Monday, July 30, 2012
Madonna's MDNA Tour continues to post big numbers!! She Ranks #1!!
as the trek's gross rises to an overall $79.6 million from 22 reported shows. On the most recent Hot Tours chart, she ranks No. 1 with ticket sales totals reported from four sold out concerts during her tour through European markets this summer. Her first MDNA Tour appearance in France was on July 14 at the Stade De France in Paris with 62,195 fans in attendance. The $7.1 million (US$) gross at the national stadium of France is the largest single-show ticket sales total reported from the tour so far. Following the Paris concert, the tour crossed the channel for its first date in the U.K., a performance at London's Hyde Park. With a crowd topping 54,000, the concert on July 17 grossed 4.2 million ($6.7 million US$) and also featured LMFAO in a supporting slot. Concerts followed at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on July 19 and Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 21.
Never mind the bedrudgers, says Carol Hunt, superstar Madge and her bum are still fabulous at 53!
It was Amy Huberman's tweet that started it. "Right," it read. "Dressed like Madonna for the concert tonight. One boob out."
Last week in Dublin, it wasn't boobs Madge was showing off, but bums.
Her bum to be exact. Which, in my -- admittedly rather limited -- experience of female bottoms, is rather fantastic. And not, as is usually mentioned immediately after a comment admiring of Madonna's body, just "for a 53 year old".
Nope, Madonna's bottom would look good on just about anyone. Well, nearly ... oh, let's not go there.
But Huberman's fun comment -- which was then followed by some rather unflattering retorts concerning Madonna's Nipplegate episode in Istanbul -- made me realise just how much flak Madge has to take purely because she's still determined to remain as fabulous as a lot of ferocious hard work, good living and great surgery will allow. Even, God help us all, at the ripe old of age of 53.
Just previous to her MDNA tour, two other Old Goldies arrived into Dublin: Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen: One 70 and the other 62.
The first held a rather demure sit-down event in the O2 with a suitably well behaved audience (if reports are to be believed), the second a slightly more raucous gig in the RDS but pretty much serving the same demographic.
Then we had Madonna; younger than both boyos; fitter, fabulously dressed with sexy dancers and routines that would exhaust an Olympic triathlon athlete; still setting trends and creating controversies (the swastika in the Marine Le Pen video) and what do the begrudgers say this time around?
She's too old.
Too old for what?
For keeping breasts inside her cone bra? Her pert bum hidden under her fishnets? Her 53-year-old legs in something a little more demure than the Super Shorts she wears with thigh-high boots?
Of course, deriding Madonna is nothing new. She's always been the smartest, hardest working, toughest b**ch on the block. That has intimidated a whole swathe of people who then try to disguise their misogyny/envy/fear/horror as snobbish disdain.
On and on she goes, indestructible; immune and indifferent to the complaints of those who aren't fit to tweak her bra strap. And now they're getting at her for growing older. Jesus wept; since when has aging become such a crime?
Or is it because, in Madonna's case it's the fact that at 53 she looks fantastic and can still put the likes of imitator Lady Gaga in the shade? Doesn't she know that older women are worth less than younger ones? (The opposite rule with men). That they're supposed to shut up?
Madonna puts on a show to beat all rivals: she can cartwheel, backflip and still make her twenty-something backing dancers look like they're struggling to keep up with her. I'd love to see the likes of Paul Simon or Bruce Springsteen try that.
Ouch! Then again, maybe not.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Madonna releases statement after the “MDNA à l’Olympia” controversy
A few days ago Madonna performed at the historic Olympia for an intimate gig during her MDNA Tour. The night ended with dozens of fans booing Madonna.
We already covered this news item and Madonna’s publicist Liz Rosenberg released a statement to the media.
Here’s what Madonna has to say…
Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was real treat to do this special show for my fans and be so close to them. Unfortunately at the end of the show – after I left the stage – a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started throwing plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans. The press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening. But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again.
Amen Madonna! We support you 100%!
Riot At Madonna’s Paris Club Show Not Over Length, But Protest Over Marine Le Pen!
If it's not one thing getting everyone's panties in a twist over Madonna, it's something else!
The pop icon apparently caused quite a ruckus at her last-minute, 45-minute live-streamed MDNA show at Paris' famed l'Olympia, and while early reports suggested it was due to disgruntled fans being furious with how short her performance was, many have now come forward to assert that the contention was instead due to protestors, yelling about Marine Le Pen!
Watch footage of the disgruntled audience members (above)!
If you recall, Madge has been including projections of the French right-wing leader's face with a swastika super-imposed over it during the tour, which has already incited threats of a lawsuit!
Guess a few angry people decided to take their anger to her directly, though, as members of the crew later revealed that the authorities informed them that the riot was pre-planned by locals and most audience members in attendence knew that most of her club shows run on the short side!
So there you have it!
Oh, gurl!
We can only happily wonder what you'll do next that will cause this kind of uproar!
Thanks PerezHilton
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Madonna's Paris Olympia Show! The True Story!!
Now that the entire media world seems to be having a ball writing such an interesting story about Madonna being booed (even Dutch press is having a field day) and blowing it up like usual, here a few facts by people who were actually there:
-the show was being advertised from the start as a special intimate evening, a showcase, never confirmed that this was in fact the entire MDNA show (not possible in this tiny venue). The show was meant as something special for France
-2000 tickets were sold through ICON the official fanclub, to make sure that only real fans could attend. The other 700 went on sale through general sale by Olympia
-Marine Le Pen had announced prior to the show they would be waiting for Madonna in France. During the show it was clear that a few Marine Le Pen supporters were there with pre printed hate banners (can clearly be seen on the YouTube video’s). Sentences such as ‘Queen of botox’ could be seen clearly. During the show these people were shouting things at Madonna, most of all during her speech and giving her the finger. When the show ended they immediately started booing and shouting hateful words, leading to some dissapointed fans to do the same
-It is a fact that there was a huge number of police waiting outside of the Olympia, maybe they had been warned a riot would be started?
-It is also a fact that Olympia was shaking during the show, people were jumping like crazy (especially during Beautiful Killer)
-Madonna has done more showcases in the past (KOKO, G-A-Y and Hard Candy promo) all were the same length
-it is also a fact that Marine Le Pen supporters are now on Twitter saying they have succeeded in trashing M’s performance (look it up)
-It is also a fact that we should listen to Madonna’s speech from Olympia again and stop pointing the finger at others, and point it at ourselves for a change
Friday, July 27, 2012
LIZ ROSENBERG’S STATEMENT ABOUT THE OLYMPIA SHOW !
”Madonna’s Paris club show was planned as her heartfelt thank-you to France, which she expressed at the start of her show. Despite a grueling concert tour, she desperately wanted to perform for her fans in an intimate setting at the historic Olympia as a means to honor her love for French artists, French cinema and a tribute to France’s long history of welcoming and inspiring artists, authors, painters, poets and minorities from other countries over the years.
The show was not billed as her full MDNA concert and tremendous effort was made to keep the ticket prices reasonable ($100 for 2,000 floor seats) and keep them strictly for her fans.The show cost Madonna close to a million dollars to produce. She has done a handful of club dates in the past and they were never more than 45 minutes. And by the way, she put on a fabulous show, which was streamed for millions of fans around the world.”
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Golden Material Girl - Madonna!
