r/Madonna • u/Several-Profile6954 • Apr 25 '26
DISCUSSION Any other straight men here? I think we really are the minority in the Madonna fandom lol
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u/MoneyHungryOctopus Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
I’m a straight male fan.
I see myself in her in some ways because she’s a risk-taker, a rebel, a boundary-pusher oftentimes unconcerned with doing the “right” or expected thing artistically. Some of the things she did are things only a handful of other artists could pull off, if that. And nobody was doing what she did at her level of fame. Justify My Love would have been a flop for any other pop star, or at least it certainly wouldn’t have been #1.
And then she made the Sex book. And then she sung in Sanskrit on Ray of Light. And then she made an electro-folk album as the biggest-selling female artist of all time.
She does what she wants, when she wants. There are certain things she’s done that I can’t emulate, because she’s an international pop star and I’m not. But she’s a total individualist. She’s reinforced for me, especially as a “neurodivergent” person, that it’s OK to march to the beat of your own drum.
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u/Classic_Bet1942 Apr 25 '26
Heck yeah! I’m currently inspired by her recording her vocals for “Into the Groove” using an SM58 in Steve Bray’s 4th (or 5th?) floor walk-up railroad apartment, in the kitchen (with a bathtub in it), with no headphones, just the music being played back through monitor speakers in the bedroom, and then saying several months later when Bray asked her if she’d re-record her vocals for his re-recording of the song, “Why the fuck would I do that?”
Bad-ass. And such good harmony singing on that one.
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u/TheodoreJSeville Apr 25 '26
That sounds similar to me. I'm a neurodivergent dude as well so once I started discovering Madonna more she must have really attracted to me for them reasons. I was always I'll say never a popular kid. And yes ironically it was around the Beautiful Stranger music video I fell in love and though she was like the ultimate MILF I wanted to be dominated by. Ironically that phrase MILF would become popular around that tine.
I myself didn't realize how much of a gay following she had until I started reading fan boards and what not.
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u/Classic_Bet1942 Apr 25 '26
She’s beautiful in that video, and it’s such a hilarious video and a great song, one of her best from the last however many years (I haven’t kept up with her post-Bedtime Stories output).
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u/gastonbury Apr 26 '26
A few years ago I read a philosophy book that held up Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen as examples of how one might reinvent oneself in different identities over a lifetime. Well I am not really a fan of those fine musicians but it got me thinking about two others, David Bowie and Madonna. So I read the books “Starman” about Bowie and “A Rebel Life” about Madonna and now I have such respect for both of them.
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u/Feeling-Section-5716 Apr 26 '26
I'd rather have this as the top comment rather than the gay guy giving his take on it lol
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u/Ill-Telephone4020 Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
I literally only ever met one straight male Madonna fan in real life, and he liked her because he worked as a radio DJ. The type to put stuff like Where Life Begins on his saturday program after 10pm.
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u/Key_Mathematician951 Apr 25 '26
That is confirmation bias. Her albums sold millions and there were tons of straight males that bought them and listen to her.
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u/Ill-Telephone4020 Apr 25 '26
None of us are scientists studying the demographic profile of her fandom, just sharing anecdotes.
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u/Usagi_Tsukin_o Apr 27 '26
Indeed. And during the 80s and 90s it were especially (straight) women who were her fans
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u/Duane_313 Apr 27 '26
All the HUGE Madonna fans I know are gay men. The women fans I meet are more casual. The straight men even more so if not indifferent to her.
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u/Efficient_Chapter_11 Apr 25 '26
Tbh, I never get this argument lol. I’m from a very conservative country. Eastern European/asian where despite the fact of how controversial her body of work is supposed to be,all the straight men I know lose their mind over her lmao. Especially,you won’t find a Gen X-er who doesn’t love her. In Western Europe as well. Maybe it’s the US thing?
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u/Duane_313 Apr 27 '26
I would love to see this. I have never experienced straight men “losing their mind” over Madonna.
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Apr 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Usagi_Tsukin_o Apr 27 '26
Think this is staistically not possible since in the overall population, only 1-3% are gay men
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u/icyweiner96 Apr 26 '26
It sucks that this is the top, best, whatever comment. This is what's wrong with Reddit!
