The material girl

With the Spice Girls in Montreal last night, I got to thinking about the most potent sexual icon that inspired girls of my generation to grasp that ethereal adulthood that floated in the air before us. Because before she became the siren of gay men everywhere - before she adopted a fake British accent that makes everyone cringe - Madonna belonged to me and my teeny girlfriends.

So after work today, I trudged through the snow to get me some vintage Madonna. And I mean the good stuff, none of that insipid La-Isla-Bonita crap. Here is the summary of my flashback this evening:

Like a virgin - Back then, we knew what being a virgin was like, so the question remained: "Why is Madonna trying to feel like this again?" She even sang with a childish, little-girl voice that sounded true to our ears. "You're so fine, and you're mine" wasn't the greatest lyric in the world, still, we knew every line and bought the longest faux-pearl necklaces we could find.

Material girl - We loved this video more than we loved the song, I think. Yes, we too wanted to be adored by a throng of heartthrobs and have fabulous bosom that spilled seductively from glamourous clothes, but the coolest thing about the video: We understood why she choose the skinny weird director. And who didn't love singing - breathlessly, over and over again - "a material, a material, a material, world!"

Borderline - My fave Madonna tune ever. Equal parts desperate, angry, and sad. And that video did define our generation. What didn't it have? Breakdancing! Lime green socks with high-heeled shoes! Those lacy black gloves with no fingers! Black sunglasses! Visible bra straps! Oh, how lush it was! Don't remember it? Let me refresh your memory...

(see what I learned to do today)