By Larry Womack
Did you hear that Madonna -- desperate for attention and clearly irrelevant -- waved guns on stage in Scotland, just hours after people were actually shot in Colorado? Shockingly insensitive, I know. Did you also hear that a major motion picture in which gun violence is a recurring theme proceeded with its opening in over four thousand theaters in the United States alone this weekend, and that it is also the movie people were actually killed at? Probably, but that story wasn't presented the same way. Nor should it be. If anything, changing these diversions would deepen their association with a form of horrific, real-life violence that clearly neither one endorses.
Over 100 people were killed in a wave of bombings across Iraq yesterday, by the way. Anyone catch the shocker headline, "Michael Bay Not Retiring"? Neither did I.
Hating Madonna has been an international sport for decades now, but I seem to remember a higher class of criticism in the past -- and that's saying something. It even seemed to go away for a while, until she decided to get all old in our faces.
Today, people who watch her every move for a misstep report online that she has made one. Thousands of people then flood to the comments section of that story to call her old, mixing in as much misogyny as they can get away with. People get page views, impressions, and everyone waits until she dies or turns 60 to start kissing her ass again.
Let's revisit the "missteps" from the star's latest tour, shall we?
There was, of course, nipplegate, in which Madonna "strangely and randomly" exposed one of her breasts to the audience... during or soon after an on-stage costume change / strip tease act that the audience no doubt encouraged. But, hey, remove that from its context and the crazy old bag's just running around whipping out her tits! Doesn't she know she's too old to do that now?
Come on, people. We all see nipples every day and I don't believe anyone has ever died from it. If we're going to blast Madonna for bad behavior, let's start with the fact that she doesn't tip and move on to that inevitable segment in every tour in which she descends into absurd pretense for 20 minutes. (Although, to be fair, this time that seems to be the gun segment people are so concerned about.)
Prior to that, there was her "desperate for attention" transposition of a swastika on Marine Le Pen's forehead, which compelled thousands of what one can only hope were ignorant observers across the globe to defend the wildly xenophobic neo-fascist against the pop star's vicious, attention-seeking attack. Because, we are somehow asked to believe, it is absurd to imply that a neo-fascist is anything like a Nazi. And, of course, everyone knows that Marine Le Pen is the go-to person for a wave of international attention.
Or is it the other way around? If one were to actually watch the video in question, they would probably find it difficult to come away feeling like Madonna is the one desperate for attention in this little dust-up. Indeed, Le Pen has leveraged her newfound international fame as a manufactured victim into greater influence at home. Good news for anyone who happens to hate Madonna, Muslims, immigrants, civil liberties and human rights! Congratulations!
The sad thing is that there are many more interesting things that could be said about that video. I, for one, think that the song is awful -- it grates a bit and the lyrics could be called a dumb person's idea of smart. That's disappointing, because Madonna is the best at what she does because she's usually the coolest, smartest bitch in the room. And then there is the imagery. Is it biting commentary, or just pretentious camp? And why hasn't Madonna made a good video since 2004?
Let us not forget cheerleadergate, in which Madonna donned the dress of a cheerleader, which at her age is apparently completely unacceptable, because everyone knows that there are no middle-aged cheerleaders. Except that there are. Not that it would matter if there weren't. I hate to break it to you, but Cher isn't really a circus ringmaster, either. (Though I think we can all agree that that would be a pretty sweet circus, right?) They also keep telling me that Kylie Minogue is not actually the Goddess Aphrodite, though I'm pretty sure they're wrong.
And then there is the big one, the incident that I suspect drives about half of the Madonna hatred online: the Born This Way debacle. Lady Gaga launched her last album with a song that was widely derided as a knockoff of Madonna's Express Yourself. As a result, a large and vocal segment of Lady Gaga's fan base feels compelled to litter the Internet with Madonna hatred.
Wait, what?
A quick history for those of you who have wisely chosen to avoid the subject: Gaga herself seemed to acknowledge the similarities at first, claiming Madonna's camp had emailed their approval. Madonna went on record saying that didn't actually happen. Madonna then praised the song, but said that it felt "reductive."
That word, "reductive," pissed a lot of Gaga fans off. You can tell, because you now see it misused in abusive comments about pretty much everything Madonna has ever done.
So let's just address the question. Was Madonna wrong to criticize? The songs share a chord progression, empowerment themes and spoken-word intros (none of which is a big deal,) and large chunks of the melodies are strikingly similar (a very big deal, though Gaga's version is a little more varied/sweetened). Taken together, the resemblance is uncanny. So there is definitely a strong dose of influence at least, but is "Born This Way" actually "reductive"?
When the "controversy" emerged, my niece (a fan of both,) asked me what the Madonna song was about. "Well," I said, "Madonna is saying that women need to say what they want, and not be placated by romantic clichés into accepting subservient roles in romantic relationships. She is implying that maybe women should demand that men be more emotionally demonstrative in the ways that women have traditionally been expected to be. There's also some linking of the sexual revolution to the civil rights movement, with the retro-funk sound and Staple Singers call-out."
The tween needed no explanation of the Gaga song, which itself says something. So for our purposes, let's just say that it could be summed up as, "It's okay to be... anything. A chola, oriental, whatever."
Racial slurs aside, that actually is a great message. Ironically, that is also the heart of the problem. There are kids in the middle of nowhere who need to be reminded that it's okay to be who they are, and that their individuality should be celebrated. The lyrics aren't smart, they aren't insightful, they aren't even good, but they are a message that a lot of people need to hear. Madonna has been delivering the same message for 30 years, albeit with greater subtlety. (And that's saying something.) So, if our standard is intelligence or nuance, "reductive" was a rather generous appraisal indeed. If our standard is empowerment, which one assumes was the purpose of the song, perhaps it did what it set out to do -- or did, until Gaga started alluding to Madonna's age and throwing around words like "retarded."
Yes, Gaga soon changed her tune (metaphorically,) by calling the comparisons "retarded" and explaining that "God sent me those lyrics and that melody." (Like a Prayer, some might say.) Madonna responded by singing the chorus of "Born This Way" over the music to "Express Yourself" on her latest tour, adding in elements of "She's Not Me." The point is... pretty clear.
Gaga then began to cast herself as a victim of bullying, and characterize the comparisons as an attack on the "power" of Born This Way, which she has humbly dubbed, "the anthem for my generation for the next decade."
"I don't even want to fight back," she said, instead of not fighting back. "You could never invalidate the power of "Born This Way..." Things are really different now than they were 25 years ago, and that's what makes "Born This Way" so relevant for me, is that I really want you all to notice this tremendous place that we're in right now. We're just socially in a completely different place and it's okay, we don't all have to slice and hate each other anymore."
The takeaway here is supposed to be that Madonna isn't the victim for having a signature tune lifted by someone who refuses to acknowledge the obvious similarities; Lady Gaga is for having suffered the embarrassment of being called out on it.
Having trouble making this framework work? Just invoke ageism! After all, shouldn't Madonna be mature enough to let it slide? She is, after all, 54-years-old. Heck, she was making music 25 years ago, and things are so different now! Silly old Madge. Doesn't that out-of-touch crone know that today it's totally cool to swipe a melody, tell people the original artist gave you their blessing, and pocket a couple mil' off it? It is undignified not to just let this one go.
