The sex acts themselves completely lose their shock value much like the word itself has.

During the peak of her popularity, Madonna released the highly controversial “Sex” in 1992, a limited edition, metal-bound book comprised of nude photography and erotic quips.

A far cry from the children’s books she releases now, this tomb of sexual deviancy contains every conceivable act of sex known to man, woman and dog.

It unabashedly shows foot fetish, submission, rimming, butt fucking, man-man fucking, woman-woman fucking, dog fucking, fucking more than one person, fucking a whole group of people, being tied up and fucked, being beaten and fucked, fucking Vanilla Ice on a toilet, fucking Big Daddy Kane and Naomi Campbell in a pool, fuck, fuck, fuck ad nauseam.

The result is that the sex acts themselves completely lose their shock value much like the word itself has, when it’s been repeated over and over to the point of banality. What the reader (ahem) of “Sex” is left with is absolutely amazing photography work done by the Steven Meisel studios.

Herein lies the true value of the book. With meticulous attention paid to detail, the nude shots of Madonna recreate famous Betty Page bondage spreads, while adding a touch of modern flair.

The sense of grit associated with New York City shines throughout the shots of Madonna fucking a biker gang. With a postmodern touch, the innocence of a woman receiving cunnilingus from a dog for the first time is captured in stunning black and white.

Madonna reenacts famous Marilyn Monroe shots while incorporating elements of the decadence associated with Los Angeles for a backdrop over a four-page spread.

Ultimately, this is a book with exceptionally creative zest and appeal to even the most novice photography enthusiast.

The book also contains a handwritten narrative by a fictitious character named Dita, who writes brief quips on every perceivable fetish short of scatting. The high points to literary scholars and lovers of a good read in general include the informative sections dedicated to “my pussy being summation of my life” and “how I fucked a 14-year-old boy and got crabs.”

While Madonna’s “Sex” may appear, at first glace, as a blunt statement meant to shock prudish, law-abiding citizens across the globe, it reads (or views) simply as a fine testimonial to photography and a slice of Americana in the early 1990s.

Special thanks are due to the kind people at Broad Vocabulary for research assistance.

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