Madonna gave a rousing speech at the recent Grammy awards while introducing Sam Smith and Kim Petras, two artists she praised for fearlessly forging paths and taking heat. Instead of focusing on the fearlessness of these artists, however, many people chose to talk only about close-up photos of the 62-year-old singer taken with a long-lens camera that distorted her face. In response, Madonna took to Instagram to call out the pernicious culture that led to the discourse around her appearance.
“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” she wrote. “A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working, and adventurous.” Madonna is not one to back down, however, and she remains committed to pushing boundaries and standing up to the patriarchy.
As a trailblazer in the music industry, Madonna has spent the past 40 years fearlessly pursuing her artistic vision and challenging societal norms. While the media has often degraded her for the creative choices she has made and the way she looks and dresses, she remains unapologetic. Madonna’s speech at the Grammys was a reminder that ageism and misogyny are still pervasive in our society, and that we must continue to fight against them.