This is a difficult moral universe to enter, but it's easy to see how so many Gaga fans are there. Persistent and borderline-messianic repetition of the message, "Gaga loves you," has forged a cult-tight, completely irrational bond with her most devoted fans. "I don't want to be your fucking queen," she continued to tell the audience of thousands who had ponied up an average of $102 each to see her that night, "I want to be your friend."
To most of us, Lady Gaga is a talented musician with a great (and sadly under-utilized,) voice, whose act is one half catchy, sublimely dumb pop songs and one half a postmodern kitchen-sinking of references to other works. To the faithful, she is a purveyor of capital-A art who also happens to be their very best friend. She has "artistically eclipsed," Madonna and everyone else, really, through this robotic regurgitation. This irrational, personal bond is a great comfort to many kids who aren't hearing loving messages anywhere else, but can also lead some to engage in unfortunate behavior.
Lady Gaga has famously launched an anti-bullying campaign, but her fans have racked up a pretty long list of bully victims in just two and a half albums' time. Gaga fans forced Boy George to temporarily abandon Twitter after a barrage of often homophobic and sometimes violent messages. Adele incurred their wrath, mostly expressed via weight-shaming, simply for selling more records than Mother Monster. Gaga fans also felt compelled to inform Kelly Osbourne that she was fat, "looked like" she had AIDS and suggested she kill herself after she criticized Gaga's choice to skip the Grammy red carpet. A vendetta against Katy Perry even received the rare honor of encouragement from camp Gaga after she dressed as a mermaid -- which was totally Gaga's idea, you know. No word on how Bette Midler, who also did not invent mermaids but has dressed as one basically every show of her entire career, feels about that one. And forget about Team Lil' Kim -- it's the Lady Gaga fans who chase Nicki Minaj out of malls, claiming she "ripped Lady Gaga off"... Somehow.
That last one is important. Take a moment to watch that video and you'll see why so much invective is hurled at Madonna -- and many others -- by Gaga fans. "She stands for all of us," that guy we all hope Lady Gaga does not stand for says as he chases Minaj out the door.
Minaj didn't do anything to Gaga, of course, let alone to her fans. It's merely that some are so invested in the myth of Gaga that any similarity to Mother Monster is threatening to their sense of self -- no matter who did it first. This is especially problematic because, as an artist, Lady Gaga is essentially a human Tumblr account, a hauntological soup of a woman who recycles -- but rarely re-purposes -- whatever happens to catch her eye. That's fine, of course. It is impossible for anyone to be interesting without being interested, and Gaga is no exception. The reality just doesn't fit the narrative of the brilliant, inventive artiste that the Church of Gagatology has built. That is, by its nature, threatening to some people.
In short, it is unsurprising that when Madonna acknowledged -- and dared to criticize -- the similarities, a million Lady Gaga fans took the web to brand her Satan. (It should be noted that even a million would be just one in 52 people who "like" Gaga on Facebook, or only one in 23 people who have actually purchased one of her albums.)
It is surprising, however, that so many in the media have bought the "old singer goes after young threat," narrative being perpetuated. For anyone keeping score, a list of bigger threats to Madonna's sales and chart record supremacy would include Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and, yes, even Rihanna. But, then, it seems most of these people really don't know pop history. If they did, they'd know that when people start hatin' on Madonna, Madonna doubles down.
This persistent ageism when we talk about Madonna now should be disturbing to anybody who plans to live to middle age. When she was 30, it was rare that a story about her noted her age. When she was 40, it started to pop up. Now, you're more likely than not to see it mentioned. Her latest album was met with solid reviews, had the strongest first-week sales of the year (so far, there will probably be better,) and was number one in 50 countries before it was even released. Her latest tour is doing phenomenally in spite of a huge spike in ticket cost. But the salient point, we are told time and again, is that she's 54. She's washed up, done for, you see, because no matter how successful she is, older women are worth less than younger ones.
I'll let Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson break that down for you, because she is amazing:
"The tabloids complain about her looking old, and people laugh at her for that. Then Madonna goes and fixes her face, and they laugh at her for that. Even though they begrudgingly say she looks amazing, they'll still laugh at her for trying to look young. Then she steps out, looking amazing, and the tabloids go and blow up a picture of her aging hand. Nobody's doing that to George Clooney, blowing up pictures of his hands! I look at these magazines, and I want to say to them, What's your point? That she's aged? Does that surprise you? Or is your 'point' an attempt to undercut what she's achieved? I think it is, even if it's on a subconscious level. And you probably wouldn't turn down those hands if they were grabbing you under the table, you fucking idiots."
In 1992, Madonna was reviled because she refused to present female sexuality in traditionally passive forms. In 2002, she was revered for having settled down and had a couple of kids. In 2012, she is back to being public enemy number one, for equally ill-considered reasons. The moment she dies, everyone with access to a keyboard of camera will fall all over themselves lining up to kiss her ass, largely for having pissed so many people off -- and having been judged, in the long term, to be in the right.
So, continue bringing the hate all you want. But please try to be a bit smarter about it, because ageist jokes about Madonna are going to grow old long before she does and, in the end, it is her story that will be told.
Did you hear that Madonna -- desperate for attention and clearly irrelevant -- waved guns on stage in Scotland, just hours after people were actually shot in Colorado? Shockingly insensitive, I know. Did you also hear that a major motion picture in which gun violence is a recurring theme proceeded with its opening in over four thousand theaters in the United States alone this weekend, and that it is also the movie people were actually killed at? Probably, but that story wasn't presented the same way. Nor should it be. If anything, changing these diversions would deepen their association with a form of horrific, real-life violence that clearly neither one endorses.
Over 100 people were killed in a wave of bombings across Iraq yesterday, by the way. Anyone catch the shocker headline, "Michael Bay Not Retiring"? Neither did I.
Hating Madonna has been an international sport for decades now, but I seem to remember a higher class of criticism in the past -- and that's saying something. It even seemed to go away for a while, until she decided to get all old in our faces.
Today, people who watch her every move for a misstep report online that she has made one. Thousands of people then flood to the comments section of that story to call her old, mixing in as much misogyny as they can get away with. People get page views, impressions, and everyone waits until she dies or turns 60 to start kissing her ass again.
Let's revisit the "missteps" from the star's latest tour, shall we?
There was, of course, nipplegate, in which Madonna "strangely and randomly" exposed one of her breasts to the audience... during or soon after an on-stage costume change / strip tease act that the audience no doubt encouraged. But, hey, remove that from its context and the crazy old bag's just running around whipping out her tits! Doesn't she know she's too old to do that now?
Come on, people. We all see nipples every day and I don't believe anyone has ever died from it. If we're going to blast Madonna for bad behavior, let's start with the fact that she doesn't tip and move on to that inevitable segment in every tour in which she descends into absurd pretense for 20 minutes. (Although, to be fair, this time that seems to be the gun segment people are so concerned about.)
Prior to that, there was her "desperate for attention" transposition of a swastika on Marine Le Pen's forehead, which compelled thousands of what one can only hope were ignorant observers across the globe to defend the wildly xenophobic neo-fascist against the pop star's vicious, attention-seeking attack. Because, we are somehow asked to believe, it is absurd to imply that a neo-fascist is anything like a Nazi. And, of course, everyone knows that Marine Le Pen is the go-to person for a wave of international attention.
