Exploring Madonna’s Unconventional Beauty And The Allure Of Mature Women

Back in 1978, Patti Smith’s album Easter featured a cover that was both shocking and puzzling to many, resulting in some US record stores, particularly in the south, refusing to display it. While the album did include a song with a racial slur in its title, what truly grabbed attention was Smith’s unapologetic display of underarm hair in the cover photo.

Fast forward 36 years, and a selfie shared by Madonna on Instagram has sparked a flurry of media articles and numerous comments. In the photo, Madonna strikes a similar pose, revealing a more groomed growth of hair, carefully managed for the stage. She accompanied the image with hashtags like #artforfreedom, #rebelheart, and #revolutionoflove, suggesting that she intended the photo, where she wore makeup and a bra, to be subversive.

Why does a celebrity’s deliberate and seemingly temporary decision not to shave garner such a significant response, with so many people voicing their opinions? Is the reaction solely about societal beauty standards regarding body hair, or does it also stem from pervasive ageism towards women over 40 who dare to embrace their sexuality?

One could argue that the media frenzy surrounding Madonna’s underarm hair symbolizes our obsession with superficiality and celebrity culture. However, the responses to the image reveal deeper insights into cultural attitudes towards women and the enduring influence of societal expectations regarding their appearance and behavior.

During the 1970s, second-wave feminism gained momentum, challenging conventional beauty norms like shaved legs, underarms, and heavy makeup. Smith’s Easter album cover, featuring a bare-faced singer in a simple singlet, aptly captured an era where some women sought liberation from the time and expense imposed by beauty routines.

Over the following decades, ideas surrounding beauty culture underwent significant shifts. Postfeminism embraced notions of individual choice, agency, and empowerment. Consequently, conforming to Western beauty and sexiness standards ceased to be seen solely as a sign of women’s oppression.

Simultaneously, consumer culture intensified efforts to regulate and dictate women’s bodies. For instance, Dove’s “beautiful underarms” deodorant campaign aimed to create a new source of concern and embarrassment for women. It not only propagated the necessity of hairless underarms but also introduced products to address the imperfections caused by shaving and make them appear “prettier.”

Back in 1985, Madonna had already posed for a series of nude modeling shots featuring long, untrimmed underarm and pubic hair. Whether she intended to exude sexiness, court controversy, or simply had no particular motive for leaving her hair as nature intended remains unclear.

However, what is evident is that these youthful shots do not elicit the same degree of animosity and disgust as her recent Instagram photo. The plethora of comments on Instagram and in response to articles often express repulsion based on Madonna’s age of 55. She is repeatedly labeled as a “hag,” “elderly,” and her body is criticized as unattractively “wrinkled,” despite only slight creasing visible around her eyes. Madonna has become a target of cultural revulsion aimed at women who are no longer young but still desire to be seen as sexually appealing.

Much of the underlying implication in these discussions, along with the heteronormative fixation on the sex appeal of young girls and women, is that men, in general, do not wish to see the bodies of women over the age of 40, particularly over 50. While it is true that youth is often considered the physical peak of attractiveness, the emphasis on women’s sexual desirability being contingent on their youth and often childlessness is disproportionate.

It has been a decade since Janet Jackson’s intentional “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl, during which she exposed her nipple. Comedian Chris Rock made a crude joke at the time, highlighting the problematic assumptions embedded in his humor. Rock was correct in pointing out that young women’s bodies are viewed as communal property to be admired, while older women’s bodies are not meant to be displayed “for all to see.” Jackson’s exposed breast became a subject of ridicule, just like Madonna, she was accused of sad desperation for flaunting her body past her perceived prime.

Madonna is a masterful manipulator of her image, successfully sustaining a pop music career over four decades in a way that no other female artist has managed. Yet, even someone as formidable as Madonna cannot escape the resurgent pressure on women to conform to narrow beauty ideals and the cultural expectation for women to fade into invisibility as they age.