Image Credit: CBS
After a few days to reflect on the online reaction from her time at the 65th Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5), Madonna took to social media to address those who mocked her face and appearance. “It was an honor for me to Introduce Kim Petras and Sam Smith at the Grammys,” wrote Madonna, 64, at the start of her Feb. 7 Instagram post. “Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech – which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim – many people chose to only talk about close-up photos of me taken with a long lens camera by a press photographer [which] would distort anyone’s face!”
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“Once again, I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in,” continued the “Music” singer. She denounced “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.”
“I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress, and I’m not going to start,” she added. “I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career, but I understand that this is all a test, and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come. In the words of Beyoncé, ‘you won’t break my soul.’
“I look forward to many more years of subversive behavior,” she added, which will include “pushing boundaries, “standing up to the patriarchy, and most of all, enjoying my life.”
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The world is threatened by my power and my stamina. My intelligence and my will to survive. But they will never break me this is all the test. pic.twitter.com/XvcaaG0Rrs
— Madonna (@Madonna) February 7, 2023
The Instagram reel that accompanied Madonna’s message showed her cavorting with Cardi B, Sam Smith, and others at the Grammy Awards. On Twitter, she continued with her clap-back against her trolls. “The world is threatened by my power and my stamina,” she captioned a selfie. “My intelligence and my will to survive. But they will never break me. This is all the test.”
Madonna’s initial message wasn’t just about her haters. “I wanted to give the last award, which was Album of the year,” wrote Madonna, “but I thought it was more important that I present the first trans-woman performing at the Grammys— a history-making moment!! And on top of that, she won a Grammy!!”
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Madonna at the Grammys (CBS)
As Madonna noted, Kim, 30, won a Grammy. Her and Sam’s collaboration, “Holy,” won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Kim’s used her acceptance speech to “hank all the transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight. SOPHIE, especially — my friend who passed away two years ago, who told me this would happen and always believed in me.”
Kim’s achievement also helped lift the name of Wendy Carlos. Wendy won Best Classical Album, Best Engineered Classical Recording, and Best Classical Performance by an Instrumental Soloist at the 1970 Grammy awards (h/t Fader). Wendy was living privately as a trans woman at the time. She would come out publicly in 1979. With continued attacks on queerness from right-wing politicians like Ron DeSantis, it will require more “standing up to the patriarchy” that Madonna referenced to ensure that Kim isn’t the last openly trans person to win a Grammy.
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