Chapter 3: Madonna: Holding Out vs. Putting Out Express Yourself (Like a Prayer May 1989) Blonde Madonna urges girls to give their suitors an ultimatum, tell me you love me or I won't sleep with you. It gives images of things that are sexy and nice but not indicative of someone who loves you. While this message might empower women, it also gives the impression that in order to get what we want we must be manipulative with sex. Human Nature (Bedtime Stories June 1995) "Express yourself, don't repress yourself," echoed in the musical introduction. The now brunette Madonna tells women that they can and should be sexual because it is in a human's nature to do so. She warns against repressing your sexuality. She also talks about how society looks down on women speaking their minds and talking frankly about sex. Reinvention Madonna's physical transformation is blatantly obvious in these two videos. From the platinum blonde, Gene Harlowesque costuming to the leather-bound, corn-rowed brunette, Madonna tries to challenge our notions of what is beautiful. Not only is she reinventing her look but her sound as well, from a pop single to a darker, more urban, futuristic sound. Dichotomy The biggest change Madonna seems to be making, however, is her message. She clearly speaks about female sexuality and what is sexually acceptable for a woman in both songs. However, the bottom line for each are contradictory. In Express Yourself she speaks about sex as if it is only something you do with a person you love and who loves you back. This message is empowering in itself, but then Madonna decides to flip the tables and send a completely different message in Human Nature. Express yourself, takes a new meaning in this song, as in "have sex, because we're people and that's what we do." First showing sex for love and then sex for purely visceral gratification, Madonna contradicts herself and feeds into the virgin/whore dichotomy.