Has there ever been a better time to be a woman in America?
Female celebrities, students and execs are triumphing, from the box office to the boardroom.
Summer’s frothy, bubblegum-pink hit movie “Barbie” has given way to a more potent brand of girl power, led by the OG Material Girl herself, Madonna — who is only one year older than the celebrated plastic doll.
Love her or hate her, Madonna has pulled off a feat just short of miraculous.
In June, the “Vogue” crooner was practically on her deathbed surrounded by family.
Four months later, the Queen of Pop re-earned her moniker, wowing a packed London crowd with an energetic two-hour-plus set that showcased some of her greatest hits as well as sexy ensembles like a skintight bodysuit, iconic cone bra, and red lacy lingerie. And she’s 65. Sixty-five!
Never count Madonna out.
Madonna’s “Celebration” tour runs through next April and will encompass 78 shows across Europe and North America.
And then there’s Taylor Swift, whose mojo is clearly unstoppable.
Her “Eras” tour shattered records during its first run and is projected to gross $2.2 billion in total ticket sales once the second leg commences next year.
Swift also saved the fall movie season with “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” which, well, documents the tour. With $95 million in ticket sales last week, it’s already become the highest-grossing domestic concert film ever, and that was just during its opening weekend.
With business chops to complement her incredible singing-songwriting career, Swift reportedly negotiated 57% of ticket sales with AMC – cutting out movie studios in the process.
A streaming TV deal could prove just as lucrative.
Plus, Swift, 33, has managed to penetrate — nay, dominate — one of the last bastions of masculinity left on the planet, the National Football League.
The “Cruel Summer” crooner has the NFL and one of its biggest players — Travis Kelce — wrapped around her manicured finger.
The lovebirds even cameoed on the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” last weekend, cementing their status as the buzziest couple of 2023 — if not the decade.
How powerful is Taylor?
The social media-savvy singer’s recent call to action on Instagram stories resulted in over 35,000 new voter registrations on the website, Vote.org.
Swift has no apparent rivals. Not even a Kardashian — or three.
In fact, one gets the sense that Swift’s showmanship and athleticism may have motivated Madonna to work herself to the point of exhaustion.
No way was she getting upstaged by a pipsqueak literally half her age.
Beyoncé, too, seemed to take a page from Taylor’s playbook, by encouraging fans to dress in silver during her “Renaissance” concert tour, which grossed $460 million in 2023.
The list goes on. Ice Spice. Doja Cat. Pink. Oh my!
But this cultural moment far surpasses celebrity.
Girl power is everywhere.
According to Pew Research, young women are more likely to be enrolled in college today than young men, and among those ages 25 and older, women are more likely than men to have a four-year college degree.
As the demand for skilled workers rises, women’s salaries are finally reaching economic parity with their male counterparts — even exceeding it in cities such as New York and Washington, DC.
Then there’s the boss babes like Gwyneth Paltrow.
This veteran “nepobaby’s” $250 million side hustle, Goop, has just celebrated its 15th anniversary and Paltrow has just lent her name to her first hospitality-design project, the Goop Villa, at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach.
Name a male Hollywood equivalent who can claim a similar win.
The female future everyone has been touting for so long — well, it’s here.
And the movement is absolutely unapologetic in its dominance.
There’s a frisson of originality, innovation, and power happening now – and ladies are leading the conversation.
On the other hand, men — let’s face it — are getting stale.
It’s either the mansplaining toxic male archetype (ahem, Joe Rogan and Logan Paul) or the trying-too-hard category — Harry Styles, I’m looking at you and your woke Vogue cover in a skirt.
The only true cool guys left?
Iconic oldsters like U2 and The Rolling Stones!
Here’s the rub. As a feminist, I’m loving this moment.
But as a boy mom, I want my son to achieve greatness too.
I don’t want him to feel beaten down or intimidated by his older sister and her friends.
I don’t want him living in my backyard when he’s 30 — like a generation of disaffected men over in Japan.
Look, we’re all in this together.
Having men be successful on their merits — and not just moving upwards because of their maleness —benefits everyone.
But until then, I’m going to enjoy this victory lap Madonna and us gals are on.