Or is it the other way around? If one were to actually watch the video in question, they would probably find it difficult to come away feeling like Madonna is the one desperate for attention in this little dust-up. Indeed, Le Pen has leveraged her newfound international fame as a manufactured victim into greater influence at home. Good news for anyone who happens to hate Madonna, Muslims, immigrants, civil liberties and human rights! Congratulations!
The sad thing is that there are many more interesting things that could be said about that video. I, for one, think that the song is awful -- it grates a bit and the lyrics could be called a dumb person's idea of smart. That's disappointing, because Madonna is the best at what she does because she's usually the coolest, smartest bitch in the room. And then there is the imagery. Is it biting commentary, or just pretentious camp? And why hasn't Madonna made a good video since 2004?
Let us not forget cheerleadergate, in which Madonna donned the dress of a cheerleader, which at her age is apparently completely unacceptable, because everyone knows that there are no middle-aged cheerleaders. Except that there are. Not that it would matter if there weren't. I hate to break it to you, but Cher isn't really a circus ringmaster, either. (Though I think we can all agree that that would be a pretty sweet circus, right?) They also keep telling me that Kylie Minogue is not actually the Goddess Aphrodite, though I'm pretty sure they're wrong.
And then there is the big one, the incident that I suspect drives about half of the Madonna hatred online: the Born This Way debacle. Lady Gaga launched her last album with a song that was widely derided as a knockoff of Madonna's Express Yourself. As a result, a large and vocal segment of Lady Gaga's fan base feels compelled to litter the Internet with Madonna hatred.
Wait, what?
A quick history for those of you who have wisely chosen to avoid the subject: Gaga herself seemed to acknowledge the similarities at first, claiming Madonna's camp had emailed their approval. Madonna went on record saying that didn't actually happen. Madonna then praised the song, but said that it felt "reductive."
That word, "reductive," pissed a lot of Gaga fans off. You can tell, because you now see it misused in abusive comments about pretty much everything Madonna has ever done.
So let's just address the question. Was Madonna wrong to criticize? The songs share a chord progression, empowerment themes and spoken-word intros (none of which is a big deal,) and large chunks of the melodies are strikingly similar (a very big deal, though Gaga's version is a little more varied/sweetened). Taken together, the resemblance is uncanny. So there is definitely a strong dose of influence at least, but is "Born This Way" actually "reductive"?
When the "controversy" emerged, my niece (a fan of both,) asked me what the Madonna song was about. "Well," I said, "Madonna is saying that women need to say what they want, and not be placated by romantic clichés into accepting subservient roles in romantic relationships. She is implying that maybe women should demand that men be more emotionally demonstrative in the ways that women have traditionally been expected to be. There's also some linking of the sexual revolution to the civil rights movement, with the retro-funk sound and Staple Singers call-out."
The tween needed no explanation of the Gaga song, which itself says something. So for our purposes, let's just say that it could be summed up as, "It's okay to be... anything. A chola, oriental, whatever."
Racial slurs aside, that actually is a great message. Ironically, that is also the heart of the problem. There are kids in the middle of nowhere who need to be reminded that it's okay to be who they are, and that their individuality should be celebrated. The lyrics aren't smart, they aren't insightful, they aren't even good, but they are a message that a lot of people need to hear. Madonna has been delivering the same message for 30 years, albeit with greater subtlety. (And that's saying something.) So, if our standard is intelligence or nuance, "reductive" was a rather generous appraisal indeed. If our standard is empowerment, which one assumes was the purpose of the song, perhaps it did what it set out to do -- or did, until Gaga started alluding to Madonna's age and throwing around words like "retarded."
Yes, Gaga soon changed her tune (metaphorically,) by calling the comparisons "retarded" and explaining that "God sent me those lyrics and that melody." (Like a Prayer, some might say.) Madonna responded by singing the chorus of "Born This Way" over the music to "Express Yourself" on her latest tour, adding in elements of "She's Not Me." The point is... pretty clear.
Gaga then began to cast herself as a victim of bullying, and characterize the comparisons as an attack on the "power" of Born This Way, which she has humbly dubbed, "the anthem for my generation for the next decade."
"I don't even want to fight back," she said, instead of not fighting back. "You could never invalidate the power of "Born This Way..." Things are really different now than they were 25 years ago, and that's what makes "Born This Way" so relevant for me, is that I really want you all to notice this tremendous place that we're in right now. We're just socially in a completely different place and it's okay, we don't all have to slice and hate each other anymore."
The takeaway here is supposed to be that Madonna isn't the victim for having a signature tune lifted by someone who refuses to acknowledge the obvious similarities; Lady Gaga is for having suffered the embarrassment of being called out on it.
Having trouble making this framework work? Just invoke ageism! After all, shouldn't Madonna be mature enough to let it slide? She is, after all, 54-years-old. Heck, she was making music 25 years ago, and things are so different now! Silly old Madge. Doesn't that out-of-touch crone know that today it's totally cool to swipe a melody, tell people the original artist gave you their blessing, and pocket a couple mil' off it? It is undignified not to just let this one go.
This is a difficult moral universe to enter, but it's easy to see how so many Gaga fans are there. Persistent and borderline-messianic repetition of the message, "Gaga loves you," has forged a cult-tight, completely irrational bond with her most devoted fans. "I don't want to be your fucking queen," she continued to tell the audience of thousands who had ponied up an average of $102 each to see her that night, "I want to be your friend."
To most of us, Lady Gaga is a talented musician with a great (and sadly under-utilized,) voice, whose act is one half catchy, sublimely dumb pop songs and one half a postmodern kitchen-sinking of references to other works. To the faithful, she is a purveyor of capital-A art who also happens to be their very best friend. She has "artistically eclipsed," Madonna and everyone else, really, through this robotic regurgitation. This irrational, personal bond is a great comfort to many kids who aren't hearing loving messages anywhere else, but can also lead some to engage in unfortunate behavior.
Lady Gaga has famously launched an anti-bullying campaign, but her fans have racked up a pretty long list of bully victims in just two and a half albums' time. Gaga fans forced Boy George to temporarily abandon Twitter after a barrage of often homophobic and sometimes violent messages. Adele incurred their wrath, mostly expressed via weight-shaming, simply for selling more records than Mother Monster. Gaga fans also felt compelled to inform Kelly Osbourne that she was fat, "looked like" she had AIDS and suggested she kill herself after she criticized Gaga's choice to skip the Grammy red carpet. A vendetta against Katy Perry even received the rare honor of encouragement from camp Gaga after she dressed as a mermaid -- which was totally Gaga's idea, you know. No word on how Bette Midler, who also did not invent mermaids but has dressed as one basically every show of her entire career, feels about that one. And forget about Team Lil' Kim -- it's the Lady Gaga fans who chase Nicki Minaj out of malls, claiming she "ripped Lady Gaga off"... Somehow.
That last one is important. Take a moment to watch that video and you'll see why so much invective is hurled at Madonna -- and many others -- by Gaga fans. "She stands for all of us," that guy we all hope Lady Gaga does not stand for says as he chases Minaj out the door.
