<p id=”par-1_47″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/madonna/”>Madonna</a>‘s songs have provoked many controversies over the years, but only one was accused of promoting violence against women. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/classic-rock-song-stopped-madonnas-material-girl-hitting-no-1.html/”>The Material Girl</a> interpreted the track differently. Notably, the tune in question was from a hit movie that starred Madonna and a major movie star she was dating at the time.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-madonna-wrote-a-controversial-song-at-the-request-of-warren-beatty”>Madonna wrote a controversial song at the request of Warren Beatty</h2>
<p id=”par-2_62″>One of Madonna’s most famous movie roles was the femme fatale Breathless Mahoney in the comic book adventure <em>Dick Tracy</em>. In that film, Madonna’s then-boyfriend Warren Beatty played the title character. The film inspired the album <em>I’m Breathless</em>, which is most known for the house song “Vogue.” <em>I’m Breathless</em> also included another hit single: the jazz tune “Hanky Panky.” “Hanky Panky” is a rather risque paen to … spanking.</p>
<p id=”par-3_41″>Madonna co-wrote the tune <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/popular-madonna-song-supposed-sound-nine-inch-nails.html/”>with Patrick Leonard</a>. During a 1991 interview with <a href=”https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/true-confessions-carrie-fisher-interviews-madonna-129614/”>Rolling Stone</a>, she said she wrote all her sad songs with Leonard, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/madonnas-label-didnt-want-version-live-to-tell-single.html/”>such as “Live to Tell.”</a> That’s odd, considering that “Hanky Panky” has an upbeat sound and lyrics that aren’t serious.</p>
<p id=”par-4_90″>The Queen of Pop explained “Hanky Panky.” “The spanking thing started because I believed that my character in <em>Dick Tracy</em> liked to get smacked around and that’s why she hung around with people like Al Pacino’s character,” she said. “Warren asked me to write some songs, and one of them — the hanky-panky song — was about that. I say in the song, ‘Nothing like a good spanky,’ and in the middle I say, ‘Ooh, my bottom hurts just thinking about it.’ When it came out, everybody started asking, ‘Do you like to get spanked?’ and I said: ‘Yeah. Yeah, I do.’”</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-1″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”Hanky Panky” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qq95LYmQbbo?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-madonna-s-hanky-panky-was-controversial-in-ireland”>Madonna’s ‘Hanky Panky’ was controversial in Ireland</h2>
<p id=”par-5_61″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/like-a-virgin-line-from-trains-hey-soul-sister-isnt-madonna.html/”>The “Like a Virgin” singer</a> didn’t think her words would be interpreted literally. “I thought it would be obvious — because of my image as a person who wants to be domineering and take charge — that there was no way I would actually want somebody to spank me,” she said. “I certainly punish myself in lots of ways but not by having people hit me. I hate it.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_63″>Regardless, the tune upset feminist groups in Ireland. According to the <a href=”https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19900809&id=kFpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1113,2358289&hl=es” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Toledo Blade</a>, the Council of Women called “Hanky Panky” “highly dangerous.” Women’s Aid concurred, describing it as “extremely harmful.” While violence against women is intolerable, it should not be conflated with <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-mtv-helped-madonna-score-a-hit-by-banning-a-controversial-video.html/”>safe, sane, and consensual BDSM practices</a>. Considering Madonna referenced BDSM many times in her career, it’s easy to interpret “Hanky Panky” as a song about consensual spanking.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-2″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=’Hanky Panky (Bare Bottom 12″ Mix)’ width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/a4T_BtGLHnw?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-hot-hit-song-madonna-wrote-with-lenny-kravitz.html/”>
The ‘Hot’ Hit Song Madonna Wrote With Lenny Kravitz </a>
</p>
</div>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-controversy-surrounding-the-song-may-have-helped-it”>The controversy surrounding the song may have helped it</h2>
<p id=”par-7_59″>The controversy surrounding “Hanky Panky” did not hurt its commercial prospects much and it might’ve helped the song. The tune climbed to No. 10 on the <a href=”https://www.billboard.com/artist/madonna/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Billboard Hot 100</a>, remaining on the chart for 11 weeks. <em>I’m Breathless</em> was even more popular than “Hanky Panky.” The record reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 25 weeks. </p>
<p id=”par-8_41″><a href=”https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28948/madonna/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Official Charts Company</a> reports “Hanky Panky” was also a hit in the United Kingdom. The record reached No. 2 in the U.K., spending nine weeks on the chart there. Meanwhile, <em>I’m Breathless</em> peaked at No. 2 and charted for 20 weeks.</p>
<p id=”par-9_19″>“Hanky Panky” was controversial when it came out but it was one of the lesser controversies of the Queen of Pop’s career.</p>