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Madonna Dives Deeper and Deeper While Accepting Billboard’s Woman Of The Year Award

A few months ago, Billboard announced that their 2016 Woman of the Year was Madonna after she became one of the highest-grossing female touring act of all time, bringing in $1.4 billion since her Blond Ambition Tour in 1990. Her latest tour, the Rebel Heart Tour, grossed $170 million back in March.

Anderson Cooper introduced the Queen of Pop at the event by saying, “Madonna is Billboard’s Woman of the Year, but as far as I’m concerned in terms of music and impact and culture, she’s been the Woman of the Year every year since she released her first single Everybody in 1982.”

In typical Madonna fashion, she introduced herself with a joke: “I stand before you as a doormat. Oh, I mean, as a female entertainer,” later getting serious as she said, “Thank you for acknowledging my ability to continue my career for 34 years in the face of blatant sexism and misogyny and constant bullying and relentless abuse.”

As she settled in on stage, she discussed a range of topic such as ageism, sexism, feminism, even her early days when New York during the AIDS epidemic and talking about her own experiences. “People were dying of AIDS everywhere. It wasn’t safe to be gay; it wasn’t cool to be associated with the gay community. It was 1979 and New York was a very scary place. In the first year, I was held at gunpoint, raped on a rooftop with a knife digging into my throat and I had my apartment broken into and robbed so many times I stopped locking the door. In the years that followed, I lost almost every friend I had to AIDS or drugs or gunshots.”

“As you can imagine, all these unexpected events helped me become the daring woman that stands before you, but it also reminded me that I am vulnerable, and in life, this is no real safety except self-belief.”

“If you’re a girl, you have to play the game. You’re allowed to be pretty and cute and sexy. But don’t act too smart. Don’t have an opinion. Don’t have an opinion that’s out of line with the status quo. You are allowed to be objectified by men and dress like a slut, but don’t own your sluttiness. And do not, I repeat do not, share your own sexual fantasies with the world,” she said. “Be what men want you to be, but more importantly, be what women feel comfortable with you being around other men. And finally, do not age, because to age is a sin. You will be criticized and vilified and you will definitely not be played on the radio.”

“When I first became famous, there were nude photos of me in Playboy and Penthouse magazine. Photos that were taken from art schools, that I had posed for back in the day to make money. They weren’t very sexy.”

The Sex book and Erotica album is regarded as one of the most controversial moments in the singers’ career, but not according to her. “People say that I’m controversial, but I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is stick around,” she continued, garnering applause. Michael is gone. Tupac is gone. Prince is gone. Biggie is gone. Amy Winehouse is gone. David Bowie is gone. But I’m still standing. I’m one of the lucky ones, and every day I count my blessings.”

Madonna has remained a wondrous superstar in every aspect of her career as she has rebelled against everything a woman isn’t and wasn’t supposed to do in society yet succeeded time after time. Every institution has underestimated her abilities (including Billboard themselves) and liberated an entire generation with her persona and attitude. Here, 34 years later, stands an icon – a living legend.

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