The Met Gala ball arrived this week and the red carpet was flooded with a celebrities trying to outdo each other with outlandish outfits.
And apparently that’s okay, if you are a 25-year-old model or a reality TV star like Kylie Jenner who is famous for a lip gloss range and looking like a cardboard cutout of her sister Kim – albeit a younger, shinier version.
But not if you are a 57-year-old popstar Madonna who turned up in a revealing Givenchy outfit that showed her bum cheeks and her breasts, covered with some black lace.
I wasn't surprised Madonna turned up showing her bum. I would have been disappointed if she hadn't. Madonna's career has always been about theatre. And costume. She has reinvented her look countless times and it's almost always been outrageous.
I also wasn't surprised the outfit drew criticism from people who suggested she was too old and should be embarrassed wearing that sort of outfit - even at the most crazy fashion event of the year.
Monique Bowley just wanted to know how she was going to go to the toilet. Post continues below.
But you know what? If you were one of those people rolling your eyes and telling Madonna to dress her age, it says something far more embarrassing about you than it does about her.
I want my daughters to grow up looking at someone like Madonna, knowing they can slay this world and they don't need to stand around asking permission and playing by shitty rules. I want them to know that women do not expire in value when they get old.
I love that Madonna refuses to lay down within the very narrow boundaries of what an older woman is supposed to look like.
All her life she has asked women to look beyond the predictable, to step out of the narrow confines or what society expects.
When Madonna swept onto the music charts she took the breath away of millions of young women with her fearless message of female empowerment.
Her music may no longer thrill me but she continues to inspire with her fearless approach to life.
She won't go out of this world quiet and meek, wondering if she's wrung the most out of her short time on earth.
She will go out with her middle finger cocked at the naysayers.
And I couldn't admire her more.
Click through the gallery to see Madonna's many quirky looks over the years. Post continues after gallery...
But enough from me... here are Madonna's words on the subject, penned in an Instagram post past night. I hope they make you think.
'We have fought and continue to fight for civil rights and gay rights around the world. When it comes to women's rights we are still in the dark ages.
'My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement,' she went on. 'The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an ageist and sexist society.
'I have never thought in a limited way and I'm not going to start. We cannot effect change unless we are willing to take risks. By being fearless and by taking the road less traveled by. That's how we change history.
'If you have a problem with the way I dress it is simply a reflection of your prejudice,' she concluded. ' I'm not afraid to pave the way for all the girls behind me‼’
Top Comments
I don't care how old you are, that outfit is embarrassing. You might remember the criticism Jesinta Campbell attracted with her Logies dress? That's just further evidence that it doesn't have anything to do with your age or how good looking you are. We don't want to see your bum on the red carpet.
And don't even get me started on the things people would say if a bloke rocked up to a red carpet event dressed like that. Does anyone HONESTLY think we'd be ok with that?! It's got nothing to do with gender either.
if we have really got to the stage where we think its anything but sad for a late fifties woman to believe the only way she can get attention is to have her bits hanging out we are a very sad society. this isnt a courageous act.. its a sad desperate attempt to get attention by someone who, despite all the efforts to look like something different, is obviously incredibly insecure. its bad enough that young women think that this is the only way to get ahead... and even sadder that they are probably right... but when someone who already has fame and money still does it, its incredibly depressing and only encourages society to think thats all women are good for. its time we all stopped pretending that dressing up like a sex toy is some sort of feminist statement. maybe women could start showing their brains more and their tits less? and we could start giving attention to the really brave ones who do
so very well said!!