Minaj didn't do anything to Gaga, of course, let alone to her fans. It's merely that some are so invested in the myth of Gaga that any similarity to Mother Monster is threatening to their sense of self -- no matter who did it first. This is especially problematic because, as an artist, Lady Gaga is essentially a human Tumblr account, a hauntological soup of a woman who recycles -- but rarely re-purposes -- whatever happens to catch her eye. That's fine, of course. It is impossible for anyone to be interesting without being interested, and Gaga is no exception. The reality just doesn't fit the narrative of the brilliant, inventive artiste that the Church of Gagatology has built. That is, by its nature, threatening to some people.
In short, it is unsurprising that when Madonna acknowledged -- and dared to criticize -- the similarities, a million Lady Gaga fans took the web to brand her Satan. (It should be noted that even a million would be just one in 52 people who "like" Gaga on Facebook, or only one in 23 people who have actually purchased one of her albums.)
It is surprising, however, that so many in the media have bought the "old singer goes after young threat," narrative being perpetuated. For anyone keeping score, a list of bigger threats to Madonna's sales and chart record supremacy would include Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and, yes, even Rihanna. But, then, it seems most of these people really don't know pop history. If they did, they'd know that when people start hatin' on Madonna, Madonna doubles down.
This persistent ageism when we talk about Madonna now should be disturbing to anybody who plans to live to middle age. When she was 30, it was rare that a story about her noted her age. When she was 40, it started to pop up. Now, you're more likely than not to see it mentioned. Her latest album was met with solid reviews, had the strongest first-week sales of the year (so far, there will probably be better,) and was number one in 50 countries before it was even released. Her latest tour is doing phenomenally in spite of a huge spike in ticket cost. But the salient point, we are told time and again, is that she's 54. She's washed up, done for, you see, because no matter how successful she is, older women are worth less than younger ones.
I'll let Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson break that down for you, because she is amazing:
"The tabloids complain about her looking old, and people laugh at her for that. Then Madonna goes and fixes her face, and they laugh at her for that. Even though they begrudgingly say she looks amazing, they'll still laugh at her for trying to look young. Then she steps out, looking amazing, and the tabloids go and blow up a picture of her aging hand. Nobody's doing that to George Clooney, blowing up pictures of his hands! I look at these magazines, and I want to say to them, What's your point? That she's aged? Does that surprise you? Or is your 'point' an attempt to undercut what she's achieved? I think it is, even if it's on a subconscious level. And you probably wouldn't turn down those hands if they were grabbing you under the table, you fucking idiots."
In 1992, Madonna was reviled because she refused to present female sexuality in traditionally passive forms. In 2002, she was revered for having settled down and had a couple of kids. In 2012, she is back to being public enemy number one, for equally ill-considered reasons. The moment she dies, everyone with access to a keyboard of camera will fall all over themselves lining up to kiss her ass, largely for having pissed so many people off -- and having been judged, in the long term, to be in the right.
So, continue bringing the hate all you want. But please try to be a bit smarter about it, because ageist jokes about Madonna are going to grow old long before she does and, in the end, it is her story that will be told.
MADONNA EXPLAINS USE OF SWASTIKA DURING HER “MDNA TOUR”!
Madonna has spoken about an image used during her current MDNA tour which showed a swastika imposed onto the face of a French politician.
The controversial symbol was included in a video accompanying the song Nobody Knows Me, as she performed in Paris.
It showed the face of Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front party, with a swastika on her forehead.
Interviewed for a Brazilian TV channel, Madonna said all images used were chosen “purposefully”.
“That film that was created is about the intolerance that we human beings have for one another and how much we judge people before knowing them,” she said.
France’s National Front party (FN) said it planned to sue the US singer following the use of the image at her concert in the Stade de France on 14 July.
The video had already appeared earlier in Madonna’s 30-nation MDNA world tour, sparking a warning from Ms Le Pen that she was considering legal action.
FN vice-president Florian Philippot said the party could not accept “such an odious comparison”.
“Intolerance”
But Madonna refused to edit the video and, speaking before her concert in Brazil, the singer said “all images in the video were chosen purposefully”.
“There seems to be a growing intolerance around the world. In Greece, France, everywhere people are trying to kick out all the immigrants, make people cover up and not show what their religious affiliation is.
“Think about what’s going on in Russia towards the gay community,” she said.
“I’m calling attention to that intolerance and asking people to pay attention, to wake up to see how we are just creating more chaos in the world.”
Displaying the swastika image has not been the only controversy on Madonna’s MDNA tour.
During her show in Edinburgh on 21 July, the singer defied warnings not to brandish a gun during her performance following the recent shootings at a cinema screening of Batman in Colorado.
Madonna said she believed it is an artist’s responsibility to call attention to world events “and to help bring people together”.
“Art is there to track what’s going on in the world, to make social commentary,” she said.
MADONNA IN PARIS AT OLYMPIA HALL – MORE INFO!
Arnold Delbarre, managing Director of the Olympia, confirmed to the AFP news agency that Madonna planned to immortalize the show on DVD.He also revealed more details about the concert: the stage and scenery have been scaled down to fit the Olympia size.
Out of the 2700 tickets, 2000 were allocated to the fan club members and the remaining 700 to the general public.
Following overwhelming demand for tickets to Madonna’s intimate club show scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 26th at the historic Olympia in Paris, the Material Girl has invited her fans around the world to see her performance via a live global stream through LoveLive’s YouTube channel beginning 10:15pm Paris time CEST; 4:15pm EST. There will also be a post stream of the show where the footage can be viewed in its entirety.
The show, which was confirmed by Live Nation – Madonna’s MDNA international tour partner -, will include songs from the artist’s current album, MDNA, along with her new single, “Turn Up The Radio” as well as several classics. MDNA which was released by Universal Records debuted at No. 1 in over 40 countries. The Olympia, founded in 1888 has been the site of legendary shows by performers such as Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour. .
Toby L, Creative Director of LoveLive commented: “We are beyond elated to be hosting a global stream of one of the world’s most iconic artists in such a unique and intimate circumstance which will bring our audience closer than ever to Madonna. This performance typifies what we’re doing with the LoveLive music series, which will continue to feature the world’s most recognisable music artists.”
Patrick Walker, Senior Director, Content Partnerships EMEA, YouTube commented: “It’s incredibly exciting that Madonna’s performance from this iconic, intimate venue will be available to her fans around the world via YouTube. No one needs to miss out on this great addition to YouTube’s music line-up this summer.”
The global live stream can be viewed through the LoveLive channel on YouTube @ www.youtube.com/madonnaclubshowparis
Monday, July 23, 2012
New Hot "Love Spent" Remix Preview!
Taped at a NYC club! If anyone knows the name of the remix or any other info, do tell!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
EDINBURGH REVIEW : THIS IS MADONNA
This is Madonna, the woman who helped write the rulebook for the modern pop spectacular and could eat any of the current pop princess pretenders for breakfast. Scotland may be a coy conquest but her MDNA tour has already been projected to break box office records for a solo artist by the time it winds up next year.
The opening ritualistic routine alone – her latest spin on the sacred and profane – set the atmospheric scene, before she ploughed into Revolver, aka the one where she waves the gun about. Even in the aftermath of the Denver shootings, there appeared to be no compromise in the presentation, as she pursued her marked man through the tuneless Gang Bang.
Overall, the set was weighted heavily with selections from her generic MDNA album, which has not set the global critics alight. Though she tantalised with interpolated snippets of her better loved oldies, the killer greatest hits set she could so easily have delivered will have to wait.
