Madonna Covers Harper’s Bazaar, Talks Sexuality and Hairy Armpits
Photo courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar
Madonna and Andrea Riseborough dominate December's Harper’s Bazaar.
She may have made a name for herself as the Material Girl, but in the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar, the inimitable Madonna reveals her, well, grungier side.
The Queen on Pop shares the cover with Andrea Riseborough, an actress on the rise, who also gets a personal endorsement from Madge—she stars in Madonna's film, W.E., based on the life of the controversial Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.
"I think my behavior and my lifestyle threaten a lot of social norms, like the movie does," Madonna said of the film—her second as a director. "I think there are a lot of parallels and connections."
“I think that the world is not comfortable with female sexuality,” she added. “It's always coming from a male point of view, and a woman is being objectified by a man—and even women are comfortable with that. But when a woman does it, ironically, women are uncomfortable with it. I think a lot of that has to do with conditioning."
The singer/actress/director/designer opens up about how she used to push the boundaries even as a child.
“Going to high school, I saw how popular girls had to behave to get the boys. I knew I couldn't fit into that. So I decided to do the opposite,” she revealed. “I refused to wear makeup, to have a hairstyle. I refused to shave. I had hairy armpits."
"Straight men did not find me attractive," she continued. "I think they were scared of me because I was different. I've always asked, 'Why? Why do I have to do that? Why do I have to look this way? Why do I have to dress this way? Why do I have to behave this way?'"
If her almost 30-year career is any indication, doing things her way—she even takes the lead in the story’s accompanying spread, where she directs Risborough while sporting Tom Ford, Donna Karan, Rick Owens and more—has worked out pretty well for her
"To have fun, that's the main issue,” she said. “To continue to be a provocateur, to do what we perceive as the realm of young people, to provoke, to be rebellious, to start a revolution."
In related news, get a sneak peek at Madonna's first fragrance, Truth or Dare.
