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The life and work of American singer and songwriter Madonna has generated various academic studies. Since the 1980s a variety of writers, journalists, biographers, essayists and cultural critics; as well as intellectuals, sociologists, philosophers, congressmen, playwrights, artists and others have reviewed her work in multiple publications, books and essays, dedicated to her total or partially and distributed by music and academic publishing.[a]
Contents
The justification the creation of studies and bibliography focused on Madonna and validity that they have is a subject of debate among scholars and academics. These studies analyzed several topics, but mostly Madonna Studies involved in the study of gender, sexuality, and the mass media. One of her advocates is Annalee Newitz saying that to "the university communities Madonna occupies a definite place in the curriculum of post-Western cultures in universities worldwide". Professor and media scholar John Fiske explained that all cultural studies focus primarily on finding a hidden meaning within a social aspect —for example, a Madonna video— so it takes a more comprehensive analysis to provide an appropriate context —in this case, on the work of singer—. Similarly, the American psychologist Susan Fiske, noted that "cultural studies about Madonna only analyze texts and how your audience uses the material to relate to the social construction that is Madonna. French academic Georges Claude Guilbert, who has written three books about Madonna, said in one of them "is a bit excessive admiration imply that scholars have for Madonna is the result of a common hostility to censorship". Given her constant social provocations, often with political overtones, the novelist Andrew O'Hagan said that "Madonna is like a heroic opponent of cultural and political authoritarianism of the American "establishment".
Many authors have written more than a book about Madonna and these have been published in many languages, including English, German, French, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Scottish Gaelic and more. According to journalist Annalee Newitz, "The academics in the fields of theology to queer studies have written literally volumes about what Madonna's fame means for gender relations, American culture, and the future". In this way, many authors, including Matthew Rettenmund (Encyclopedia Madonnica; 1995), agree that Madonna is "the world's greatest artist" while others classify her as "the most powerful or famous woman in the world". Referred to as a "cultural icon", Madonna has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and is recognized as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. She is cited as an influence among other artists around the world, while various music journalists, critical theorists, and authors have deemed Madonna the most iconic and influential female recording artist in the history. Even, Susan Sarandon said that "The history of women in popular music can, pretty much, be divided into before and after Madonna".
Some notables released includes Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2002) by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Madonna (2001) by Andrew Morton, Madonna: Like an Icon (2007) by Lucy O'Brien, Life with My Sister Madonna (2008) by her brother Christopher Ciccone, Madonna: Bawdy and Soul (1997) authoring of Karlene Faith, Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman (1993) by journalist Adam Sexton and more. Resulting sometimes in positive or mixed reviews from entertainment critics and academics and some becoming in bestseller.
List of books about Madonna
NB: Much of the following examples have reissues.
Essays, thesis and other works
Since her debut, are has written several thesis, essays and scientific trials encuadrable in various branches of the social sciences. It was probably in the 1990s when this phenomenon was most critical and began to divide opinions at the used widely the term "Madonna Studies". According to author Robert Miklitsch of the State University of New York Press, this term is a "political-cultural" phenomenon.
In 1991, the firm Knight Ridder published an article on the subject titled Madonna even controversial for scholars, citing comments from several teachers and other personalities. Meanwhile, Barbara Stewart from Orlando Sentinel, said there was a "growing number of "Madonna Studies" in the United States, [where authors] wrote their works for academic journals and conventions". She added that overseas for many "was a laugh hear of Madonna Studies". She continued that "neither this study theme sit well with some students of higher education". Beyond all this, organizations like the set of liberal arts colleges 7 sisters teach courses that examine the influence of Madonna in culture. In this regard, the French scholar Georges Claude Guilbert wrote in the book Madonna as Postmodern Myth (2002), Princeton, Harvard, UCLA, the University of Colorado and Rutgers were the first to propose courses "about" Madonna. He added that even at the University of Amsterdam was created the elective academic discipline, Madonna: The Music and the Phenomenon, within the Department of Musicology.