But if the singalong tuneage was lacking, especially in the early stages of the show, as a piece of pop theatre, this was immaculately and at times cynically choreographed to revisit key Madonna themes and imagery, including crucifixes, confession, bondage (for Hung Up) and a bed on which to do the dirty.
Energy levels in the crowd shot up when she launched into a baton-twirling Express Yourself, impishly following a burst of Gaga’s Born This Way with the ad lib that “she’s not me”. Open Your Heart was then reworked in fascinating tribal percussive style with Madonna and her stomping troupe of dancers kitted out in Basque berets.
Reminding the crowd that her last visit to Scotland was to get married (to ex-hubbie film producer Guy Ritchie in Dornoch), she expressed the hope that “this visit is a more lasting and beautiful memory.” A strangely-compelling version of Like A Virgin and the uplifting finale of Like A Prayer, with full choral backing, took care of that.
Source: scotsman
Friday, July 20, 2012
MADONNA WORKS THE PUBLICITY :By Liz Smith!
Madonna’s latest video for her new single, “Turn Up the Radio” has the icon back in form, at least for my taste. Filmed in Florence, it has an amusing narrative – Madonna is shown as a beleaguered star trying to avoid the paparazzi. (Yes, all right, she’s playing herself.) She escapes in her car, turns up the radio, and picks up a lot of interesting people along the way – mostly attractive young men. She looks great. If this video is not up to the masterpieces of old – “Bad Girl,” “Take a Bow” “Vogue,” etc., it is at least more engaging and glamorous than her recent efforts. It’s always better to tell a little story in these videos, and nobody does it better than Madonna.
Of course, the big story about Madonna is that she is facing a lawsuit from France’s far-right National Front party, because of a brief image in one of her concert videos of that party’s leader, Marine Le Pen, with a swastika on her forehead. Madonna was warned not to use that bit in France or face the consequences. Silly National Front! Never tell Madonna what she shouldn’t do. It doesn’t work. And what are the “consequences”? Worldwide publicity for Madonna’s concert.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
THERE ARE PLENTY OF RIVALS, BUT ONLY ONE QUEEN OF POP!
Madonna has long been gloried as “the only Queen of Pop”. Even though her pop rivals from Lady Gaga, and sometimes Britney Spears to Katy Perry, have been trying to usurp her crown, the queen’s current MDNA World Tour simply confirms her right to the throne.
In Paris on Bastille Day, Madonna performed to 80,000-strong followers at Le Stad de France, and treated 60 Thais there on invitation from True Move H and H Music application to an unforgettable two-hour performance.
The night would also prove unforgettable for Madonna as well as the leader of France’s far-right Front National which is set to pursue legal action against her on the grounds of public insult.
During Nobody Knows Me, Marine Le Pen’s picture, used as part of accompanying visuals, showed the politician’s face with a swastika symbol embossed on her forehead. The said visuals also displayed faces of Hitler, Sarah Palin and Hu Jintoa among other public figures.
The same set of visuals was also shown during Madonna’s concert in Turkey at the end of May, and Le Pen had already issued a warning as well as calling the pop diva an ageing celebrity who seeks public attention.
The legal outcome has yet to be decided, but when the problematic visual flared up, the French crowd in the stadium cheered and jeered loudly. Putting legal troubles aside, Madonna should still be sued for delivering a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle full of artistic acumen, strong political and social messages, apocalyptic foreboding, terrifyingly beautiful violence and a manifestation of an artist at the height of daring creativity.
An avid Madonna fan since the age of 12, Orakarn Rojtinnakorn, now 24, was elated when she first found out she was among the lucky winners of H Music’s ”Fly Away with Madonna”, a campaign to signify the beginning of an exclusive collaboration between True Move H and Universal Music.
”Madonna has always been a leader. She’s always ahead of her times. She’s just not about flash. Madonna is the real deal. She also delivers positive messages like anti-bullying and gay rights. I find that very refreshing,” said Orakarn.
Strong messages did spread around her entire show, except for a short speech on racial and gender diversity, they were shown through her musical expression, dramatic performances, dance choreography, massive video walls and an excellent troupe of dancers which also included her younger biological son with Guy Ritchie, Rocco.
Madonna allowed French superstar deejay Martin Solvieg to get the crowd going before the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am officially opened the show.
When the sun finally set, Madonna graced the stage, and attacked all senses at once with her interlude performance that incorporated a religious, ritualistic undertone in terms of hooded figures and red velvet roped cult leaders who had been led astray by Miss MDNA herself.
Girl Gone Wild nicely set the pace of the show, and Madonna went shooting happy and gun crazy in Revolver and Gang Bang where she battled attackers with blazing guns, and nicely timed visual effects added further jaw dropping excitement. The brimming violence might seem overdone for some, but Madonna smartly fashioned bullets and bloodshed into a struggle to uphold one’s true identity by whatever means.
The dark atmosphere quickly evaporated when Madonna switched to cheerleading/drum majorette manoeuvres with bright colours and lighting, and launched into Express Yourself with a cheeky infusion of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way as well as repeatedly drumming the phrase ”she’s not me, she’s not me” into our psyche.
Turn Up The Radio and Give Me All Your Luvin’ fit the mood of the cheery drum troupes with dancers dressed as top drummers hoisted up above the stage.
Kalakan Trio, the Basque trad squad, whom Madonna stumbled upon during her family holiday in the Basque country, was introduced during You’re Your Heart, and the trio’s haunting musicality left a lasting impression of music being sung and played on a higher ground.
Vogue made it back to the queen’s set list, and black and white old glamour appeared to hop out from pages of high fashion magazines with Madonna sporting her new take on the famous pointy bra.
As her boob flashing shenanigan during a performance went viral, and met with ridicule, none anticipated Madonna to repeat the same move, but she did so during Human Nature and Erotica with an addition of unzipping and lowering her pants. As she turned around the phrase ”No Fear” boldly written on her back pretty much summed up her message to those who made light of her advanced years and not so perfect bosom. When taken in context, such action somehow made sense, confronting female body politics heads on.
Known for her keen sense of what’s hot and what’s not, Madonna decided to include slacklining and contortionist or bone breaking choreography in her MDNA tour. Her army of dancers also deserved a big round of applause for their commitment and perfection. Even when the queen left the stage for several changeovers, these professional dancers held their own without fail.
Like A Virgin became a melancholic ballad, accompanied solely by a piano and Madonna’s startlingly emotional performance. Relying on her old tricks, Like A Prayer evoked gospel spirits, and Celebration ended the night with a loud bang.
Many have criticised the overwhelming numbers of new tracks from her latest album, MDNA. For an artist with such an extensive catalogue of global hits, Madonna has a large pool of resources to choose from, and it would be too much of a retreat to thrive solely on old favourites.
This tour is, after all, called MDNA, and artists should always be confident to showcase their new works.
”I was speechless for the entire show,’‘ said Orakarn. ”It was just so mesmerising. It was much more than I expected. The first minute Madonna came on the stage, my hairs stood up and stayed that way for the rest of the night.”
Source : Bangkokpost
SMUG CRITICISMS OF MADONNA AND ENDLESS GAGA COMPARISONS ARE A VICTORY FOR AGEISM AND MISOGYNY
On Tuesday night Madonna brought her MDNA tour to England, performing a show in Hyde Park that was witty, narrative and relentlessly energetic, as well as the ridiculous spectacle you would expect from the Queen of Pop. After emerging on stage from a confession box brandishing a firearm, she wasted no time in introducing slackline walking, video screen cameos from hip-hop heavyweights, a troop of military drummers suspended from the ceiling, and much more.
