Wikipedia

Sex(book)

Sexis a 1992coffee table bookwritten by American singerMadonna,with photography bySteven Meisel StudioandFabien Baron.It was edited byGlenn O'Brienand published byWarner Books,MaverickandCallaway.The book features adult content includingsoftcore pornographyand simulations of sexual acts includingsadomasochism.

Sex
The Mylar sheet wrapped cover ofSex,showing Madonna's face
AuthorMadonna
Cover artistSteven Meisel
Genre
Publisher
Publication date
October 21, 1992
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback)
ISBN978-84-406-3117-6
OCLC26846575
779/.28
LC ClassML420.M1387

Madonna developedSexafterJudith ReganofSimon & Schusterpublishers suggested a book of erotic photographs. She wrote it as a character named "Mistress Dita", inspired by 1930s film actressDita Parlo.It was influenced by punk rock and fashion figures includingGuy Bourdin,Helmut NewtonandRobert Mapplethorpe.The photos were shot in early 1992 in New York City and Miami, in locations including hotels, burlesque theaters, and city streets. The book includes cameos by actressIsabella Rossellini,rappersBig Daddy KaneandVanilla Ice,modelNaomi Campbell,gay porn starJoey Stefano,actorUdo Kier,and socialite PrincessTatiana von Fürstenberg.The cover is made ofaluminium,spiral bound and wrapped in aMylarsheet.

Madonna's publishers were apprehensive about the release and the book's commercial potential. It was released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio albumErotica.A CD single was also packaged with the book which contained the song "Erotic", a song similar in composition to her similarly named single "Erotica". It sold over 150,000 copies on its first day in the United States, and topped theNew York TimesBest Seller listforthree weeks.In a matter of days,Sexwent on to sell more than 1.5 million copies worldwide and remains the best and fastest-selling coffee table book. It also remains as one of the most in-demandout-of-print publicationsof all time.

Sexattracted extensive media attention and backlash, but Madonna remained unapologetic. Though it initially received negative reviews from fans and critics, who felt she had "gone too far", later reviews have been more positive, with academics deeming it a defining phase in Madonna's career.Sexis noted for its social and cultural impact and is considered a boldpost-feministwork.

Background and development

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According to Giselle Benatar ofEntertainment Weekly,two versions explain how Madonna came up with the idea for the book. One is that she conceived the idea of an erotic photography book during the shooting of the filmA League of Their Ownin the summer of 1991.[1]The other is thatJudith Regan,vice-president andeditor-in-chiefofSimon & Schuster,armed with a proposal for a collection of photo-erotica, flew to Los Angeles in March 1991 to meet with Madonna and her managerFreddy DeMann.[1]She verified Regan had not approached other celebrities with the concept as she was only interested in the project if it was a unique idea.[2]By the end of the meeting Madonna had agreed "in principle" to do a book titledMadonna's Book of Erotica and Sexual Fantasies.She told Regan that DeMann would call her and work out the book's details.[3][4]However, Madonna never got back to Regan who assumed she did not want to go ahead with the idea.[1]Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg has never confirmed nor denied Regan's claim they had an agreement.

Some of the pictures for the project were shot atHotel Chelsea,New York.

According to Benatar, Madonna began working onSexbefore wrapping up shootingA League of Their Own.[1]At first,Warner Bros. Recordsand the executive directors ofTime Warnerwere reluctant to allow Madonna to publish such a book, but finally agreed. Madonna had to sign a contract that forbade the book from including images ofchild pornography,bestiality,orreligious imagery.[1]Not long after signing the agreement, Madonna foundedMaverick,a multi-media entertainment company in partnership with Time Warner. Since by contract she had total artistic control over any work released by Maverick, who were now the book's publisher, the agreement she signed with Time Warner over the content inSexwas null and void.[5][6][7]

Sex's stylized, sado-masochistic look had a range of influences from punk rock, to early fashion iconoclasts likeGuy Bourdinand his surrealism, andHelmut Newton.[8]Photographs fromBrassaï's 1933 bookParis de nuit(Paris by Night) also inspired several of the book's series of images.[9][10]The book was also influenced byRobert Mapplethorpe's infamous three-partXYZportfolio, particularly theXportfolio. Madonna had considered usingXas a title during the formative stages ofSex,[9][10]but she changed her mind when promotion forSpike Lee's filmMalcolm Xbegan. (It was released three weeks after the book). She would go on to tellVoguemagazine: "We were gonna call itX[...] but then the whole thing with the Malcolm X movie started. At first I thought, 'Fuck it, it's a really good symbol and I thought of it first'. But I realized it might be confusing or look like I was copying Spike [Lee]. Besides, Sex is almost as powerful: it's universal, it doesn't need translation – and it's only two letters more than X. "[11]

