Amelia Howell

Student ID: 1166944

ENGL*1030: Effective Writing
Professor Salmon
April 8th, 2022
A Critical Review of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” Music Video

Madonna is arguably one of the most influential pop stars to emerge from the 1980s and

one of the most controversial figures. From having nude photos featured in Playboy and

Penthouse in 1985 to the release of the 1992 coffee table book, Sex, which featured pictures of

the singer in lewd positions, it is easy to see why Madonna has been shrouded in controversy her

entire career. In 1989, Madonna released her "Like A Prayer" music video, which I believe is one

of the most contentious and influential music videos to date. It aims to address issues of race,

religion, and gender. Through symbolism, Madonna provokes viewers to consider their

preconceived ideas regarding race, religion, and gender while simultaneously encouraging the

viewer to draw connections to real-life events.

One of the most explicit depictions of the theme of race within the music video is when

Madonna is singing on a hill with six burning crosses in the background. The white supremacist

group, the Ku Klux Klan, uses the symbol of burning crosses to intimidate black people and

other minority groups. This stark image is an immediate shock to viewers, as I was initially

confused and taken aback upon seeing the scene. I originally began wondering what message

Madonna was attempting to convey - did she support the cross-burning? However, after finishing

the video, I concluded that she was using the symbols to communicate that race is still an issue in

America and that instances of racism, though maybe not as direct as cross-burning, still occur in

modern society. Another way she aims to tackle the issue of race is through the storyline of the
wrongly incarcerated black man. In the video, we see a group of white men attack a young

woman. The assailants leave the woman dead, and a black man emerges and attempts to help the

victim when the police show up, resulting in his arrest. Unjust incarceration based on race has

been an issue throughout history; the incident that came to my mind upon seeing this scene was

the case of Central Park 5. They were a group of black teenagers who were all wrongly

incarcerated for the rape of a woman in 1989. I believe that this was the intended purpose of the

video's storyline; for viewers to consider other cases of racial injustice and connect them to the

one occurring in the music video. Madonna motivates viewers to address the issue of race

internally and causes them to question their previous beliefs.

One of the aspects of the video that Madonna received the most backlash from was the

theme of religion. Madonna aims to subvert western norms regarding religion, specifically the

belief that God is a white man, and seeks to address the issue of sexuality within religion.

Madonna sings, "Oh God, I think I'm falling," paired with the image of her falling in the sky

before ultimately being caught by a black woman in robes. Initially, I was unsure if an angel was

catching Madonna; however, paired with the lyrics, it is evident that the black woman is God in

this video. This choice causes viewers to question their preconceived ideas of who God is,

making them challenge their belief that he is a white man. Another instance of religious

symbolism in the video is when Madonna grabs a knife, resulting in stigmata's appearing on her

hands, mimicking the stigmata on Jesus' hands. Stigmata is used in Christianity to resemble

someone who has gone through extreme pain and suffered side-by-side with Christ. In the music

video, I believe that Madonna uses this symbol to show that she is repenting for having sexual

feelings toward the statue of Christ, whose feet she kisses. After coming to life, the figure kisses

her on the cheek and the head. By using stigmata to show her punishment for having sexual
feelings and going against the general belief that God is a white man, Madonna goes against the

grain and aims to refute previous religious beliefs.

The third and final theme explored within Madonna's "Like A Prayer" music video is the

joint theme of gender and sexuality. Madonna explores this theme by depicting how women are

seen as subservient in a male-dominant society. The woman has physical similarities to

Madonna, who witnesses the attack outside a church. Following the assault, one of the attackers

looks over at Madonna and gives her a threatening look. Madonna also explores the over-

sexualization of women through her choice of wardrobe. Her dark red slip dress features a

plunging neckline showing her cleavage. I interpreted this choice of clothing as Madonna trying

to show how women are oversexualized in society. Also, since she wears this outfit in church, I

found it connected to her sexual feelings previously explained. Perhaps, this revealing dress is

another reason the church must punish her. Madonna aims to show the reality of being a woman

in a patriarchal society, living in fear and being unable to help those in danger while also being

unable to escape the constant over-sexualization of women in society.

Madonna's "Like A Prayer" music video aims to stir discussion within viewers through

her exploration of race, religion, gender, and sexuality. The use of racist imagery, depiction of

racial injustice, religious symbolism, gender-based violence, and the over-sexualization of

women prompts viewers to reimagine all of these issues and evaluate their previous beliefs

regarding these issues. The "Like A Prayer" music video aimed to tackle the many problems, and

I believe the video received an unwarranted amount of criticism. I think that those who found the

video offensive were uncomfortable with the position that Madonna put them in and was unable

or unwilling to reconsider their previous beliefs.

Word Count: 950

Sources

Madonna. (2009, October 26). Madonna - Like A Prayer (Official Video) [Video].

YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