The Material Girl Can Have Fun, Too 1980s: Materialism The Material Girl Can Have Fun, Too

Madonna: Material Girl (1985) “They can beg and they can plead But they can't see the light (that's right) 'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash Is always Mister Right 'Cause we are living in a material world And I am a material girl You know that we are living in a material world And I am a material girl”

When speaking to Company Magazine in 1986,Madonna described that “Material Girl” reflected her character: I’m very career-oriented. You are attracted to people who are ambitious that way, too, like in the song “Material Girl.” You are attracted to men who have material things because that’s what pays the rents and buys you furs. That’s the security. That lasts longer than emotions.

Summary Material Girl Video If a man doesn’t live up to certain (financial) standards, she is going to turn him down. She can be choosy Not going to settle even though he may be charming She is just like everyone else “'Cause everybody's living in a material world, And I am a material girl” She can express herself and her sexuality regardless of what society says, she is just doing what they won’t admit to

1980s in America Era of Economic Boom and Bust: Rich got richer and very consumer centered More “stuff” means success More people have credit Bright clothing, pop music and expansion of pop culture; big hair = living big Reagan War of Crime and Drugs: “innocence” in the media; happy images

White Teen Culture Era of shopping malls; middle class suburban teens in movies and pop culture Targeting the largest group of pop music consumers

Why this song? Brings me back to a time of being naive MTV culture Bright, “fun” Powerful because spoke to women about it being okay to say no and to make own way towards success Madonna symbolized independence

Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1980) Some boys take a beautiful girl And hide her away from the rest of the world I want to be the one to walk in the sun Oh girls, they wanna have fun

Summary You don’t have to always be thinking about the future, but enjoy the now Everyone needs to embrace the now Be young, it is ok Don’t let others dictate your life

All Should Be Accepted In the book I Want My MTV, she explained: "I wanted 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' to be an anthem for women around the world - and I mean all women - and a sustaining message that we are powerful human beings. I made sure that when a woman saw the video, she would see herself represented, whether she was thin or heavy, glamorous or not, and whatever race she was." Album: She’s so Unusual It’s okay to not be “usual”

Why this song? Girls Just Want to Have Fun Video Grew up in the 1980s Never really felt comfortable with myself and Lauper spoke to me - it is okay to be weird and do your own thing It was happy and sounded poppy, but actually had a real message (especially the video which had all different people in it)

Diversity in America Certain companies were using models from non-white, European backgrounds Counter Culture expressed in Metal and Rap show that there was more than just bubble gum white suburban people War on Drugs exposed a whole other side of America who weren’t perfect

Be Young! Be Yourself! Have Fun! Calling on EVERYONE! It doesn’t matter what you look like, who you love, what your occupation, what your beliefs CHOOSE TO BE YOU! You don’t have to be a suburban housewife or work in a cubicle! You don’t have to get married! You don’t have to have kids! You don’t have to wear beige! Your hair can be big! Your clothes can be loud! Just Do It!