Madonna hired top-notch talent for the book's development,[9]and counted on the help of friends from the music, film and fashion industry.[12]She hiredFabien Baronas the art director,[13]fashion photographerSteven Meisel,editorGlenn O'Brien,make-up artist Francois Nars and hairstylist Paul Cavaco.[1][6][14]Madonna originally wanted the book to be an oval shape to simulate acondom,but its printing and manufacturing would have been too expensive. Meisel would later comment: "Madonna and I can keep up with each other", noting "I'm doing things to make people think too. It's not really to antagonize or to push people's buttons. It's really to present another way of seeing things."[1]

During the photo sessions forSex,photographer Steven Meisel was accompanied by art director Fabion Baron who filmed the shoots onSuper 8 filmfor use in themusic videofor the song "Erotica".The photo sessions took place in New York City and Miami. Locations in New York City included theHotel Chelseaand Times Square's all-male burlesqueGaiety Theatrewhose dancers participated in one of the book's photo sessions along withporn starJoey Stefanoand actorUdo Kier.Many of the Miami photo sessions took place at Madonna'sCoconut Grovemansion that she had recently purchased before beginning theSexbook project, while other sessions were done on several beaches and streets close to her home.[1][5][15]One morning during the four-day Florida shoot Madonna was prancing naked around her 14-bedroom house in Miami when someone jokingly suggested she go out on the street, which she did on two occasions – topless withVanilla Iceand completely nude while pretending to hitchhike. According to Baron on the street "cars screeched to a halt, motorists whistled, and one entranced cyclist fell off his bike".[1]During the photo shoots Baron said, "[Madonna]'d do something crazy and then we'd come up with something even crazier". One of the most shocking photographs features two women inpost-punkattire flanking Madonna with one of them holding a knife to her crotch. It was considered too violent to be used. While the book was being produced some of the photographs were stolen but were quickly recovered by theFBI.[1]According toNew Yorkmagazine, there were approximately 80,000 photographs taken for the book;[16]only a handful of them were used.[1]It took 15 days to print the book.[17]The total production process took about eight months.[18]Warner Bros. commented thatSexwas very difficult to produce, requiring contributions from many printing companies.[12]They noted that to make a profit the book needed to sell at least 350,000 copies.[19][17]

Design and content

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The exotic black leather one-piece stage outfit worn by Madonna in theSexbook, as well as in the "Erotica"music video.

Wrapped and sealed in apolyethylene terephthalate(PET) Mylar bag,[20][21][22]Sexhas 128 pages and isspiral boundwith analuminiumcover that has the word "Sex" stamped in the middle[14][23]and a warning label.[24]The front page shows Madonna against a sky blue backdrop.[23]Three different types of paper were used for the printing. Madonna and Baron & Baron Inc. (consisting of Fabien Baron and the photographer Siung Fat Tjia), who also collaborated with her designing the cover art for her fifth studio album,Erotica,oversaw the design.[17][25]As this was Maverick's first project, the packaging was crucial. Madonna had no faith in Warner Book's "mass-market" publication process, however, so Baron suggested they transfer the packaging job toNicholas Callaway's bespoke Callaway Editions.[26]Charles Melcher, the book's co-publisher with Callaway, said they usually published "exquisite art books, $100 high end, beautiful things". It was a challenge for them to process Madonna's ideas into reality. The artist wanted the packaging to be sealed, so the reader had to tear it open to read the book.[26]They considered various kinds of clasps before deciding on a sealed bag as a reference to a condom package. The metal cover was Madonna's idea. She was inspired by the 1979 albumMetal BoxbyPublic Image Ltd.[27]Melcher recalls, "We were talking about materials for the cover, and we went into her kitchen. [Madonna] pointed at the metal plate at the back of her stove and said, 'I want something like this'. I was very impressed with the way she interacted with her world to source things".[27]The company bought about 1,500,000 pounds (680,000 kg) ofaluminium,roughly a pound for each book. The designers oversaw the production of the front and back covers, which were stamped and anodized while the aluminium was rolling on a press.[27]

The book opens with the introduction: "Everything you are about to see and read is a fantasy, a dream, pretend."[28]ThroughoutSex,Madonna offers poems, stories, and essays.[5]She used thepseudonym"Mistress Dita" as an homage to German actressDita Parlo;her friends in the stories are Bunny, Dex, Stella, Chiclet and Stranger.[3][29]According to biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli, a big part of the book reads like a letter to apornographic magazine.[3]Madonna wanted to explore the notion of power inSex.Melcher said she wanted to talk about "gentle and hard, soft and violent [inSex]. She was playing out all those elements in her book. That was reflected in the materials: uncoated, soft paper on the inside and hard metal coating on the outside ".[26]

