1980's Madonna

The 1980s were arguably the most successful era in Madonnas music career. Her risque outfits such as her famous cone bra (pictured below) and on controversial on stage antics saw her come to represent the change in attitudes of women in the 80's. No longer seen as merely capable of domestic work women were entering the corperate world and Madonna represents this liberation. Her song 'Like A Virgin' implies women were no longer waiting for marriage they were having sex and not with merely one partner. Birth control was introduced in the 1960's and by the 1980's was used widely; women had the choice whether to have a child. 1980's Madonna reflects in her music, outfits and performances the women the 1980's produced; career driven, independent women.

Madonnas transition from the beginning of the 1980's to the end shows an extreme difference in style, her outfits become more extreme and perhaps less stereo typically feminine.  The top picture shows Madonna in the early 80's and the bottom shows her towards the end of the decade. The video is a clip from Madonna's Blond Ambition tour which began in 1990, in this video she dances on stage in a corset and a trouser suit. She also simulates masturbation which again shows the liberation of women.
What appears most interesting is how many viewed Madonna as forward thinking and representative of powerful, independent women yet Miley Cyrus did a similar performance on this years VMA awards (minus the trousers and with the addition of a foam finger) and faced intense scrutiny and extremely negative press.