My friends and I were enthralled throughout the two hour experience, screaming and clapping at Madonna’s various gymnastics, jokes and the moments of meritable vocal performance, agreeing in the post-concert buzz that the vibrancy and cleverness of MDNA leaves her previous tour lying in the dust.
Aside from the fair point that the sound could have done with being a great deal louder, criticisms of the concert have been overwhelmingly predictable. Renowned antagonist Piers Morgan, whose never-ending throwing of cheap insults at Madonna in a bid for column inches to boost his plummeting American TV career, is echoed by others who seem to have adopted his trite view that Madonna is too old to attempt business-as-usual in her pop career. This view fatally overlooks the artifice of any pop personality. You do not go to a gig to find out about a real individual, their favourite food, their personal details – indeed, their age. When Eminem murders his mother in a music video, do we really think he is at high-risk of committing matricide? When Rihanna sings “chains and whips excite me” do we really believe that she is a depraved frequenter of S&M dungeons? No, we do not.
So when Madonna, looking great, convincingly performs with more verve than much younger singers, does the trivia of the ‘real’ woman’s age actually matter? Well, only if you let it; which would indicate a pretty poor ability to separate your critical faculties from what you read on the Mail online (who have drawn attention to the fact that some have said the show didn’t have enough old hits to entertain a casual fan). Madonna’s MDNA album was No. 1 on iTunes across the world, so those who didn’t expect her to play a lot of the new songs are too gormless to be sympathised with. What kind of ‘casual fan’ spends £77 to go and see someone they’re not that into, anyway?
It goes without saying that the McCartneys, Springsteens and Dylans of the world – admirably unaware of any sell-by date on their ability – at worst suffer a few friendly jibes from the press; a jocular ‘not quite as good as he used to be but good on him for trying!’ Criticisms levelled at Madonna however are often snide and venomous in their refusal to recognise her talent. If a woman’s worth is in youth and subservience, then the aged and defiant Madonna is no good to us; an embarrassment.
I do have one problem with Tuesday’s concert, however. Almost as vexing as people’s inability to discuss Madonna without quipping about her age, is the fact that these days you can’t seem to mention Madonna or Lady Gaga independently of each other. Comparisons in the press and internet warring between fans is rife as ever, yet as recording artists they are really not that similar. That’s right. Or at least, not as similar as legions of beardy male singer-songwriters or hundreds of dirgey Indie rock bands, one truly completely indistinguishable from the next, whose sameness is never addressed. These unfounded comparisons seem to be the burden of female artists only, and should be exposed and discussed for the inequality they are.
So when Madonna performed a mash-up of ‘Express Yourself’, with excerpts of Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’, has even she fallen prey to this trap of sexism in her industry? Well, I hope not. But if there was any ambiguity about whether the mash-up was meant as a sisterly tribute or a cheeky dig, it is soon cleared up by Madonna singing lines from her 2008 album track ‘She’s Not Me’. Although it was funny, it is disheartening to think that the trend for thoughtlessly homogenising female artists has informed Madonna’s creative choices. But at the same time why should Madonna ignore the link people are making between her and Gaga – however false or exaggerated it may be? In chanting ‘she’s not me’ Madge is reminding us of a significant truth –Madonna isn’t Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga isn’t Madonna. We’d do well to remember it.
The irony of accusing Madonna of having grown desperate, as brainless articles like this have, seems to be lost on many forgetful people. This is a woman whose first forays into the public eye involved rolling around on stage in a wedding dress and showing her pants. If she is desperate now, she always has been. And if that ‘desperation’ spurs her to continue inspiring, entertaining, making money and having fun then I say hoo-fucking-ray. The MDNA tour is on track to be among the highest-grossing ever. If I had her job, I wouldn’t want to quit either.
source: Charlie Alderwick,independent.co.uk
WHY MADONNA KEEPS ON KEEPING ON!!!
Madonna rolls into Dublin next week to play the Aviva Stadium as part of her “controversial” MDNA world tour. She may have lost her power to truly shock a long time ago but what annoys Madonna haters the most is the fact that, at the age of 53, she keeps on keeping on, says Alan Corr.
She’s only two months into her MDNA world tour but already Madonna has cried live on stage, flashed the audience in Turkey, flashed the audience in Rome, made some silly statements about drug use, flashed the audience in Paris, and incurred the wrath of French far right leader Marine Le Pen by showing pictures of her face plastered with swastikas as part of the stage show.
Madonna was at in again in Hyde Park the other night – dropping her drawers during a rendition of Human Nature. So the original of the species is back doing her utmost to annoy as many prudes and killjoys as possible and good for her. It’s all good dirty fun to some people; tiresome attention seeking to others. However, as has been the case for far too long, some arbiters of bad taste have decreed that Madonna should no longer be allowed to (even try) playing shock tactics any more.
It’s true that the last truly shocking thing she did was release the album MDNA but right now, Madonna haters are out in force. They hate the fact that she’s made a cool $50 million in the first two months of her current tour and they’ve always hated the fact that she’s an aggressively ambitious woman who has spent her career smashing barriers, glass ceilings, and taboos.
But what really gets them hating till it hurts is the fact that, at 53, Madonna plainly doesn’t care what they think and has no intention of stopping. They may find her more boring than actually shocking but boy are they still mad and it’s their very ire that seems to keep her going.
Madonna bashers seem to consider her an embarrassment to womankind and pop music in the same way that some feminists and music snobs were conflicted by her blatant careerism and sexual aggression when she first arrived thirty years ago.
Surely by now, they reason, she should bow to young pretenders like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj and drift off into proper old age performing torch songs at supper clubs. Some of Madonna’s best moments are, indeed, torch songs (This Used to be My Playground, Live to Tell et al) and on the current tour, she’s performing Like a Virgin as a mournful piano-and-violin ballad of lost innocence, an acknowledgement that perhaps the glory days are, indeed, over.
That won’t placate the Madonna bashers. She keeps on keeping on, gyrating, dancing, running and singing all at the same time. There should be a bylaw against it! Madonna should not be allowed cavort in a built-up area. At any time of the day.
Forget the fact that Britney still can’t kick-start her wayward career and that Gaga can’t seem to leave the house without checking what Madonna’s had for breakfast, this woman must be stopped!
The Daily Mail, no fan of Madonna (or any woman who doesn’t meet their high moral standards), was also at it again yesterday. It ran a negative news report on her Hyde Park show while, in the same edition, running a mostly positive review of the same gig. The Mail said that “hundreds of fans” walked out of the concert, many complained about the poor sound quality, Madonna’s bald cheek in not playing a greatest hits show, and the fact that the 10.30pm curfew rather took away from the visuals on the night.
All fair points but the paper also mentioned “public relations disasters” in Madonna’s long career. Well those “public relations disasters” are in fact the very career flashpoints that have helped make Madonna the most successful female pop star of all time. That, and thirty year’s worth of pretty great pop songs.
There was also this quote from a fan’s Twitter account which once again depressingly reminds us that ageism will always rear its ugly head when it comes to female pop stars and actors of a certain age: “When Madonna has concerts in her 50s where she strips herself on stage, you know her career is as dead as myspace.”