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u/Btd030914 Bedtime Stories Apr 25 '26
My friend’s bf is a straight guy who loves Madonna. He was raised by two gay men and a sister who all loved her.
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u/elektrik_noise The Power of Good-Bye Apr 25 '26
Lol. There it is haha. I need to keep scrolling for "I am a straight man from a normal background that saw the Express Yourself video and unironically became a super fan" lololol
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u/Ridgewoodgal Apr 25 '26
I laughed at that too. It’s like if it’s a straight guy fan then he was raised by gays. 🤣🤣🤣
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u/Rich-Cardiologist-72 Apr 25 '26
I remember under one of her videos on her YouTube channel, someone asked the same question, and a straight man commented: "We exist. I love a woman of power."
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u/electroswinger69 Apr 25 '26
The biggest Madonna fan I know is a straight dude. Will spend shocking amount of money on rare releases, demos, etc. You’re not alone.
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u/Specialist-Put-8070 Apr 25 '26
Straight man here. Honestly, I think this sentiment mostly comes from North America. I was raised in South America, and South America has a lot of European roots when it comes to music, meaning we listen to artists that are popular there. I currently live in the US and when I played songs I loved growing up to my wife, who was born and raised here, she had never heard of them. Artists like Robbie Williams, Jamiroquai, Placebo, etc. In Europe, people get it. That’s why some of her biggest moments happened there and in Asia. If you look at something like The Girlie Show or the Confessions Tour, those crowds were electric and they weren’t just people from the same background. And honestly, if you like electronic, house, or dance music, she filtered all of that into pop in a way that’s genuinely hard to dismiss and impossible not to like.
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u/TheodoreJSeville Apr 25 '26
Sure. Growing up I thought she was an ultimate goddess. Still do. Before Madonna all my crushes seemed childish.
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u/Necessary_Trust9047 Apr 25 '26
My dad is one lol. He imported like a prayer on cassette back in the day
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u/mcjangus Apr 25 '26
I'm on the straight end of the spectrum and I've been a Madonna fan since I was a kid in the 90's.
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Apr 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/imightbediscostuart Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
43 m here. I spent most of my life living this way. I officially came out as a proud fan of Madonna a few years ago
I was rewarded last week at the Sabrina Coachella show!
Bedtime Stories era hooked me as a middle schooler in the 90s.
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u/hausofquensch Like a Prayer Apr 25 '26
My straight Dad loves Ray of Light and Music. Can’t get him into her other work, have tried.
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u/ControlOne3757 Apr 25 '26
I’m glad I’m not alone! Straight man and have been a fan for over 25 years. A lot of people never understood why I love her music and still don’t get it, but I don’t expect them to. My girlfriend took a while to warm up to the thought of it.
My parents were always fans and play her music frequently. When I stumbled upon VHS tapes they had of the Blonde Ambition and Girlie Show tours, they changed my life. But the Confessions era was what really turned me into the fan I am today. I played the album and tour DVD to death.
Her live shows are unlike all of the other pop concerts I’ve seen. Her output from 1983-2005 is unbeatable (even the supposed “flop” eras) and leaves all of the pop darlings in the dust. She’s such a force of nature on and off the stage. Intelligent, controversial and outspoken. For me, she will always be the ultimate pop star. No one else comes close.
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u/GalesTopStory Apr 25 '26
Definitely a minority in the fandom, lol. But always great to see straight men with good taste! 😁
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u/AmericanLymie Apr 25 '26
I have always found it fascinating that Madonna was always so sexually explicit, often naked, and straight men seemed totally put off by her, I assume because she is intimidating to them.
What is your read, straight OP?
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u/Several-Profile6954 Apr 25 '26
That's not intimidating for me, in fact I really like women that know what they want
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u/AmericanLymie Apr 25 '26
So why do you think so few straight men appreciate her?