Like the text—which was mostly printed on the photographs—they are highly sexual and depictnudity,simulations of sexual acts,bondage,homosexualityandanalingus,with accessories such as knives, whips, masks and chains;[5][16][30][31]however,intercourseis never shown.[14]ActressIsabella Rossellini,rappersBig Daddy Kaneand Madonna's then-boyfriendVanilla Ice,[18]modelNaomi Campbell,[32]gay porn starJoey Stefano,[19]actorUdo Kier,socialite PrincessTatiana von Fürstenberg,and nightclub owner Ingrid Casares and unknown models are featured in the book. Itsheterosexualphotos involve only Madonna and Vanilla Ice.[14]Madonna herself is featured partially or completely naked. One of the book's most famous photographs shows a naked Madonnahitchhikingin Miami.[3]The book also reflects Dita's perspective towards her own sexuality. She writes that her "pussy"is a temple of learning and exposing it, is really an homage to it." It's hard to describe it smells like a baby to me fresh and full of life. I love my pussy, it is the complete summation of my life. "[33]Sexcontains statements like "ass fuckingis the most pleasurable way to get fucked and it hurts the most too ".[3]"There is something comforting about being tied up. Like when you were a baby and your mother strapped you in the car seat. She wanted you to be safe. It was an act of love".[21]"I wouldn't want a penis. It would be like having a third leg. it seems like a contraption that would get in the way. I think I have a dick in my brain".[21][31]Dita also points out "A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want".[34]Since they recovered stolen pictures during the making ofSex,Madonna thanked the FBI for "rescuing photographs that would have madeJ. Edgar Hooverroll over "in the book's credits.[14][35]

Publication and promotion

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The book's imminent release caused a great deal of controversy. One photo showed a nude Madonna wearing a rabbit's tail, shaving thepubic hairof a naked man, and cavorting outdoors with a dog, suggestingbestiality.[11][16]The Vaticanurged its followers to boycott the book, saying that it was "morally intolerable".[36]Indian customs officials said the book offended the country's public morality. ThePress Trust of India(PTI), India's domestic news agency, quoted a top customs official as saying the book would be seized under a section of the Customs Act prohibiting entry of indecent literature.[37]Citizens ofAlexandria, Louisiana,filed a complaint with the city's police department on behalf of theRapides ParishChapter of theAmerican Family Association,claimingSexviolated Louisiana's anti-obscenity laws.[38]U.S. Southern Baptists did not want their Bibles printed on the same printing presses asSexand threatened to stop doing business with the printerRR Donnelley.The Nashville-based Baptist Sunday School Board, a division of theSouthern Baptist Convention,reviewed their $2.1 million ($4,705,454 in 2024 dollars[39]) printing contract with Donnelley. Board President James Draper said he was infuriated Donnelley printed "such an obscene book".[40]Entertainment Tonightreported Madonna had initiated the mayhem with the explicit content in the music video for "Erotica", walking bare breasted at designer Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion show and posing nude inVanity Fairmagazine.[41]A writer forThe Sacramento Beesaid that since the press wanted "controversy", Madonna was willing to give them "fodder" with her "antiques".[42]

RapperVanilla Ice(left) and modelNaomi Campbell(right) are among the celebrities who appeared in the book. Both appeared in explicit images alongside Madonna.

Madonna claimed she was publishingSex"to liberate America — free us all of our hang-ups".[5]She toldSpin:"We live in a very repressed society, and I deal with erotic themes. The point I try to make is: Why should we feel ashamed of our sexuality?".[43]She stated later that the book "does not condone unsafe sexual practices".[3]Nicholas Callaway ofCallaway Arts & Entertainmentsaid the book was "inevitably going to be controversial. The book explores every aspect of sexual fantasy. It's hard to calculate the effect, [but],Sexshould be considered 'art' ".[44]It was rumored thatTime Warnerwas nervous about the book's release, however, in an interview withVanity Fair,William Sarnoff, president of Warner Books, said he felt Madonna "should pursue all avenues of creativity as she defines it". The Warner company said they would make sureSexreached itstarget audience.They reminded the public the book was safely wrapped in a Mylar bag to prevent in-store peeping and contained a warning label.[5]

Michael Kilianof theChicago Tribunepublished a tongue-in-cheek article on October 7, 1992, about the coming release: "Prepare thyself, [...], The mega-event of the millennium is to occur in precisely two weeks. It's an event far more mega than the November election, the collapse of communism or even the crowning ofLeanza Cornettas the newMiss America."Kilian went on to write:" The word on the street (which is precisely where it belongs) is that this is the hottest Truly Twisted personal sexual fantasy picture book in all Christendom, that it goes far beyond all previous Truly Twisted personal sexual fantasy picture books-perhaps beyond all imagining what such a book could be.[44]

On October 15, Madonna threw a pre-release party at New York City's Industria Superstudio having signed all the invitations with "Dita" herSexalter ego.[45][46]She dressed asLittle Bo Peepcarrying a stuffed toy lamb.[35]Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg expressed concern at first about "what the parents of America's impressionable teens will soon be thinking" of Madonna, but said that it "all depends on your idea of lovemaking, which in Madonna's case, should give new meaning to the word erotic".[5]WaldenbooksandBarnes & Nobleprepared corporate statements store managers could share with customers who were offended bySex.(Both statements defended the right of bookstores to provide "diversity and choice" to customers, saying censorship is not the role of bookstores.)[24]Many book stores stated the book would not be sold to anyone under 18 and it would only be on display behind the cash register.[5][24]Bookstore owner David Epstein said, "The feeling of most people who have ordered the book is that Madonna is something special, that this is cutting-edge art [...] they're not the kind of people who are buying it because it's smut and dirty pictures. People are interested in it as art."[24]

