On the 30th anniversary of Madonna's 'Vogue' release, we revisit the groundbreaking music video.
, which charted how this wider exposure began to compromise the integrity of the scene they came from, especially in light of the ongoing AIDS crisis. The latter also looked at how Madonna’s role in bringing the vogueing phenomenon into the public consciousness will always be linked to the febrile political context from which it sprung.
Both perspectives are valid, but the irony now is that “Vogue” is remembered as neither of those things—instead, it’s looked at with hindsight as a seismic shift for queer culture in the broadest sense, as it hit the mainstream for the very first time. Yes, there are valid questions around Madonna profiting off a movement that was spearheaded by a marginalized community she was not a part of, but, in her own way, she gave back.
At its heart, both the song and video are odes to escapism. While few of us may be able to relate directly to the urgent need for uplift that defined the culture that spawned it, 30 years on, we can still lose ourselves in the deliriously euphoric feeling when the chorus of “come on, Vogue!” gets played by a DJ.
After all, its emotional resonance, whether intended by Madonna or not, was always about the obsessive pursuit of beauty, and how we can democratize it. By picking up a $3 fashion magazine, a closeted queer black or Latinx kid growing up in the suburbs of ’80s America could enjoy a rare moment of transportive fantasy. Today, where many countries continue to reject the LGBTQ+ community, this still, sadly, holds meaning.
The disappointment doesn’t lie with Madonna, but simply that these images offer a promise that, even three decades later, we’re yet to see realized fully. By comparing how much, and how little, has changed 30 years after “Vogue” was released, it serves as a pressing reminder that the work of our brothers and sisters from decades past is still not done. So, don’t just stand there—let’s get to it.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
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