‘You won’t break my soul:’ Madonna’s riposte to ‘ageism and misogyny’
Washington, Feb 8 (EFE).- American singer-actor Madonna has defended her physical appearance during the Grammy Awards event, claiming that the torrent of social media noise against her reeked of “ageism and sexism.”
The 64-year-old “Queen of Pop” refused to apologize in a lengthy riposte posted on her Instagram account, stating her detractors were focused on the wrong subject when she presented Kim Petras and Sam Smith for their Grammy-winning song “Unholy.”
Kim became the first transgender person to perform at the Grammys.
“Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim, many people chose to only talk about close-up photos of me,” said Madonna.
She said the photos were “taken with a long lens camera by a press photographer that would distort anyone’s face.”
The singer said criticism against her came from a “world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45” and that she was being punished for continuing “to be strong-willed, hard-working, and adventurous.”
“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny.”
She said she had never apologized for her creative choices “nor the way that I look or dress, and I’m not going to start.”
The singer recalled how the media had degraded her since the beginning of her career.
“I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come.”
The pop diva chose the words of the ceremony’s leading winner, Beyonce, to reply to her detractors: “You won’t break my soul.”
She said she looked forward to “many more years of subversive behavior, pushing boundaries, standing up to the patriarchy, and most of all enjoying my life.” EFE
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