Sexwas released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio albumErotica.[5]Acomic booktitleDita in The Chelsea Girland a promotional single titled "Erotic", wrapped in packaging representing a condom wrapper, was included with the book.[9][10]"Erotic", a stripped-down arrangement of the song "Erotica",offered an alternate vocal take not used on the album version. Upon its release, the book was banned in India, Ireland, Japan and some Australian states.[47][48][49][50]

Given the controversy surrounding the book there was no need for Madonna to promote it.[30]One of the few promotions she did, however, was to appear on the cover of the October edition ofVogue,dressed in "Hippie trip" fashion. These photographs were taken by Meisel.[51]On October 22, 1992,MTVaired a special calledThe Day in Madonna,hosted byKurt Loder(a pun on the title of their daily showThe Day in Rock). It profiled the release of Madonna'sSexand her albumErotica,even taking the book to the streets to allow people, including a sex therapist and a group of real-life New York Citydominatrices,to view it. MTV also interviewed people who had looked at the book on the day of its release at the HMV music store in New York City. To celebrate its release, the store held a Madonna look-alike contest and set up a booth where people could view the book for one dollar a minute, with the proceeds going to Lifebeat, the music industry organization founded to help fund AIDS research.[12]

Critical response

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"I don't think sex is bad. I don't think nudity is bad. I don't think that being in touch with your sexuality and being able to talk about it is bad. I think the problem is that everybody's so uptight about it and have turned it into something bad when it isn't. If people could talk about it freely, we would have more people practicing safe sex, we wouldn't have people sexually abusing each other.

– Madonna discussing the backlash surrounding the book[9]

Critics,[52][53][54][55]conservative,feministandanti-porngroups[1][56]reacted negatively to the book because of its sexually explicit photographs, which many characterized ashardcore pornography.[57]J. Randy Taraborrelli, in his biography of Madonna, wrote that much of the book appears surprising, not shocking.[58]He derided the concept as childish and impetuous. Though Madonna insisted she was trying to demystify sexuality altogether, he believed she just wanted to publish pornographic text and pictures and get away with it: "She was being a brat, not a revolutionary."[58]AuthorLucy O'Briendeclared the book a bold, harrowing exercise in frustration, and despite Madonna's attempt at invincibility, it appeared to be "a curious act of self-destruction".[59]Anthony DeCurtis ofRolling Stonesaid "The overwhelming effect of the book is numbing". Describing the photographs as "derivative", he wrote that "Madonna herself seems far too eager to shock; that, not even prurient arousal, seems the ideal response the book tirelessly seeks. The potency ofSex's subject matter is dissipated by Madonna and Meisel's self-congratulatory – and silly – sense of their own 'bravery,' as if their naughty games were somehow revolutionary. "[60]

Roger Catlin of theHartford Courantsaid some passages from the book were "too dirty to quote... even the funny ones".[11]The Daily Beastsaid "the book is neither groundbreaking (save that it features a major star) nor particularly sexy [...]Sexis convincing only when it's playful, as when she appears nude in a Miami pizzeria, chewing a slice while a baffled customer looks on. Elsewhere, she's simply undressed with no place to go. "[20]Richard Harrington ofThe Washington Post,in a mixed review, wrote: "IsSexshocking? Not really. Mostly because it's Madonna, and somehow we've come to expect this from her. IsSexboring? Surprisingly, yes. "[18]British authorZoë HellerofThe Independentwrote that it was "the women who once saw Madonna as a witty feminist role model who have been most alarmist about her latest pornographic incarnation... Previously, they say, Madonna played with traditional images of feminine sexuality in a subversive, 'empowering' way. But now, with sado-masochism and rape fantasies, she has gone too far."[33]

Calvin Tomkins,author andart criticforThe New Yorker,wrote that "unfortunately, the book is going to be mistaken for pornography".[61]Vanity Fairdeemed it "the dirtiest coffee table book to ever be published".[9]Caryn James, inThe New York Times,wrote: "There is plenty here to offend the meek (whips and chains), the self-righteous (gay men and lesbians), not to mention the tasteful (a tacky and cluttered art design)".[14]TheTimes'Vicki Goldbergwas dismissive, writing, "Unfortunately, not many of the images are very good photographically. Many are just pictures, or just porn."[52]Writing forSpin,Bob Guccione, Jr.gave the book a particularly unfavorable review:

Madonna has overstayed her welcome. She's becoming the human equivalent of theEnergizer Bunny,flashing us her breasts in every magazine that'll let her. [...] Her bookSex,is a rip-off. Because it's not about sex, it's more about a hatred of it. [...] The book is not erotic. It's all somehow, astonishingly, dead. As sexy as a body chart at the doctor's office. Because it's just as precise and soulless. [Sex] is a con job because instead of being flagrant pornography, it dresses itself up as Great Art. The text is pretentious and derives most, if not all, of its impact from the fact that it's Madonna talking, quite a lot... Any other model would sound no more or less coarse, just uninteresting.[43]

