Reading Contemporary "Bad Girls": The Transgressions and Triumphs of Madonna's "What It Feels Like For a Girl" Charity Marsh, holds a Canada Research Introduction Chair in Interactive Media and Performance at The "bad girl" figure plays a the University of Regina, Saskatchewan. predominant, but often ambiguous, role in popular culture. These ambiguities lie in the Abstract multiple interpretations of what it means to be Through an analysis of Madonna's "W hat it "bad": the seemingly symbiotic connection Feels Like for a Girl," I problematize the between being "bad" and highly sexualized, the impulse to dismiss women who transgress actions/ behaviours for which she is labeled a boundaries and challenge gender norms in "bad girl," and a "bad girl's" prevailing impact on spite of their complicity within systems of power the world. Turning to the United States (US) and privilege. pop icon Madonna, and the "bad girl" figures Résumé she presents in the music video and stage Par l’entremise d’une analyse de la chanson de performances of her song, "What it Feels Like Madonna ‘ What it Feels Like for a Girl ‘, je for a Girl," I offer a response to and intervention problématise l’impulsion qu’on a de ne pas tenir in current debates on how to read compte des femmes qui transgressent les contemporary "bad girl" figures. Beginning with limites et défient les normes assignées à a contextual analysis of the televised Too Much chacun des sexes en dépit de leur complicité à For Much episode where the video content and l’intérieur de systèmes de pouvoir et de whether or not the video should be banned privilèges. from, or restricted to a later hour in rotation on the Canadian specialty television channel MuchMusic was initially debated, I call into question the impulse (by some feminists) to dismiss women pop stars like Madonna who transgress boundaries and challenge gender norms, in spite of their own complicity within traditional systems of power and privilege. Rather than rejecting outright the "bad girl" figures and the controversy caused by Madonna's behaviour in these performances as simply another marketing strategy, I suggest a shift in focus towards the possibilities of an alternative interpretation of these "bad girls," as well as a critique of reading practices which continue to be reliant upon conventional ideals of morality, heteronormative codes, and the perpetuation of power relations based on gender inequalities and binary oppositions. Drawing on Donna Haraway's (1991) "Cyborg Manifesto," Jennifer González's (2000) understanding of imaginary cyborgs as an empowering metaphor particularly for women, www.msvu.ca/atlantis PR Atlantis 34.1, 2009 111 and Laura Mulvey's (1975) critique of the male based specialty channels MTV and VH1 gaze, I argue that in Madonna's performances because of its graphic use of violent imagery. of "W hat it Feels Like For a Girl" she plays with Considering its reception in the United States, the boundaries between reality and fantasy, Too Much For Much offered viewers a chance embracing her cyborgian self as a means to to participate in the decision around whether or critique and take on the world -"a man's world." not the music video was "too violent" or "too As part of this process, and through her use of graphic" to air on MuchMusic.1 fantasy and the "bad girl" trope, the audience is Host George Stroumboulopoulos introduced to Madonna's "imaginary initiated the on-air discussion with a representations of cyborgs" and more contextualization of Madonna's previous importantly, to how these imaginary cyborgs controversy surrounding the video for "Justify "take over when [her] traditional bod[y] fail[s]" My Love" and some reasoning for why "W hat it (González 2000, 61). By embracing the "bad Feels Like for a Girl" should be included as it girl" and her mythical abilities to respond to the addressed concerns related to gender. "horrific" experiences of "being a girl in this Stroumboulopoulos' introduction concluded with world," Madonna challenges the inequalities him looking into the camera to directly address and injustices of such realities. This make- the viewing audience, asking "What do you believe narrative captures the terrors, anxieties, think?" What followed was the debut airing of and pleasures of resisting normative ideas and "What it Feels Like for a Girl" on MuchMusic. queering gender performances resulting in the transgression and transformation of what it "What it Feels Like..." feels like for a girl. Through a close reading of The first thing one notices about the the music, images, lyrics, and characters video is that a dance remix version of the song presented in the music video and two stage has replaced the original released in 2000 on performances of "W hat it Feels Like For a Girl," Madonna's album, Music. The difference I argue that Madonna's "bad girls" may also be between the two, a ballad pop song and a read as imaginary cyborgs who defy the male pulsating dance remix, signifies