Debate: Should Madonna put them away or continue to express herself?

Our writers Chae Strathie and Ali Kirker debate whether Madonna should have posed topless.

Queen of controversy Madonna was criticised and celebrated in equal measure last week after posing topless for a provocative photo shoot in an American magazine.

The 56-year-old mum-of-four wore bondage outfits and bared her breasts for the edgy pictures in Interview magazine’s ‘Art issue’. So should the music icon put them away or continue to express herself? Our writers have their say.

Chae Strathie: For “I genuinely failed to see why people were getting so upset. Relax. They’re just bosoms.”

There is very little Madonna can do to either shock me or make me angry, short of sneezing in my porridge or repeatedly poking a twig up my nose while I’m trying to watch Bargain Hunt.

Despite her best efforts I’m generally oblivious to what she gets up to.

So I wasn’t surprised to hear she’d “let the girls out for some fresh air” during a magazine shoot recently, but nor was I filled with righteous, purple-faced fury like some.

The first I heard about it was in the car listening to a morning phone-in on the radio.

Some callers were as unmoved as I, citing stormy teacups and molehill mountains, but others were getting their brassieres in a right old twist.

The way folk were doing their dinger you’d think Madge was going around slapping frail pensioners in the face with her boobs or she’d had them specially adapted to fire paintgun pellets at lovely kittens.

I genuinely failed to see why people were getting so upset. Relax. They’re just bosoms. I should know I saw some once (in a drawing in biology class at school back in 1986. What a day!).

I could understand the concern over the corrupting influence on children if she’d got them out in the pages of The Beano or something, but she was in a mag firmly aimed at adults.

And most adults have seen boobs before. Hell, some even have their own. Me included (I really must start that diet). And what of the arguments that a woman her age should know better and that it’s embarrassing for her own children?

Well, I think there’s far too much “knowing better” going on as it is, and people of any age should be allowed to live how they like and do what they like (within reason sneezing in my porridge will be frowned upon, OK?).

And her own kids will either a) be used to their mum’s antics or b) not read the magazine at all. Either way I wouldn’t imagine they’ll be scarred for life by this.

Worse things happen at sea. Being eaten by a shark, for instance. That’s far worse than seeing your mum’s boobs. So they should think themselves lucky. In the end it all comes down to context.

A strong, intelligent, very wealthy woman in her mid-50s choosing for artistic reasons to be photographed like this is a million miles away from a vulnerable teenager being forced or coerced into appearing in porn snaps or grubby videos.

One is making a clear decision based on how she sees herself as a person and an artist, the other is being horribly exploited for the titillation and profit of others.

Nakedness in itself isn’t wrong, just the way in which it is used or abused. So give Madge a break and be thankful I wasn’t allowed to do a similar photoshoot to accompany this article.

Ali Kirker: Against “We’ve been here before. Can’t she try something radical like, ooh, I dunno, wearing a nice jumper and jeans?”

I don’t know what Madonna lists as her occupation when applying for a passport. But it isn’t anything ordinary like shop assistant or gardener.

No, she’s a pop star. And for 30-odd years, she’s been a pretty good one. Singing to us. Shocking us. Making us avert our eyes now and again.

All good stuff that the best pop stars should deliver by the bucketload. We don’t really want them to be vanilla. Or you end up with a chart full of Emeli Sandes.

Talented but worthy. No-one in the history of the world has ever said: “OMG, did you see what Emeli Sande’s done now?”

Without Madonna, there would be none of the pop stars of today who think the way to grab headlines is to get their kit off and prance around in gym knickers and a sparkly bra.

Yes, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and all the others who think they are blazing a trail but are actually following a well-worn path that’s YOU.

Madonna did all that naked stuff before they were even born. Remember the Justify My Love video in 1990? Nakedness. Writhing. Or the Sex book in 1992? More nakedness. More writhing. And that’s my problem.

While Madonna looks fantastic in those shots (though she also proves NO ONE looks good in pop socks), we’ve been here before. Can’t she try something radical like, ooh, I dunno, wearing a nice jumper and jeans?

The people saying she’s 56 so it’s time to “put them away, Grandma” are being ageist. I don’t see anything wrong with growing old disgracefully especially if you’re a pop star.

If that’s really where Madonna feels she’s “at”, then OK. It’s just that those of us who grew up with her, who marvelled at her singing Holiday on Top Of The Pops back in 1983, have come to expect more.

More innovation. More I’m-doing-it-first. Just more.

It’s been an odd week for boobs on the whole. Madonna’s make front page news and spark heated debate up and down the land.

And on the same day mum Louise Burns attempts to breast-feed her baby in posh people’s hotel Claridge’s and is given a makeshift tent by a waiter to cover up boob, baby and a whole lot more.

That simply made it all the more obvious what Louise was doing discreetly in the first place. The end result was Louise sharing with-and-without-tent photos on social media. And most were in agreement.

Claridge’s made a right t*t of themselves. Still, when it comes to generating headlines Madonna wrote the book and this fuss shows she’s still fantastic at it.

Madonna’s 56. It must be exhausting to be her. The toyboys. The surgery. The gym regime. The wacky religion. Maybe it’s no wonder she appears to have run out of ideas.

Express yourself: Who won the argument? Tell us in the comments below what you think.