Commercial reception

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Pre-release

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WithSex,Madonna broke severalworldwide records.The retail price of the book was $50 in the United States, or around $112 in 2024 dollars.[39][44][62]Across Europe,Sexwas sold for £25 in the United Kingdom,[63]and forpta7500 in Spain (an equivalent of $70 at the time or $157 in 2024).[39][64]The most expensive sales were found in Argentina with a retail price of $89, which is about $199 in 2024 dollars.[39][65]

The initialprint runfor the first edition was one million copies in five continents and in five languages.[52]It set the record for the largest first printing of an illustrated book in publishing history.[19][17][66]Callaway pointed out the book was an "unprecedented hit", because the print run of an average art book ranges between 5,000 and 10,000 units.[17]Hundreds of copies of the book werepre-ordered,prompting book sellers to say thatSexwas "shattering their sales records for advance purchases".[67]John Robinson fromSanta Cruz Sentinelinformed that many booksellers agreed that "Sexsold, like nothing else before "and" they've never seen anything like it, especially for a $50 book ".[68]In Canada, H.B. Fenn and Company, distributors ofSex,reported an order for more than 45,000 copies from bookstores across the country by October 22.[69]

Release

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In the United States,Sexsold 150,000 copies on its release day,[70]with additional 500,000 units a week later.[1]The book also reached the number one on bothThe Washington PostandThe New York TimesBest Seller list,topping the latter forthree weeks.[47][18]By the end of the year,Sexended among the Top 15 of the best-selling titles in the United States with sales of over 750,000 units.[71][72]The book became a "hugebestseller"in Canada after a" careful review "bycustomsauthorities according toQuill & Quire.[73]It sold out 45,000 copies across the country,[74]becoming one of the fastest-selling books in Canadian history.[50]In the United Kingdom,Sexsold 100,000 copies in its first day,[75]including 80,000 units in the first half an hour in London according toCreative Camera.[76]Sexended as the second best-sellinghardcoverbook of 1992 in the UK, behindAndrew Morton's Diana biography.[71]

In France, Madonna held the record for the highest first-month sales for a book in history, before being surpassed byThierry MeyssanwithL'Effroyable Impasturein 2002.[77]In Paris alone, 23,000 copies were sold in the first hour of release.[64]Sexsold 7,220 units in Spain within its first two days,[64]and 2,000 copies in the first five-hours in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.[78]In Italy, the book moved 5,000 copies.[79]By October 24, a spokeswoman for Australian distributors,Octopus Publishing,informed thousands of copies ofSexhad been sold inWestern Australia.[80]Despite the censorship,Sexwas able to sell 150,000 units of an edited version of the initial printing in Japan, topping the national best-selling list upon its release.[81][50]According to theChinese state newspaper,the book sold 5,000 copies in the first-week in the city ofShanghaialone.[82]Although the book was censored shortly after its publication, several hundred of copies were sold in the Irish capital.[83]

Worldwide, the book sold 700,000 units in its first day.[84]In summary,Sexwent on to sell 1.5 million copies worldwide in a matter of days,[85]becoming the fastest-sellingcoffee table bookin history.[86]It remains the best-selling coffee table book of all time.[87]In 1999, Ed Brown fromFortunecalledSexthe best-sellingillustrated bookin history, further comparing that "for most publishers, selling 20,000 copies of a coffee-table book is a minor miracle".[88]

Reactions

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By December 1992, Paul Craig fromMcClatchycalled it the biggest wonder of the year in literature.[89]Giselle Benatar describedSexas "the publishing event of the century".[1]A day prior its release, Tyra Braden ofThe Morning Callconcluded that the book "might become a collector's item a few years down the road".[23]Writing forSan Francisco Chroniclein 1999,Joel Selvinnoted the prices for the book on the web, ranging from $200 to $500 for sealed copies; ten times the original $50 cover price.[90]According to Barry Walters fromRolling Stonein 2019,Sexremains one of the most in-demandout-of-print publicationsof all time.[91]A long-lasting title atBookFinder's lists,[92][93]Sexfeatured as the most requested out-of-print publication from 2011 to 2015.[86]In their database,AbeBooksrecalls: "The most famous out-of-print book of modern times is Madonna'sSexbook, which remains in demand but the pop star refuses to republish it ".[94]

Social impact and aftermath

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See also:Madonna and sexuality
Madonna's performances inThe Girlie Showfaced negative reactions from conservative groups, who deemed her immoral.

