Lessons From M: How The Material Girl Makes It Easier To Turn 40!

LESSONS FROM M: HOW THE MATERIAL GIRL MAKES IT EASIER TO TURN 40

Lessons From Madonna
How the Material Girl makes it easier to turn 40.
Apr 24, 2010
By Raina Kelley

I’m turning 40 in a week. But I have no plans … I was thinking of staying home and compulsively turning the lights on and off like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. What else is there to do? I don’t want to be 40 but, as my dad says, what’s the alternative? So I’ve decided to sulk. Really, this is not an elaborate public manipulation to get Steve Jobs to pity me and send me an iPad. Well, it’s not just an elaborate manipulation, since an iPad would make me feel better. Seriously, the number 40 is sitting on my chest like a lead weight. Those of you who read my column regularly will know that I am extremely dramatic and unusually self-obsessed, even for a journalist. So trust me, I used to like nothing better than my birthday. Over the years, I’ve thrown parties in my own honor so elaborate, they make the Super Bowl halftime show look like amateur hour. People are still shaking their heads about my 27th at that bowling alley near NYU. There are drag shows that don’t use that many feathers. So the fact that I’m willing to let this birthday go by without so much as a drink after work is a worrying sign that a nervous breakdown is looming. And I don’t have time for a mental collapse—I have a toddler.

So just when I feel like curling up on the floor with some Dulcolax and a bottle of moonshine, who should come to my rescue? That’s right, the Material Girl. I watched last week’s Glee Madonna episode twice with my mouth agape. I have no idea what happened plotwise—somebody lost their virginity, somebody else didn’t, I have to watch it again—but those production numbers rocked my world. Go ahead, roll your eyes, but “Vogue” was the first EP I ever bought on CD (before that I used tapes—OK, tapes!). And I was 21 when Madonna’s tour movie Truth or Dare came out. Already self-aggrandizing, I thought of that movie more as a career blueprint than as entertainment. At that point, my entire adult life was ahead of me and that movie made me feel like there was a place big enough in the world to hold my ambitions—that no matter how narrow our culture seemed to be on subjects of race and gender, there would be room for me to shine.

Flash-forward 20 years and I feel like the world is small and tiring. I feel old, and not just because I don’t get Twitter, but because of the whole generational divide thing. Hipsters get on my nerves and there’s no way to explain why without sounding like something out of Grumpy Old Men. And don’t even get me started on our culture’s chronic misuse of the word ironic. I miss the days when I was young and callow—narcissism is so much more flattering on the young. Back then, I thought, I’m going to be fabulous and live forever, consequences be damned. So it’s hard to accept that what I believe now—every moment is precious, life is short, and there’s no time like the present—may be true but doesn’t exactly make me feel exuberant. Hearing all that Madonna brought my youth rushing back, not the bad choices and worse men, just the ambitious, hopeful part. Somehow the show made me realize that I probably need to stop whining, get off the couch, and just be fabulous. Madonna is once again my model for how to live life.

That’s not because she’s one of the most successful performing artists of all time or an amazing businesswoman, or even because she’s the master of reinvention. But because she’s still fearless. It’s been 26 years since she writhed on the floor at the first MTV Music Awards and she’s still pushing our cultural buttons on how girls are supposed to act. So many women seem vulnerable to the judgments of others, as if they’ll blow away if somebody deems them unworthy or fat. But Madge doesn’t she give a damn what anyone thinks. She started in Detroit and now lives in a English manor with the accent to match. That’s self-confidence. Watch the video for “Four Minutes” and wait for the line “But if I die tonight at least I can say I did what I wanted to do. Tell me how ’bout you?” before you disagree. The woman is snarkproof. Is there another 51-year-old out there who can get away with naming his or her tour “Sticky and Sweet”? At an age when most women are cutting their hair short, putting away the thongs, and preparing for hot flashes, Madonna remains as culturally relevant as she was when she sang “Like a Virgin” and looks just as good in a corset. Oh, sure, people say she isn’t what she was, but what’s the alternative? You grow and change, or you die.

While lots of women are still struggling with work-life balance and deciding which dreams to defer, Madonna is still calling her own shots and adopting children. As she said in a 2008 Nightline interview: “I may be dressing like the typical bimbo, whatever, but I’m in charge. You know. I’m in charge of my fantasies. I put myself in these situations with men, you know, and … people don’t think of me as a person who’s not in charge of my career or my life, OK. And isn’t that what feminism is all about, you know, equality for men and women? And aren’t I in charge of my life, doing the things I want to do? Making my own decisions?” So in honor of Madge, I’ve decided to throw off my mourning clothes, put on my thigh-high boots and take charge of my fantasies. I might even party like a rock star next week. Oh, and Twitter is stupid and hipsters are derivative lemmings.

Source: http://www.newsweek.com/id/236898

Unseen Footage From The "Bad Girl" Video!

One of M's best! And here's never before seen footage!

Earthy Italian Goddess!

Madonna the beautifull! A Real Superstar!

Madonna On The Set Of The Upcoming Fall D&G Campaign!

Madonna and a male model on set of the new D&G shoot! Took place in NYC, from the looks of these it should be awsome!

"Glee" Madonna Sequel In The Works!

