the ambiguity of gender, and the unresolved conflict, for women in a patriarchal society of being fully female and sexual while exercising control over their lives.”
On February 23 1985, Material Girl made its debut on Billboard’s Airplay chart at #19, while on the Hot 100 the single jumped ahead ten positions from #34 to #24.
Meanwhile, television viewers were getting a double-dose of Madonna as both the Material Girl and Gambler music videos earned “Power Rotation” status on MTV’s weekly monitor.
On December 22 1984, Madonna’s Like A Virgin single hit #1 in the USA. It was her first number one single in the USA, and it remained at number one for six weeks.
In 2000, Like A Virgin, was honored by Rolling Stone and MTV, as the fourth song on their list of the 100 Greatest Pop Songs. It was voted ten on VH1’s 100 Best Songs of the Past 25 Years. The song was listed at ninety-five on Billboard’s Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs. In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their Top 20 Madonna Singles of All-Time, by Q magazine. Like A Virgin was allocated the fifth spot on the list.
On October 2 1986, Madonna’s True Blue music video premiered on BBC1-TV’s Top Of The Pops. The video was directed by James Foley and shot in early September (1986) in New York.
Two of Madonna’s closest friends (at the time), Erika Belle and Debi Mazar, appeared in the video.
A second video for True Blue (which does not include Madonna) was shown on MTV in the USA. The second video was the winner of Madonna’s ‘Make My Video’ Contest. The winners (Angel Gracia and Cliff Guest) were flown to MTV’s New York studio where Madonna presented them a $25,000 check live on MTV.
On December 17 1990, Madonna’s Justify My Love video was the subject of a feature by Steve Dougherty, in People magazine: Madonna Exposes, MTV Opposes: Is her new, naughty video art or just a Boy Toy marketing ploy?
How does Justify My Love differ from other skin-with-a-beat videos? Let us count the ways. Here’s Madonna, in black bra, stockings and stiletto heels, putting the moves on her real-life boyfriend, model Tony Ward. Moments later she’s lip-synching with Parisian model Amanda Cazalet, 25, who is dressed like a Nazi hooker with suspenders that barely cover her nipples. Now Madonna, Cazalet and Ward are offering free instruction in a certain Kama Sutra technique while two very androgynous gents pat each other more affectionately than football players after a big play. All of which has left fans hot, censors bothered and fearless news programmers lined up to air the forbidden footage. The video single will be on sale before holiday shopping malls close; could it have been teed up better?
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