The book, though widely panned by the press, is regarded as one of the factors that shaped the social reaction and criticism of Madonna during the early 1990s.[31][90]Her fifth studio albumEroticawas affected by the negative press surrounding the book.[95]In March 1993,Spinwrote an article praising the book.[96]Months later in Mexico,social communicologistNino Canún dedicated an episode of his morningtalk show¿Y usted qué opina?(English:So what's your opinion?), to Madonna. Some members of the audience, among them apriest,presented their arguments whyThe Girlie Showconcert tour by "this morally clueless singer" should not be allowed in Mexico. Later, during the Mexican concert, in response to these comments, Madonna wore acharrosombreroand simulated anorgywith her dancers onstage.[97]

Continuing her provocative work, Madonna starred in the erotic thrillerBody of Evidence,which features her fully nude engaging in simulated sexual acts.[98]In March 1994,she was a guestonLate Show with David Letterman,used profanity, and handed Letterman a pair of her underwear asking him to smell it.[99]The release of her sexually explicit works, and the aggressive appearance on Letterman led some critics to see Madonna as a sexual renegade. She also faced a strong negative reaction from critics and fans who commented that "she had gone too far" and that her career was over.[100]AuthorLucy O'Briencommented:[101]

The perfect iconic goddess ofTrue Bluehad all gone. In the same way that sixties beauties likeNico,Marianne FaithfullandBrigitte Bardotset about destroying their beauty after they were famous, the very thing they felt limited them, Madonna annihilated hers. Within a few short years she moved from teasing flirtation to desperate sexual display. It is ironic that after the triumph ofLike a Prayer,she hits this bathos. Being a blond again set her off in the wrong direction. It was as if with theSexbook she showed the underside of the Hollywood dream.

InSex[Madonna] of course, was sayingexactlywhat she wanted, warts and all... Indeed, this idea that she was penning her own sexual narrative was perhaps the most shocking part of the whole enterprise. And while it was easy to critiqueSex,it should be applauded for this balls-to-the-wall honesty.

—Priya Elan discussing the book.[102]

Madonna responded to the huge backlash with the song "Human Nature",from her next albumBedtime Stories(1994), with the lyrics "Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex," while declaring "And I'm not sorry. It's human nature."[31] She later explained: "I wouldn't say I regret it. I've made mistakes and learned from them. Most people want to hear me say that I regret publishing mySexbook. I don't. The problem was releasing myEroticaalbum at the same time. I love that album and it got overlooked. "[103]In 2003, Madonna said: "I'm not apologizing in any shape or form [...] I was interested in pushing buttons and being rebellious and being mischievous and trying to bend the rules. There was a lot of irony in theSexbook and I am poking fun at a lot of things and I am being kind of silly and adolescent and I am being very f you, if a man can do it, I can do it. "[104]

In 2002, Naomi Campbell said she had "a lot of respect for Madonna being bold enough to come out and do a book on sex. I've never reneged on that."[105]In 2009, rapper Vanilla Ice confessed to being unhappy with the book once he saw it. "My friends were like, 'Dude, that's cool man', but I was like, 'I'm dating her, it's not cool to see your girlfriend with all these other people' [...] It kinda ruined the whole thing. I wonder what her kids think of that book? Here she is writing kids' books now but they're going to see it and go, 'Mommy, what were you thinking?'"[106]Another of the book's models, actress Isabella Rossellini, toldOutthat she regretted her participation: "I don't think the book worked, even though the photos were extraordinary, and some of them quite memorable. I think there was a little bit of a moralistic sort of 'I'll teach you how to be free!' – and that bothered the hell out of me."[107]

Later reviews ofSexhave been more positive. The authors ofThe Porning of America: The Rise of Porn Culture, What It Means, and Where We Go from Here(2008) commented that "the book is particularly interesting in the way that, like many of Madonna's works, it portrays sex in terms of domination and power".[31]Jane Raphaely,editor-in-chief ofCosmopolitan(South Africa) praised Madonna's "liberated behavior inSex[...] the fact that she takes all forms of pornography and systematically demystifies it by putting it under her control ", in an article in 1996.[108]Brian McNair, author ofStriptease Culture: Sex, Media and the Democratisation of Desire(2002) praised this period of Madonna's career, saying she had "porno elegance" and that "Sexis a cultural phenomenon of global proportions "which" established her iconic status and cultural influence ".[29]Priya Elan ofThe Guardian,wrote: "That theSexbook came after a record-breaking album andtourfelt like a shrink-wrapped curve ball. But Madge was expressing something unique. "Elan felt the book was part of a" slower reveal that began with confessional tracks such as 'Oh Father' (from 1989'sLike a Prayer) and continued with the many scenes of narcissism captured inIn Bed With Madonna".[102]

Legacy

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Several writers considerSexa bold,post-feministwork of art[109]besides being labeled a "cultural book".Martin AmisofThe Observerwrote an essay discussing the book's cultural meaning.[29]Critical theoristDouglas Kellneraffirmed that withSex"Madonna became herself, an artifact ofpop culture".[10]French academic writer Georges-Claude Guilbert describedSexas "one of the most successful publicity stunts in history",[110]whereas Russell W. Belk, author ofHandbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing,feels its success was a product ofmarketing.[111]Despite the negative feedback, sales ofSexgenerated more than US$20 million ($44.81 million in 2024 dollars[39]) for Madonna in 1992 from its first print-run.[50]It was deemed as an "unprecedented entrepreneurial coup".[66]Overall,Sexgenerated US$70 million in sales at retail.[112]

