ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the thematics that include self-respect, control, love, sexuality, religion and/or spirituality, and plays in terms of the questions they raise about 'authenticity' and 'performativity', drawing in particular on Jean Baudrillard's theorization of the simulacrum and recent critical strands in feminist theory. It looks at the use of multimedia forms that has been central to Madonna's success. The combination of the different layers of a range of media types means her songs and videos are never unambiguous, despite their musical accessibility and the articulacy of their lyrics. The chapter considers this in the context of female eroticism to say something about the multi-layered messages Madonna has generated in her work concerning femininity. It focuses on the contrast between the rather mellow album version of 'What it Feels Like for a Girl', the unexpected harshness of the banned video clip and the rich layers of meanings in the stage performance of the song.
