The Madonna Connection: Representational Politics, Subcultural Identities, and Cultural Theory (Cultural Studies)

This book addresses the complexities of race, gender and sexuality in popular culture by using the influence of a cultural heroine to advance cultural theory. Madonna's use of various media - music, concert tour, film and video - serves as a paradigm by which the authors study how images and symbols associated with subcultural groups (multi-racial, gay/lesbian, feminist) are smuggled into the mainstream. While some authors celebrate Madonna's affirmation of cultural diversity, some criticize her flagrant self-marketing strategies, while others regard her as only a provisional challenge to the mainstream.