Taraborrelli commented in his book,Madonna: An Intimate Biography,that Madonna's friends knew the book and her behavior were a barrier to shield her from the world.[58]She was tired of the extreme scrutiny from the public and media which she had provoked.[58]Annoyed, Madonna fought back by creating the persona of a renegade, someone so outrageous as to defy explanation, someone found objectionable by most people. Taraborrelli said that in Madonna's view, "she had no other way of fighting back".[58]

According to some writers,Sexalso helped Madonna make a name in theporn industry,[113]and earned her the title ofS&M's firstcultural ambassador[114]earning her praise for recreating "porn-chic".[115]Humberto Quiroga Lavié pointed out becauseSexwas considered pornographic that helped it to become abestseller.[116]Steve Bachmann, in his bookSimulating Sex: Aesthetic Representations of Erotic Activitypointed out that "perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Madonna's sexual phenomenon is the extent to which her book marked a new threshold in the pornographic franchise".[117]McNair wrote in his book that, "Sexbrought out the personal underground to the surface of pop culture ".[29]London art criticSarah Kentwrote inTime Outthat the timing ofSexwas "impeccable.[8]Obsession about the human body was in vogue. Along with Madonna's book were artistAndres Serrano's "cumming shots"andJeff Koons'The Jeff Koons Handbookportraying fairy tale pictures of the artist having sex with his pornographic actor wife,Cicciolina.[8]

"There's a lot of really narrow-minded people. If I can change the way 1/100th of them thinks, then I've accomplished something."

—Madonna[118]

Sexhas also become an important book in theLGBTcommunity.Mark Blankenship,of the LGBT-oriented website New Now Next said that "literature changed forever" with the publishing ofSex.[119]Madonna's portrayal oflesbianlove scenes in the book sparked debates about her own sexual orientation.[120]This was an adjunct to her public relationship with comedianSandra Bernhardwith whom she visited lesbian nightclubs and partied. The LGBT community felt it was an important portrayal for them. They debated whether Madonna was "ripping" them off for publicity. Carolin Grace ofDivasaid: "Madonna became meaningful in the early nineties, whenSexcame out, and at that point lesbian culture was really changing. "[120]She felt women were coming out about their sexuality and the book's handling of the taboo issue was "a legacy, our contribution to the show", stressing "[t]he lesbian sub-cultural references borrowed by Madonna aren't our only possessions."[120]O'Brien argues in her bookMadonna: Like an Icon,the book had a confusing philosophy. According to female critics, who pointed out the vacuousness of Madonna's remarks about porn and abuse, she did not understand that behind the fantasies the "reality is too hard" for a woman to endure, referring to the daily hustles that women have to face in red light districts and brothels.[121]The author felt that despite the courageous premise of genuine exploration of queer sex, the book crossed over into pornography and was a wrong portrayal for the community, while being flippant and commercial.[122]She used the example of the death of pornographic actorJoey Stefano,one of the models in the book, from a drug overdose. Stefano had been thrilled to be a part of the book but was underpaid. Once Madonna and her team were done with the shoot, "they packed up and left theGaiety... They left behind the mundane reality and the boys who have to deal with it seven days a week ".[122]

In 2017, Matthew Jacobs from theHuffPostwrote that it was "an audacious thesis statement, calculated enough to piss people off but seemly enough to maintain artistic integrity. No one today would dare emulate it", calling it "the most radical career move a pop star has ever made".[123]

30th anniversary Art Basel exhibition and Christie's auction

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From November 29 to December 4, 2022, Madonna partnered withYves Saint Laurentfor an artpop-up exhibitiontitledSex by Madonna,atArt BaselinMiami Beach.Curated by Madonna andAnthony Vaccarello,large format prints from the book were shown in a temporarily constructed art gallery on the beach. 800 copies of theSexbook were re-issued, with a handful personally signed by Madonna. The price ranged from $1500–3000 and the signed copies were held up for auction, to raise proceeds forRaising Malawi.Various celebrities attended the event.[124][125][126]

On May 10, 2023,Christie'sannounced a collaborative auction on October 6, 2023, with Madonna and Steven Meisel titledMadonna x Meisel – the SEX photographs.The auction will feature over 40 photographs that will go on sale, with proceeds going to Madonna's charity Raising Malawi. Darius Himes, Christie's Deputy Chairman describes the photos as sitting "at a moment in art history of the late 20th century that both summarizes a moment, playful and prescient, and hints at the future of public stardom driven by image-conscious figures. These images are nothing short of brilliant".[127]

