Madonna's Accomplishments example essay topic

A dancer, a singer, a musician, a writer, an actress, a wife, and a mother; there are many titles for Madonna Louise Veronica Cic cone Ritchie, more commonly known simply as Madonna. Madonna, with all her accomplishments, has influenced and inspired many. She is a true icon, demonstrating this with her "ability to reinvent herself while retaining complete control of her career" (web ). Rolling Stone has this to say about her, "Madonna is one of those rare musicians whose music and personal lifestyle are indiscernible" (web ).

But what exactly was accomplished by Madonna to make her the extremely successful women she is today? She was born on August 16th of 1958 in Bay City Michigan, went to University of Michigan to study dance but moved to New York in 1977 to study under acclaimed choreographer Alvin Ailey. Two years later she moved to France to join a disco show with Patrick Hernandez. In France she met Dan Gilroy and back in New York the two set up "The Breakfast Club" with Madonna singing and playing drums. "Emmy" was the next club band for Madonna and she signed a record deal with Sire Records in 1982 releasing her first single, "Everybody"; it became a club and dance hit at the end of 1982. In 1984 Madonna hit the Top 10 with "Borderline" she had seventeen hits following.

Both dancing and singing weren't enough for Madonna; while her single, "Lucky Star", was beginning to circulate she began working on her first starring role in the film Desperately Seeking Susan. In 1984 Madonna released her second album and its feature song "like a virgin" became her first number one hit. "Like a virgin" was accompanied by a sexy video and an entourage of "Madonna Wannabes". Madonna used the "blond bombshell" tactics of Marilyn Monroe to quickly become an icon.

Next came the hits like "Material Girl" and "Crazy For You" along with her brief (two year) marriage to Sean Penn. Her next album, "like a prayer", released in 1989, was influenced by pop, rock and dance, and seemingly combining all Madonna's talents. It was condemned by many, Pepsi even cancelled its sponsorship, but the controversy over the links between religion and eroticism didn't bar it from becoming a global bestseller. Around this time Madonna succeeded in furthering her acting career with roles in "Dick Tracey", "Truth or Dare", and "A League of Their Own".

Her peak of the nineties didn't stop with film fame; she released her seventh album "Erotica" in 1990, along with her first book, Sex. Nineteen ninety five was the next big year for Madonna. She landed the role of Evita in the film "Evita", received a Golden Globe Award for it, and the soundtrack for it, also hers, became a hit. Madonna's accomplishments don't end there. In 1996 she became a mother, and in 1998 she "returned to music with "Ray of Light", one of her finest recordings to date" (web). The year 2000 was complete with the birth of her second child and a marriage to Guy Ritchie, her current husband.

Along with all these accomplishments Madonna has come upon fame un renowned. Madonna's talents have been consumed and praised internationally. With this fame comes the opportunity to influence people. A sociologist student once said "she has used the popularity and fame she gained through her early costumes and style to become more of a social and political figure" (The Madonna Phenomenon: A Sociological Interpretation). Another quote of this student is explaining what it is Madonna is trying to influence upon us, "She's saying that women can do as much as men can do without relinquishing their femininity" (The Madonna Phenomenon: A Sociological Interpretation). An example of Madonna acting on her idea of gender equality would be the way she performs her music, like grabbing her crotch, an act often seen as masculine.

She uses this power of fame in other ways including her promotion of animal rights and AIDS awareness. So you see, Madonna is a revolutionary icon, who has used the fame she has acquired from her accomplishments to influence others..