Madonna's Influence On Puerto Rican Women

Stepping into the year of 1989, Madonna was still seen as just a typical pop star, radiating the “Top 40” brand image. She had learned to perfect the formula for success as a young woman in the spotlight, yet had not established herself as a serious artist. This change to Madonna’s image came with the release of Like a Prayer in March of that year. This album moved Madonna towards a more serious image, one that incorporated authenticity and artistry. She did not move away from commercial success, this was not a compromise. On the contrary, Like a Prayer went on to become majorly successful, and is thought to be one of the greatest and most significant pop albums of all time, almost 30 years after its release. Madonna’s image transformed from

Madonna deconstructs the ideas of race and gender in an attempt to push society to break down the barriers created between the privileged and marginalized groups. Like a Prayer may not have made major societal or institutional changes. Yet, her impact still reached enough people to leave an influence. Carmen Lugo-Lugo writes of Madonna’s impact on Puerto Rican adolescent girls: “Madonna did not change sex/gender roles in the Puerto Rican society. Yet, her influence in the young popular consciousness, with all it entailed, still lingers among women of my generation” (128). She also writes that Madonna “did not turn her into a feminist” but opened her mind to the possibilities of things she could be other than a good spouse or parent. There were so many other things to be offered and to become, as a woman. Madonna is someone who radiates confidence and owns her “don’t mess with me” attitude. She actively advocates for women owning their own sexuality, and acknowledges when it is and is not appropriate to do so, in relation to the male gaze. While this may not have been unheard of, it certainly was not as common to hear about as it is today. Her attitude towards gendered societal norms aided in normalizing the feminist outlook on life. Not only did she advocate for the equality of the sexes, she also advocated for sex education. The original copies of Like a

The album is centered around religious symbolism and metaphors. The topic of religion is very obviously seen in the titles of tracks on the album, such as “Like a Prayer”, “Oh Father”, and “Pray For Spanish Eyes”. On the track “Oh Father”, the “hint at religious imagery”(Zaleski), appears while speaking about her biological father. The word “Father” is also used in reference to a priest. “Spanish Eyes” cries skepticism of a higher power and claims that tragedies should be prevented by the aforementioned power, if it existed. “Like a Prayer” speaks of a lover as being akin to a higher power, while also incorporating sexual references and undertones that one would if they were writing about their lover normally. Madonna does not always reference religion in the traditional mode, however, commingling it with other topics such as sex and race. All three of these topics intersect in the video for “Like a Prayer”, causing an outcry from the religious right. The most widely discussed feature of the video is centered around the image of a black man portraying Jesus. This was considered blasphemous on its own by some of the religious right. This is only taken further when Madonna is seen kissing this unorthodox representation of a holy figure. In addition to this imagery, Madonna is also seen performing in front of several burning crosses. The Vatican condemned and had attempted to