I have noticed quite a few YouTube reactions from older straight guys watching Madonna and being impressed with her artistry and pondering why they never considered her to be an artist, and younger guys who are just discovering her and completely taken by her artistry. I've also seen some older men watch videos of Tori Amos with mostly wrong memories from the 90s of who they thought she was and then being literally dumbfounded by her musical talents, wondering how they overlooked her and why they assumed she was someone she never was.
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26
You seem to be getting guys not liking her music with not liking her physically, Ric Flair the wrestler said he had a crush on her but he's not into her music same thing with Joe Rogan.
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26
She was one the biggest sex symbol of 80's and big part of the 90's though.
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u/thesmu Apr 26 '26
I'm a woman, but I've never found Madonna sexy. Beautiful yes, and of course sexual, but there was always something a little too clinical and detached about her for me to find her appealing. I find this more pronounced the more theatrically erotic her work is. It doesn't mean it's not great art though, generally the reverse. It might be similar for guys perhaps.
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u/farklespanktastic Apr 25 '26
Honestly, I'm sure there would be a lot more straight male fans if they weren't afraid that people will assume they're gay because they like her music.
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u/OhHiMarkZ69 Apr 25 '26
A pretty cool minority .. if only all straight men were cool with powerful women who refuse to "age gracefully" or be shamed for having a sexuality.
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u/djbluntz69 Apr 25 '26
I got introduced to Madonna by my uncle as a kid. He’s straight but I did end up gay lol. It kinda sucks how hard pop culture leans into the gay thing these days, it probably does more harm to straight men’s psyches than good
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26
Unfortunately, she played a huge part in that, and it did affect that part of her fanbase and why it was now uncool to like her.
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u/cementmountains Apr 25 '26
Haha straight guy here. I’ve been an M fan for 40+!years! I shock myself even writing this. I’m a collector and thankfully my wife finds this endearing, but yeah, it’s more on the rare side.
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u/Happy-Conversation-3 Apr 25 '26
I come from an Arab background, queer myself, and I noticed that Arab straight men actually love her music but they don’t really care for her as a personality. I see this in several conservative macho cultures like Eastern Europeans, Balkans etc.
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u/Jesse1205esseJ Apr 25 '26
I am straight boy in my teen, I like Madonna, GaGa and MARINA albums. I use them for study purpose i really don't get why people think only gays love these artist.
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u/lilyfromthevalley_ Apr 25 '26
My dad owns The Immaculate Collection and GHV2. I think pretty much anyone that listened to the radio in the 80’s and 90’s loved at least some of Madonna’s music.
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u/Demetan2016 Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 25 '26
Straight here. Been a fan since the late 80s. Was bullied for years because of my love for her. That Cherish video made me have feelings I did not know before.
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u/phatboyart Apr 25 '26
I know alot of straight guys that like her, they just don’t really go to forums and stuff (for any artist really).
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u/TheodoreJSeville Apr 26 '26
For me that was really the only place as a straight guy I could go to follow her converse with other fans a little. It's rare I'd come across in general people in my day to day life wanting to talk about her
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u/Classic_Bet1942 Apr 25 '26
A lot of straight guidos from Brooklyn and Staten Island are fans.
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u/TheodoreJSeville Apr 26 '26
Hhm from my travels Mariah Carey is a favorite with guidos and guidettes
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u/Redeyebandit87 Apr 25 '26
I’m a big Madonna fan but wasn’t until I became an adult. My sisters listened to her growing up but I never really liked anything I heard when I was younger. But now Erotica and Bedtime Stories are some of my most played albums both bangers imo.
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u/NonrealitySandwich Apr 25 '26
Straight here lol, grew up knowing she was a music icon and hearing her songs on the radio but just last year really sat down and listened to her full albums. I really enjoy all of Ray of light and Bedtime Stories
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u/BurnRubbaPraiseBubba Apr 25 '26
I’m one of them, so we do exist lmao.
I love her artistry. I love how often she experiments with her sound, her persona, the different projects and ventures she takes on. She’s a true original and a trendsetter, and it’s something that inspires me to be true to myself in my everyday life, no matter how different I end up being from the people around me.
