How Madonna May Have Been Influenced by Mae West

Madonna, Mariah Carey, Lena Dunham and other women entertainers have followed in Mae West's footsteps in various ways, including breaking taboos about sexuality. Madonna in particular, with her book called "Sex," may have been paying direct homage to West.

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Clip Season 34 Episode 2 Length 04:14 Premiere: 06/16/20

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Season 34 Season 34 Episodes

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Show Clips & Previews

Keith Haring: Street Art Boy

S34 E8 Length 52:28 Premiere Date 12/04/20

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Clip Length 01:30 Premiere Date 06/30/20

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Preview Length 01:00 Premiere Date 06/17/20

The Mae West Film that Helped Save Paramount Pictures

Clip Length 02:37 Premiere Date 06/17/20

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Clip Length 04:19 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 02:32 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 01:31 Premiere Date 06/16/20

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Clip Length 03:13 Premiere Date 06/16/20

How Madonna May Have Been Influenced by Mae West

Clip Length 04:14 Premiere Date 06/16/20

Mae West: Dirty Blonde

Preview Length 01:56 Premiere Date 05/28/20

In Memoriam: Actress Zoe Caldwell

Clip Length 01:53 Premiere Date 02/19/20

Remembering Neil Simon

Clip Length 01:04 Premiere Date 08/28/18

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Clip Length 00:24 Premiere Date 06/08/18

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Clip Length 05:29 Premiere Date 03/09/18

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Janis Ian: Breaking Silence - S37 E4

Examine the life of trailblazing artist Janis Ian, from her early success with "Society's Child" to her later struggles. The film explores Ian's artistic journey, including hits "At Seventeen" and "Stars" and interviews with other artists, including Joan Baez and Lily Tomlin.

Friday June 12, 2026 9:30 pm ET on KET
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W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause - S38 E4

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Top

How Madonna May Have Been Influenced by Mae West

Recent Episodes

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Starring Dick Van Dyke

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore

Sponsored by:

Clips & Previews

Two Things That Gave Carl Reiner the Most Pleasure in Life

For Your Emmy® Consideration

The Mae West Film that Helped Save Paramount Pictures

Mae West Made this "Insane" Film in her 80's

Without "Talkies" There Would Be No Mae West

Director Interview | Mae West "Knew What She Was Doing"

Why Didn't Mae West Keep Up with the Latest Fashions?

How Madonna May Have Been Influenced by Mae West

Mae West: Dirty Blonde

In Memoriam: Actress Zoe Caldwell

Remembering Neil Simon

Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Specials

Why Atsuko Okatsuka’s Comedy Connects Across Cultures

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [EAD]

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [ASL]

Warren King: King of Cardboard

Greg Kinnear on Acting, AI, and Why Movies Still Matter

Aliah Irvine & Kehau Kapua’a: Kukulu

Chris Fleming Embraces the Chaos

Cindy Tran: From Here to Here

Lani B. Supreme: Legacy

Hannah Mayree: Songs of Reclamation

John Goodman on "The Big Lebowski" and Jeff Bridges

Alsarah: The Sonic Historian

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [EAD]

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [ASL]

Ani Liu: Eye Heart Womb

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [ASL]

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [EAD]

Night in Newark

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [ASL]

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [EAD]

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters [Extended Audio Description]

How Leslie Jones Became a Comedian

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters

Phoebe Robinson Shows Her Work

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [EAD]

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [ASL]

Sarah McLachlan: Making Music to Connect and Heal

Harvey Fierstein on gay representation on Broadway and its deep history

How Natasha Rothwell’s Life Brought Her to “The White Lotus”

When Ringo Starr met Mae West

Daniel Dae Kim Leads Spy Drama and Fights for Industry Change

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [ASL]

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [Extended Audio Description]

Mel Brooks' wild ride to his first Broadway show ever

John Kander and Fred Ebb on “Cabaret,” creativity and collaboration

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [Extended Audio Description]

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [ASL]

Marcella [ASL]

Marcella [Extended Audio Description]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [ASL]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [Extended Audio Description]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [ASL]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [Extended Audio Description]

Phil Rosenthal’s Secret Recipe: Good Food and a Laugh

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [ASL]

Janis Ian: Breaking Silence [Extended Audio Description + OC]

Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call

Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call [ASL]

Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call [Extended Audio Description]

Tunde Adebimpe Channels His DIY Roots Into Raw Solo Debut

Gioncarlo Valentine: Exposures

Gioncarlo Valentine: Exposures [ASL]