It’s perfectly fine to gaze with fond bemusement at The Rolling Stones doing their priapic peacock thing (well, Mick anyway) or smile as the parchment-faced Steve Tyler (64) coos over another babe young enough to be his granddaughter. It’s also fine for Anthony Kiedis (nearly 50) and co to play their old hits like they’re still strung-out teenagers but when it comes to Madonna, all you’re likely to hear is “put it away love!”
Twenty years ago in an interview (with Jonathan Ross no less) Madonna had these fine words to say: “I think that not only do we suffer from sexism and racism, we also suffer from ageism, that once you reach a certain age you’re not allowed be adventurous, you’re not allowed to be sexual and I think that’s rather hideous. People say, oh I hope she’s not still doing that in ten years. Who cares? What if I am? Is there a rule? Are you supposed to just die when you’re 40? “
After performing a two-hour set in Hyde Park this week featuring many costume changes, much dancing and much theatrics, the soon to be 54-year-old Madonna ended the night with a speech about the dangers of discrimination and prejudice.
Let’s hope the Madonna bashers are listening in Dublin next week.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Madonna’s MDNA TOUR Adds Special Performance At Paris’ Famed Olympia July 26th!
Madonna’s fanatic French fans are in for a special treat with the announcement of an intimate one night only performance by the Material Girl at the historic Olympia in Paris on Thursday, July 26th. The show which was confirmed by Live Nation, Madonna’s MDNA international tour promoter, follows The Material Girl’s stunning performance last Saturday (July 14th) at Paris Stade de France. The Olympia show will include songs from Madonna’s current MDNA CD including her new single, “Turn Up The Radio” as well as several classics. MDNA debuted at No. 1 in over 40 countries. The Olympia, founded in 1888 has been the site of legendary shows by performers such as Marlene Dietrich, Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel.
With anticipation for ticket demands for Madonna’s Olympia date at an all time high, the show will be streamed for all to see. Complete URL information to follow this week.
The MDNA Tour, currently whirling through Europe, has reaffirmed Madonna’s reputation as one of the most thrilling and fearless performers ever and an artist who continues to produce visual extravaganzas. “Another world-class show her fans will lap up,” raved The Sun in the UK. “Madonna’s back with a vengeance… Madonna returns to defy the realms of possibility – our disco Messiah,” commented MOJO Magazine.
Tickets for the exclusive opportunity to see Madonna at the 2700 seat will first go on sale to members of Madonna’s fan club beginning Wednesday, July 18th at 1pm (13:00) through Thursday, July 19th at 3pm (15:00). Tickets will be held for the public and will go on sale after following fan club sales on Friday July 20th at 10:00 at www.olympiahall.com.
Tickets starting at 80 euros will be sold via internet only and will be limited to 2 tickets per person. All tickets purchased will be available night of show only at the will call window at the box office. Customers will be required to present picture ID and the credit card that tickets were purchased with. All transactions are non-transferable – only the person who purchased the ticket will be admitted entry. Once the tickets have been redeemed at the box office, the patron will be directed immediately into the venue.
The MDNA tour is produced by Live Nation. Smirnoff is an official spirits partner of Madonna’s MDNA World Tour.
Madonna.com
Fausto Puglisi on dressing up Madonna!
It wouldn’t be a Madonna tour without the outlandish outfits – Jean Paul Gaultier’s conical-bra corsets, Dolce & Gabbana’s rhinestone confections and Givenchy’s S&M-ish leather have been some of her most memorable in the past. For her MDNA tour, which stopped off in London last night, they come courtesy of Gaultier again, who has revamped his famous piece from 1990′s Blond Ambition tour – and one Fausto Puglisi, whose menacing bullet chains, fur coats and ram masks for her backing dancers are pitch-perfect…
“It’s all about the incredible work of Arianne Phillips [Madonna's long-time stylist]. She knows what works on Her Madgesty. It all started during the promotion of Music, when Madonna wore my blouses. I was a boy and Arianne and Madonna have trusted me ever since. At the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm [in 2000], Madonna wore an amazing Dolce & Gabbana red cowboy suit and I designed bling-bling, Swarovski accessories for her. I can’t forget all the work I did by hand, putting hundreds of crystals and beads on while flying from Rome to New York. The hostesses were looking at me like I was ET.”
Telegraph UK
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Bravo To Stefano Gabbana For Keeping It Real!!
Even big celebrities are aware of the third world reductions constant stealing!
Monday, July 16, 2012
The World Shouts - Madonna "Turn Up The Radio"!
The Queen of Pop, Madonna, takes to the streets of Florence in the new video for ‘Turn Up The Radio’, keeping the paparazzi at bay and driving away on the back seat of a convertible. With the MDNA tour underway, this is sure to become a euphoric anthem of the Summer.
With Martin Solveig back behind the production desk, we knew that the new single by Madonna, lifted from her current MDNA album, was going to be another slice of dance pop. The track truly channels the sense of euphoria that the clubs of today are looking for. The video, reportedly shot by Tom Munro who also directed ‘Give It 2 Me’, captures the good vibes, not by having her thrust around in short shorts, no, but by having Madonna raising her hands up high and singing to the fans as she drives around Florence. The sepia colours of the clip accentuate the goodtime Summer feelings as well as the retro tinged stylings of Madonna, herself.
Of course, there are still a few essential elements that make this a true Madonna video; picking up hot guys as she rocks through the streets, slipping money into the bras of prostitutes and some rather tempting bottom touching. Standard.
Source: swide
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Madonna's "Turn Up The Radio" artwork Cover Revealed!
Madonna’s official website has sent out an email revealing the official cover for Madonna’s new single “Turn up the Radio” !
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Madonna's “GIVE ME ALL YOUR LUVIN’ ” IS NOW GOLD RIAA CERTIFIED GMAYL has been certified Gold by the RIAA!
80′s:
1. Borderline Gold 500,000
2. Like A Virgin Gold 1,000,000 (eligible for 1xp) – old certification rules
3. Crazy For You Gold 1,000,000 (eligible for 1xp) – old certification rules
4. Angel/Into The Groove Gold 1,000,000 (could be eligible for 1xp) – old certification rules
5. Papa Don’t Preach Gold 500,000
6. True Blue Gold 500,000
7. Like A Prayer 1xp 1,000,000
8. Express Yourself Gold 500,000
90′s:
9. Keep It Together Gold 500,000
10. Vogue 2xp 2,000,000
11. Hanky Panky Gold 500,000
12. Justify My Love 1xp 1,000,000
13. Rescue Me Gold 500,000
14. This Used To Be My Playground Gold 500,000
15. Erotica Gold 500,000
16. I’ll Remember Gold 500,000
17. Secret Gold 500,000
18. Take A Bow Gold 500,000
19. You’ll See Gold 500,000
20. You Must Love Me Gold 500,000
21. Frozen Gold 500,000
22. Ray of Light Gold 500,000
00′s:
23. Music 1xp 1,000,000
24. Don’t Tell Me Gold 500,000
Digital singles:
25. Hung Up 1xp 1,000,000
26. 4 Minutes 2xp 2,000,000
10′s:
27. Give Me All Your Lovin’ Gold, 500,000 *new*
Total: 20xp
Gold: 27
Platinum: 6
Multi-Platinum: 2