Madonna wannabe

1980s fashion phenomenon

A Madonna wannabe, or Madonnabe, is a person (usually female) who dresses or acts like American singer Madonna. When she emerged into stardom in the mid 1980s, an unusually high number of women, particularly young women and girls, began to dress and do their hair and makeup in the style that Madonna displayed in public. The term was popularized by writer John Skow in a May 1985 Time cover story on the singer. Numerous sociologists and other academics commented on the Madonna influence in her wannabes. The term was officially recognized by the Webster's Dictionary in May 1991. Following the disappearance of the trend, critics and journalists refer to female pop stars who emulate Madonna's clothing or musical style as Madonna wannabes. The term is also used as a nickname for her fandom, mainly to refer to her female fans, especially young ones.

The Madonna wannabe phenomenon was studied by sociologists and other academics, as was noted by Spanish professor and philosopher Ana Marta González. Young female audiences were the main target impacted by this trend. French scholar Georges Claude Guilbert described her influence on wannabes as notably "deep" to the point "have undoubtedly influenced the decisions of many young women". According to Lisa Lewis, for many young girls, imitating Madonna meant creating a space and identity of their own. In the journal Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies (2001) from University of Colorado, an individual described: "Behaving like Madonna was a political statement for most of us. However, such statements we believed needed to be expressed with appropriate clothing. This quest for Madonna ness, almost down to the bones, provoked a consumerist desire in most of us, prompting periodic excursions to the mall to update our wardrobes to keep up with the ever changing fashion statements of Madonna". Madonna herself, commented on this: "Maybe kids now see someone in the public eye doing what I do. Maybe that's the phenomenon and why young girls are dressing up like me—because finally someone else is showing that it's O. K." Retrospectively, British fashion journalist Lauren Cochrane, wrote in 2016, "it was an impulse that they acted on for many decades".

Following the disappearance of the trend, critics and public used the term to refer female pop stars who had notable similarity with or majorly influenced by Madonna. When inducting Madonna into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, American singer and actor Justin Timberlake stated that "The world has always been full of Madonna wannabes, and I might have even dated a couple", referring to his former girlfriend, Britney Spears. William Anthony Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, called Lady Gaga a mediocre "Madonna wannabe" for her usage of Catholic imagery in her "Alejandro" music video. A 2012 Star Tribune article ranked several singers as Madonna wannabees, including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga, who topped the list. Some media outlets and authors have referred to her fandom, mainly young, female audiences as "Madonna wannabes". According to Sean MacLeod, author of Leaders of the Pack (2015), Spice Girls's debut single "Wannabe" was coined from the fans of Madonna, who were dubbed "wannabes".