From Entertainment Weekly.com:
‘Glee’ exclusive: Madonna sequel in the works!by Michael AusielloCategories: Glee, News, Scoop
Image Credit: Michael Yarish/FoxGlee is heading back into the groove with Madonna
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The afterglow from last night’s smashing (and highly-rated) Madge-themed episode has barely dimmed and already series creator Ryan Murphy is talking to the Material Girl about a sequel!
Murphy confirms that he’s in discussions with M’s camp and that “Madonna and her people are into it and want it to happen.” The follow-up would air early next season and feature six more songs from the pop icon’s immense catalogue of hits. (There’s talk that fans might be able to vote on which tracks should be used via a poll on Fox.com.)

The Glee-Madonna marriage has already reaped huge dividends for both the show and the star. Tuesday’s episode attracted a potent 13.5 million viewers, down just 5 percent from last week’s record-setting spring premiere. Additionally, the soundtrack from the ep is currently No. 1 on iTunes and two of the singles are in the Top 20.
The power of Madonna indeed.

Thoughts? Is Glee smart to stay in business with Madge? And which hit should Sue tackle next? “Human Nature,” perhaps?

Dolce & Gabbana Working With Madonna Again!

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are in New York. A rep confirmed they shot the fall 2010 men’s campaign at Mulberry Street Bar in Little Italy yesterday. Spies in the neighborhood tell us the bar was closed with the blinds drawn yesterday, with a trailer parked around the corner on Broome Street. Over the weekend, one large trailer was also spotted on Broome Street, with several walkie-talkie–wielding handlers directing foot traffic. Madonna is reportedly shooting a commercial for the designers with Steven Klein this week in the same neighborhood. It could be for her sunglasses line for the label, though some are speculating she’ll return as the Dolce face for fall. “That’s what’s been going on?” one spy said. “I thought it was Law & Order.” Well it is Little Italy, so you never know. Keep your eyes out for Madonna in the neighborhood, though.

New York Magazine

Glenn Close Praises Madonna>

Q: How do you relax?
GC: I come home after recording Damges and I pour myself a large glass of red wine and play Madonna

Q: Any Madonna album in particular?
GC: Oh, have you ever hear her Erotica album?

Q: Er….no? *scared Glenn may freak out*
GC: Oh my god, get on youtube and watch ‘Madonna, Bad Girl’ video man! *laughs*, that album is just genius and I guess it has so many memories for me and the first time I ever saw her live in MSG (Madison Square Gardens), I saw her live in 2008 and I got the chance to go backstage and I was so scared! (laughs) but she is lovely and she is fan of Damages, so not a bad compromise right…!

DailyRecord

Blond Venus!

Fantastic 1991 outtakes shot by steven meisel.

Madonna's Unreleased Comercial For Nike.

Nike backed out cause M refused to wear their product!

Madonna Gives Props To "Glee" Episode!

Not only is Madonna excited to have her songs used in next week’s “Power of Madonna” episode of “Glee,” she is also apparently hot for teacher.

“I think Mr. Schuester is very cute,” Madonna said in a statement, referring to Matthew Morrison, who plays the glee-club instructor on the hit Fox show. “And I’m glad he’s doing such a good job empowering all the girls.”

In the episode, according to Fox, Mr. Schuester assigns the kids to sing Madonna songs because he thinks the girls have been mistreated by the boys. He wants them all to benefit from the girl-power messages in tracks like “Express Yourself.” “Like a Prayer,” “Like a Virgin” and “4 Minutes” are also covered in the episode.
MTV

"Glee" Devotes An Entire Hour To "The Power Of Madonna" Tuesday, April 20, On Fox!

April 14th, 2010
GLEE pays homage to Madonna and the power of her music with a full episode devoted to one of the most revered and iconic musicians of this generation. The sure-to-be-fan-favorite installment of television’s most-loved new series will air in its regular time period Tuesday, April 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

In “The Power of Madonna” episode, MR. SCHUESTER (Matthew Morrison) is concerned that the girls in the glee club are being disrespected and bullied by the male members. Looking to Madonna and her musical message of equality as inspiration, he challenges the entire team to choose Madonna songs as their next assignment in the hopes that the girls embrace Madonna’s strength, independence and confidence so that the guys will see the errors of their misogynistic ways. The glee club takes the assignment to heart and performs some of Madonna’s greatest hits, including “Express Yourself” and “Like a Prayer.” Meanwhile, KURT (Chris Colfer) and MERCEDES (Amber Riley) give SUE (Jane Lynch) a vote of confidence with a Madonna makeover that is definitely in “Vogue.

Madonna commenting on the episode said, “I think Mr. Schuester is very cute, and I’m glad he’s doing such a good job empowering all the girls.”

“This episode is our love letter to Madonna, an artist who has inspired me all my life. The hardest part was having to choose which songs to include from her incredible catalogue, as there were so many we wanted to do,” said GLEE executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy. “We send her our thanks for her generosity with her music.”

If you missed last night’s Chevy-sponsored world premiere of Sue Sylvester’s version of “Vogue,” which will appear as part of the Madonna-themed episode, watch it now at hulu.com and fox.com . GLEE’s “Vogue” features Sue, Kurt and Mercedes in an homage to Madonna with a brilliant re-creation of the groundbreaking music video.

The soundtrack from “The Power of Madonna” episode will be available in stores the same day it airs, Tuesday, April 20. The album features GLEE’s distinctive and unique take on such classics as “Like A Virgin,” “Express Yourself,” “Vogue,” “4 Minutes” and more.
Fox

M Leaving Locanda Locatelli Restaurant In London!

Looking Good!