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Sexhas also become an object of modern culture references. Americanperformance artistAnn Magnuson,who worked with Madonna on the 1985 filmDesperately Seeking Susan,released aparodyof the book's photo sessions, where she simulated sex with a giantstuffed bear.[128]In 2010, writer-performerGreg Scarnicireleased a book titledSex in Drag,which featured over 70 imagesparodyingphotos inSex.[129]In a deleted scene from a 1993 episode ( "Krusty Gets Kancelled") of the animated sitcomThe Simpsons,aired as part of "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular",Krusty the Clownattempts to market a book likeSexto resolve his financial woes. He is seen in a suggestive pose on the front cover. Unlike Madonna, however, Krusty apparently never appeared fully nude, as he quickly claimed that he used abody double.[130]

In 2008,Peoplemagazine ranked Madonna's look and attire at theSexpre-release party as one of her 50 Looks We Can't Forget.[131]In April 2012, a nude picture of Madonna taken by Meisel was put up for sale. An outtake from the book, it features a naked Madonna sporting bleach-blonde hair and dark eye make-up; lying on a bed and partially covered by a sheet, she is smoking a cigarette.[132]An unnamed collector purchased it for almost US$24,000 ($32,871 in 2024 dollars[39]).[133]In 2015,Rolling Stoneincluded the book on its list of 20 Great Moments in Rock Star Nudity. Author Keith Harris wrote that "no celebrity had ever commanded control over her own naked image so audaciously".[134]

Notes

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  1. ^abcdefghijklmnGiselle, Benatar (November 6, 1992)."Sex & Money: Inside the making of Madonna's wildly successful erotic fantasy book".Entertainment Weekly.pp.1–3.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2013.RetrievedNovember 30,2012.
  2. ^Taraborrelli 2008,p. 230
  3. ^abcdefTaraborrelli 2008,p. 231
  4. ^Kilian, Michael (October 7, 1992)."In Time For The Gift-giving Season: Madonna Gets Bookish About".Chicago Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on October 7, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 18,2011.
  5. ^abcdefghiWilker, Deborah (November 5, 1992)."Madonna She's Got Sex For Our Eyes And Erotica For Our Ears".Sun-Sentinel.pp.1–2. Archived fromthe originalon February 22, 2014.RetrievedDecember 12,2012.
  6. ^abMcMahon 2000,pp. 702–705
  7. ^Stephen, Holden(April 20, 1992)."Madonna Makes a $60 Million Deal".The New York Times.pp.1–2.Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2013.RetrievedDecember 14,2012.
  8. ^abcO'Brien 2008,pp. 238–239
  9. ^abcdefCross 2007,p. 57
  10. ^abcdKellner 1995,p. 280
  11. ^abcRoger, Catlin (October 21, 1992)."You Can Tell This Book By Its Cover".Hartford Courant.pp.1–2.Archivedfrom the original on November 5, 2012.RetrievedDecember 1,2012.
  12. ^abcAnderson, Reckhenrich & Kupp 2011,p. 109
  13. ^Malcolm, Jones (November 29, 1992)."Fabien Baron's Grand Designs".The Daily Beast.Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2013.RetrievedDecember 13,2012.
  14. ^abcdefCaryn, James (October 25, 1992)."The Empress Has No Clothes".The New York Times.pp.1–3.Archivedfrom the original on January 2, 2013.RetrievedDecember 13,2012.
  15. ^"You Can Tell This Book By Its Cover".Hotel Chelsea.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2012.RetrievedDecember 14,2012.
  16. ^abc"Madonna's Magician".New York.25.New York:28–36. October 12, 1992.ISSN0028-7369.Archivedfrom the original on October 11, 2022.RetrievedOctober 20,2020.
  17. ^abcdeIsaak, Sharon; Jordan, Tina (September 25, 1992)."The Girl Can't Help It".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2013.RetrievedDecember 14,2012.
  18. ^abcdTaraborrelli 2008,p. 233
  19. ^abcLevine, Nick (August 15, 2008)."Madonna Milestones: 'Sex' book goes on sale".Digital Spy.Archivedfrom the original on December 3, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 18,2011.
  20. ^ab"The Selling of Sex".The Daily Beast.November 1, 1992. pp.1–3.Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2013.RetrievedDecember 6,2012.
  21. ^abcCross 2007,p. 58
  22. ^"Publishers on File: Madonna".Facts on File, Inc.23(2). Publishers on File: 3, 27. September 20, 1992.
  23. ^abcTyra, Braden (October 5, 1992)."'Sex' Book: It Is Merely An Investment ".The Morning Call.Archivedfrom the original on June 6, 2012.RetrievedDecember 1,2012.
  24. ^abcdJocelyn, McClurg (October 18, 1992)."Area Booksellers Wonder If Customers Will Pay $50 For 'Sex' With".Hartford Courant.Archivedfrom the original on June 15, 2013.RetrievedDecember 12,2012.
  25. ^Fabien, Baron."Fabien Baron Biography"(PDF).BernhardtDesignPress. pp.1–2.Archived(PDF)from the original on March 24, 2012.RetrievedDecember 14,2012.
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  27. ^abcO'Brien 2008,p. 241
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  29. ^abcdMcNair 2002,p. 267
  30. ^abTassoni 1993,p. 22
  31. ^abcdeScott & Sarracino 2008,p. 96
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References

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