to the audience gaze and subsequently, in disrupting the gaze, a change in what the music conveys, how it negate its power. affects the listener, and a new way of thinking about "what it feels like for a girl." Musically, the Too Much for Much remix creates a film soundtrack sound rather In March 2001 Kim Cooke, then than a typical pop song from the album, which Managing Director for Warner Brothers, has an immediate affect on the reading of the Deborah Powell, a representative from the video. The idea of the remix itself is indeed a organization FACT (Fathers are Capable Too), cyborgian entity in that it is a synthesis of Jane Stevenson (Toronto Sun columnist), different forms of musicality and a combining of Kieran Grant (Toronto Sun music columnist), the "organic" song with "technology." But how and I were invited to participate as part of an does the change in music contribute to the expert panel for MuchMusic's television show viewer's interpretation of the video content? Is Too Much For Much, offering our interpretations one seduced to listen to the song differently? of the previously unaired music video for "What What do these new readings mean for it Feels Like for a Girl." Along with viewers, Madonna's "proto-pop feminist anthem" fans, and the host, George Stroumboulopoulos, (O'Brien 2003, 122)? Does the musical track - we discussed, via a variety of interactive media pulsating, quick tempo, heavy-bass, dance technologies (email, websites, fax, mail, remix - heighten our reading? Does Madonna phone), the controversy surrounding the video, perpetuate or confront the problematic notion of resulting from its content. Unlike the previous a "sisterhood" experience based on gender controversies concerning sex, sexuality, and oppression? Is her critique of gender norms cultural appropriation, Madonna's music video valid in spite of the pitfalls of identity politics? for "What it Feels Like for a Girl" (2001) was Madonna employs musical discourse to initially banned and/or censored by the US- produce and share her knowledge claims. The 112 Atlantis 34.1, 2009 PR www.msvu.ca/atlantis creation of knowledge claims within the realm narrative of the song these characters of fantasy allows one to move beyond the illuminate the instability of binary categories confines of material reality. Fantastical places, (nature/ technology, young/ old, pleasure/ pain) events, bodies, stories, provide the means to and the anxieties that accompany a disregard reflect on and/or reinterpret lived experience for deeply entrenched ideologies. provoking new readings of one's reality. Music At times in the video there is a functions well in these contexts because of its reclamation of and play on particular words - enigmatic qualities and its reception. How one language which is often used to oppress - determines musical meaning is a subjective words such as "pussy," appearing on the front process, and yet, one's interpretations are license plate of Madonna's car, only to have the bound by experience, socialization, and learned back plate spell out the word "cat." When reading practices. Madonna arrives at the senior's complex to pick Filled with explicit images of the daily up her companion, a sign above the door reads, harsh realities for a girl, the video portrays "Old Kuntz Guest House." The play is on the examples of sexual harassment, poverty, word "cunt" and all its embedded meanings, exclusion, violence, police oppression, sexism, insults, and abjection associated with the aging and misogyny within a fictional (yet real) female body. The significance is emphasized narrative. Drawing on the real and imaginary, as the camera pauses on the sign not allowing using metaphor, symbolism, and affect, the viewer to look away. This language Madonna responds to these circumstances by politicizes the ways women are forced to becoming a "bad girl." This role-play enables negotiate the world as one's identity and value Madonna to enact a different kind of behaviour change with age. By drawing viewers' attention - behaviour read and understood as socially to these words it forces us to consider their inappropriate for a girl/woman. Because of its meaning in more complex ways. Reclaiming inappropriate and violent nature, Madonna's language that is used to oppress and silence actions are surprising and unexpected to both women is one way to confront and challenge the fictional characters to whom she reacts, as patriarchal relations of power. Michel Foucault well as to the real viewing audience. Through (1978) argues language can be both enabling such actions, Madonna creates and constraining. Here, in calling attention to counter-hegemonic knowledge claims. the words "pussy" and "cunt" and manipulating Within the first few frames of the video and playing with words such as "cat" and "lady," the audience is introduced to the two Madonna reclaims these words and contests protagonists - Madonna and her companion, an their signified gendered meanings.