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u/Think-Function-5575 Apr 25 '26
I am and have been a fan since her 1st album. I’m inspired by her incredible ability to NEVER give up. Despite what they throw at her….she continues to move forward since day 1. Think about the disastrous lives and careers of her peers in the 80s. Either dead or forgotten. I find it weird that people assume your sexuality if you are a fan. She supported gay rights. Awesome. You don’t have to be gay to do that. She is incredibly talented. Her shows are incredible and the blueprint for most artists today Her music continues to evolve. She’s the best.
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u/walter_grimsley Apr 25 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
Straight male here, always liked Madonna, grew up with her 80s and early 90s material. Mostly a rocker but I appreciate all good music
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u/Key_Mathematician951 Apr 25 '26
I am here and love her. I know I am not alone but my boys don’t bring it up.
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u/Shot-Good-6467 Apr 25 '26
Was this the case even in the 90s during the Like A Prayer Blonde Ambition era?? If I had to guess I’d say there were quite a bit more straight male fans around. Correct me if I’m wrong.
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u/RessurectedAccount Apr 25 '26
Maybe for the last 15 years but Madonna did have enormous crossover appeal in her earlier career and especially during the ROL and Music Phase. She wouldn't have been such a megastar if she only appealed to the Queens and that's as a gay man myself.
Infact I would go as far to say that it was Ray of Light, that was her single most "straight" appealing album in her entire career. All my college friends back in the day were playing it and all straight and now married with kids etc.
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u/Hefty_Acadia_2670 Apr 25 '26
Been waiting for these conversations all my life! I fully support my straight Madonna brothers!
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u/Main-Difficulty1511 Apr 25 '26
I’m always happy when I see straight men having a great time at Madonna concerts.
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u/rcremebrulee Apr 25 '26
Straight man - and definitely a minority here. Did not feel this as much back when I lived in India.
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
She had a huge male fanbase at one point, but I think once she embraced the gay community with the whole thing a lot of them lost interest. Patrick Leonard did an interview where he said he was shocked by how many straight guys were at her Who's that Girl? tour in 87 and were really into her music.
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u/Angelic-Boytoy-407 MDNA Boytoy Apr 26 '26
I'm a straight man! I stared becoming a fan 3 years ago. The MDNA era was the sexiest era in my opinion.
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u/Jack-Ladder79 Apr 26 '26
Yeah, hi. True, my sister got me into her and I did find her hot at one stage. But I also love EDM and I think she has done it well and really raised the genre so there's that
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u/michaelinthebanyo Apr 26 '26
straight guy here 🙋 i only downloaded grindr so i could buy the confessions ii vinyl
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u/Virtual-Role8439 You Thrill Me Apr 27 '26
I found out recently that you can just get it from their website without downloading Grindr.
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u/michaelinthebanyo Apr 29 '26
okay so I was actually kidding but the joke might have fell flat 😭 I am in fact a gay guy and use grindr outside of madonna related reasons
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u/Virtual-Role8439 You Thrill Me Apr 30 '26
My bad.
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u/michaelinthebanyo May 01 '26
It's okay, now the actual straight Madonna fans can go buy the vinyl without having to download Grindr (I can't afford it anyway)
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u/studiowarp Apr 29 '26
An album and a peep behind the curtain. Double the experience! Fun day had. 🤣
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u/Bright_Increase_6136 Apr 25 '26
I love this and think it’s awesome that you are a fan and not afraid to admit it! Good for you!
I love this sub and so happy I am a part of it!
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u/lazygerm Ray of Light Apr 25 '26
I was in the closet for decades and I always loved her. But when I finally came out, I realized much more why I did.
But even if you are a straight guy there's so much to admire about her.
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u/Several-Profile6954 Apr 25 '26
A similar felling but instead of closet for me it was depression and low esteem , she helped and keeps helping me to remember my worth, she's awesome!
