A dissertation on Shakespeare might have been as laughable 300 years ago as a dissertation on Madonna might be today.

That, according to Assistant Professor of Communications Lisa Henderson, explains why the book The Madonna Connection, published by Westview Press, isn't another lame celebrity tribute.

Almost a year ago, Henderson and Deirdre Pribram, assistant professor of communications, were asked by Editor Cathy Schwichtenberg to contribute to this book, which critically examines Madonna and her cultural and political place in society.

"There's a certain stereotype of the academy that they are removed of anything popular and commercial," Henderson said. "But one can be a fan and a scholar -- they enhance each other."

Entitled "Justify Our Love: Madonna & the Politics of Queer Sex," Henderson's chapter focuses on Madonna's position in the gay and lesbian community. Madonna's connection with this community, Henderson said, lies in her references to it in music, videos and lifestyle.

"She, unlike other pop stars, is not fearful of connecting with that culture," she said. "To have a pop star acknowledge your culture's contributions to society is quite appealing -- it's quite intoxicating."

In the book, Henderson describes Madonna as coming closer than any other current celebrity as being "an aboveground queer icon." She goes on to describe Madonna's simultaneous exploitation and recognition of the gay community, while at the same time Madonna remains sexually ambivalent.

Henderson describes the "lesbian" scene in Madonna's video, "Justify My Love," as ambiguous enough to connect to lesbian and heterosexual audiences. It's unclear whether Madonna is kissing a woman or a man. Madonna's sexual orientation remains unknown.

"Her appeal in this community is by no means universal -- they watch her skeptically," she said. "She's a guest in the community, she's not an insider."

Henderson's chapter also explores the contradiction of sex being everywhere yet taboo in society. MTV, Henderson writes, is hardly sexually modest, yet it banned "Justify My Love" from its airwaves.

While some may scoff at such study of America's Boy Toy, scholars have written about Madonna since her earty. MTV, Henderson writes, is hardly sexually modest, yet it banned "Justify My Love" from its airwaves.

While some may scoff at such study of America's Boy Toy, scholars have written about Madonna since her early days. But recently, Madonna has become much more of a political concern, and this is what inspired Schwichtenberg's book.

"It emphasizes the fact that pop culture and Madonna are central to political issues," Schwichtenberg said. "Entertainers like Madonna, Sinead O'Connor and Spike Lee use pop culture as an arena for politics."

As an Assistant Professor at University of Georgia, Schwichtenberg is currently working on a textbook called Approaches To Popular Culture, which shows students how to analyze pop culture.

"Students need to be taught the ability to read the media, because we are so mass-media oriented," she said.

Schwichtenberg said she hopes Madonna will provide a blurb for the second edition.