It was in the video of " Material Girl " that Madonna began to accept and utilize herself being compared to Monroe . However , she established a safe distance from those comparisons and developed inside the same pastiche . Details like the usage of different gloves or different fans in the video brought forth the connections between these women , but Madonna alluded to herself in subtle ways . The fan in Monroe 's hand for the original video was an iconography of the Sudarshana Chakra ( wheel ) held by the Indian idol Vishnu . Scholar Georges-Claude Guilbert , who wrote '' Madonna as postmodern myth : how one star 's self-construction rewrites sex '' , said that the fan symbolized fiery desire aroused by Monroe as well as ritual sacrifice , eerily foreshadowing her untimely death in 1962 . Madonna 's fan , which appeared at the end of the video , signified that Madonna – while paying her tribute to Monroe – was signaling that she had no intention of being a victim like her , and that she was on the path of becoming a feminist post-modern myth . Author Nicholas Cook commented that the video promoted Madonna 's identity as the song suggested , with the purpose of shifting " Madonna 's image from that of a disco-bimbo to authentic star . " Lisa A. Lewis , author of '' Gender , Politics and MTV '' said that with the video , Madonna achieved the rare distinction of being accepted as a literature medium by the music authors . " Material Girl " was nominated for best female video at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards but lost to Tina Turner 's " What 's Love Got to Do with It " . The video was ranked at position 54 on VH1 's 100 Greatest Videos
1985 MTV Video Music Awards
1985 MTV Video Music Awards
Material Girl