Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ Helped Her Meet Sean Penn
Madonna‘s “Material Girl” music video helped her meet Sean Penn. It also caused fans to compare her to another famous blonde. The Queen of Pop’s brother said that Madonna’s fans drew false conclusions from that music video.
Madonna met Sean Penn on the set of ‘Material Girl’
In his 2008 book Life With My Sister Madonna, Christopher Ciccone gave fans some fascinating insight into the “Material Girl” video shoot. “On the LA set of the ‘Material Girl’ video, as Madonna is sashaying down a staircase, decked out in a fuchsia satin replica of the Travilla gown Marilyn wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she comes face-to-face with hot actor Sean Penn,” he wrote. “He is 24, she is 26, their birthdays are just one day apart, and — for both of them — it is love at first sight.
“Afterward, she will claim that Sean reminds her of pictures she’s seen of our father when he was young,” he added. “After the video shoot, Sean goes to a friend’s house. The friend is reading from a book of quotations, turns to a page, and reads out the following random quote: ‘She had the innocence of a child and the wit of a man.’ As Sean later remembered it, ‘I looked at my friend and he just said, ‘Go get her.’ So I did.'”
‘Material Girl’ led to a lot of Marilyn Monroe comparisons
Ciccone said that “Material Girl” was an important part of Madonna’s ascendancy to the pop throne. The tune became a hit at the same time her movie Desperately Seeking Susan was released. Madonna’s performance in the film garnered critical acclaim. Ciccone felt his sister was simply playing herself in that movie.
Because of the “Material Girl” music video, fans have often compared Madonna to Marilyn Monroe. According to Ciccone, his sister never modeled herself on Monroe or identified with her. In Ciccone, Madonna never displayed the self-destructive tendencies that Monroe did. Ciccone noted that his sister was at the top of the showbiz pyramid much longer than Monroe.
Madonna isn’t too attached to the song
While the song “Material Girl” played a major role in Madonna’s love life, it’s not a personal song. For starters, she didn’t write or produce the track, even though she wrote many of her own hits. On top of that, the “Like a Prayer” singer feels disconnected from the lyrics of “Material Girl.”
During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, the Queen of Pop said that “Material Girl” was ironic and provocative. She doesn’t see herself as materialistic. Furthermore, the singer thought the tune was “geeky” and didn’t think it would become a hit. She pointed to “Like a Virgin,” “Cherish,” and “Into the Groove” as some of her other hits whose popularity surprised her.
While Madonna is wildly successful, she doesn’t think her wealth is all that important. While the “Express Yourself” singer enjoys being able to afford Frida Kahlo paintings, she said she would still be happy if she lived in the woods. Fans will have to determine whether or not they find that plausible.
Madonna doesn’t see herself as a Material Girl, but pretending to be one for a while helped her find a husband.