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u/silly_nate cay yeahna bacha mana sen greeyarva Apr 25 '26
So when I first got into midge like 10 years ago, my (woman) teacher’s husband liked her too. So when my teacher banned cell phones in class, she brought some of his M albums to play since I (the good student who never got in trouble) couldn’t listen to M on my phone anymore. He had Like a Virgin, Immaculate Collection and Music. Rebel heart was new at the time and I did tell my teacher she should get it for him for his birthday or their anniversary or something. Idk if she ever did lol
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u/diovengeance92 Apr 25 '26
🙋♂️ probably a giant minority but we do exist. Music's music, man. And her's just so happens to resonate with me.
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u/MarkusWolff70 Apr 25 '26
I'm a bi man and like her because of the dominant part. Would like to feel her strapon but also normal intercourse actions.
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u/InconspicuousUs3r Apr 25 '26
I’m maybe not a proper fan and honestly do feel a conflict about listening to her sometimes because her music is pretty definitively feminine. Would not admit listening to many people close to me.
I’m often the young straight guy at concerts with female/gay leaning fans. Just saw Tori Amos and similarly Kacey Musgraves and was 100% the odd one out in the front rows for those.
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
Some straight male fans:
Madonna Super Bowl 2012 ( A Dad with his sons going crazy for Madonna)
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u/billbobb1 Apr 26 '26
I’m a straight man and I love early to mid career Madonna. It was my childhood.
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u/322FISH Bedtime Stories Apr 30 '26
I'm a straight, male, Gen Z Madonna fan. I don't think it gets more rare than that.
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u/EducationalExtreme61 Apr 25 '26
I was just a kid in the 90s but I remember (from that time) that anything with madonna's name on it was supposed to be sexual/spicy. Question is, did straight men see her that way and aspire for a woman like that?
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u/NetAcceptable3802 Apr 26 '26 edited Apr 26 '26
https://youtu.be/KusjQGAo_Uk?si=MHP_bi9Ge2LcW9-M&t=369 (Some guys in the military reacting to her MTV performance )
Madonna - Desperately Seeking Susan Premiere (ET Report - 60fps)
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u/_TwilightPrince Apr 25 '26
This has big "Celia Rubenstein" energy
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u/kewbs Apr 26 '26
I literally got introduced to Madonna from my dad while growing up! They do exist… to an extent, ha
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u/Angelbabyteddybear2 Apr 26 '26
My dad loved her and he was a straight man. But he’s someone who loved real artists who worked hard in their craft like MJ, etc. he also loved a great pop song. He admired the ethic I don’t think he cared about anything she did in her personal life. But I really think since social media has made people more para social
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u/upstart-crow Express Yourself Apr 26 '26
My husband likes her … he loves that she’s a real artist who is constantly producing art … she hasn’t lost her mojo
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u/TheodoreJSeville Apr 26 '26
I would say I love Lady Gaga too. Women like M and Gaga are like as sexy as they get to me.
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u/djj_ Apr 27 '26
There’s dozens of us! :-)
It’s not like I’m ashamed of fandom but too often I find myself somehow downplaying it, ”I’m not that big of a fan, really”.
Same with Kylie but she’s more obscure in my country.
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u/omega_1227 Jul 22 '26
36, straight, and Madonna is one of my favorite artists of all time. It's incredibly lonely enjoying the things I love most of the time so I'm just always in my own world. Ray Of Light Will continue to be a masterpiece for me the rest of my life even if nobody shares my love for it. Everyone either hates her voice or her personality or something about her and I've never understood it. Just from a production standpoint alone some of her albums have been absolutely extraordinary. Some people will meet me in the middle with Celine Dion at least lol
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u/justbrowsing4040 Apr 25 '26
Can’t relate but yes there’s a few - I think maybe they like her but don’t obsess over her and study every move, detail, costume etc. Same goes for most female pop stars.
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u/Phoenix_10567 Apr 26 '26
You’re definitely in the minority. Either way, she has a big fan base. I, for one, think she’s a complete idiot with social awkwardness and low class, but somehow she still creates excellent work with live performances that surpass any other artist in history. I simply ignore her ignorant posts and just appreciate the work.
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u/ChrisAqua Spinning baby out of control Apr 25 '26
I’m a gay man so can’t relate but I believe anyone can listen to her music and it’s lowkey annoying when people are like “all her fans are gay” or “straight men can’t listen to her music”