Friday, March 07, 2008

120 Million Dollar Baby


With a new CD almost here, a new single leaking, and new photos emerging... I've been reading a lot of snarky comments about Madonna around the web and I gotta say it: Ageism is so boring. It's for conservative and limited minds in the same way sexism, homophobia, racism and all the other prejudices are. Madonna was, is, and always will be one of the greatest celebrities to have ever walked the planet. Trust Madonna to be smarter and more imaginative than her haters and come out itching for a fight on her way to turning 50 this summer.

It used to hurt me, film nut that I am, that my favorite diva wasn't so talented at my favorite talent, acting... passable like any number of movie stars who've tried to be rock stars on the side, but nothing to get excited about. You can't have everything but boy does she got a lot. Can't wait till April 29th! And speaking of ageism. Hard Candy, Madonna's latest, drops on the very day that Michelle Pfeiffer herself (my other blonde goddess and the would be Evita before Madge) turns a half century old. Double awesomeness worth celebrating on the 29th.

22 comments:

adam k. said...

I thought Meryl was the would-be Evita before Madge?

NATHANIEL R said...

it went through many incarnations but both Meryl and Michelle were going to do it at one point... and the Michelle demos finally leaked to the internet last month.

Anonymous said...

i have to say 4 minutes dissapoints too much justin and too louder beat madonna almost drowns,seems she forgot the tune on her way to being credible and relevent.

nat would she have made your 1996 actress list!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sold on her new track, can she pull off r'n'b' tunes ? Anyway it's good that she's trying something new. But she remains vastly overrated. She really isn't much of a singer, she knows it herself, that's why she describes herself as a performance artist and that's what she is.
Her only true talent is being a hell of a PR. She could sell ice creams to Eskimos, and lots of it. She knows perfectly how to use the media and make people believe she's "pushing the envelope". But what most people love about her without realizing it is that she was once a very poor girl trying to make it in New York, so in that sense she embodies the American Dream. The fact that she's got an agressive personality also made her a star because it wasn't a trait that was popular to have amongst female stars. She played the bitch card with perfection.
"Bitch is the new Black !"
Tina Fey

NATHANIEL R said...

my 1996 actress list

GOLD McDormand -Fargo
SILVER Watson -Breaking the Waves
BRONZE Blethyn -Secrets & Lies

and no one touches them. any coulda been gold medalists in most years. Madonna woulda probably been one of the other two yes... although my memory is a little dim on 96 at this writing.

Glenn Dunks said...

Mrripley, are you listening to the low or high quality version of "4 Minutes" because I too could barely hear her on the low q version, but the high q version is better. Although I think the beat>vocals of the song is entirely deliberate.

As someone who has grown tired of Timbaland's ubiquity - his Shock Value album was dreadful and he's become lazy like Pharell after he because really popular - I think "4 Minutes" is the most musically epic he's been since Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" and his work on Aaliyah ("We Need a Resolution" predominantly). It's not the greatest song of all, but there's a spark to it that I think raises it above the other nameless hip-hop junk.

There is too much Justin though, which is disappointing considering Madge is an artist who has rarely had songs that read "Madonna featuring so-and-so" and I just hope the rest of the album isn't ridiculous desperate-to-be-embraced-by-American-radio. Have you heard the new Kylie Minogue song? There's some rapper called "Mims" on it! If they wanted a rapper to make American radio embrace her then why not Jazzi P?! Anyone who knows Minogue's career will know who that is. That'd be a re-collaboration that would be worth it.

I just feel like telling her that Confessions on a Dance Floor sold something like 10 million copies world wide and "Hung Up" was one of the most successful songs of her entire career! She doesn't need to pander to American radio to sell records.

"Hung Up" was the 42nd most successful song of all time. No matter how good "4 Minutes" is it's not as one-of-a-kind as "Hung Up" was. She might get American radio, but will she turn off those who hate American hip-hop?

NATHANIEL R said...

but Madonna has always experimented with her sound... I wouldn't worry too much about pandering. It's just one more style she's trying on for size.

Glenn Dunks said...

"after he because really popular"

should read "after he became" really popular".

And, I need to just reconfirm. I like "4 minutes" and I think it's well produced, but I worry that the people who like Madonna will go "I don't wanna listen to this Americanised drivel" and people who like that sort of stuff but don't like her will just ignore it because it's Madonna and "she's old". Ya know?

(see what happens you get me talking about music, Nathaniel!)

Glenn Dunks said...

Also, have you heard her long lost track with Tupac? That's an interesting combo if ever there was one.

The Jaded Armchair Reviewer said...

Hard Candy, huh? I think I'll just go and imagine Patrick Wilson replacing Madonna in that pose and shot.......

Anonymous said...

I find it surprising that she hasn't made a classical music record by now.

Thombeau said...

My favorite would-be Evita: Liza Minnelli, who would have starred in the Ken Russell version. Can you imagine???

Madonna's last album was quite possibly her best---definitely my favorite! And though I'm not fans of her current producers, I look forward to whatever she puts out. Her last two tours were phenomenal, NOBODY does that sort of thing better. That may be what she does best. Aside from, you know, being Madonna.

Amy said...

I find people who are deluded enough to believe Madonna is anything more than an attention seeking slut more disturbing than ageism.

Anonymous said...

ooooo nat

96 actresses well from the 3 you have here is a refresher on the last 2

madonna evita
kristin scott thomas the english patient
meryl streep marvin's room
heather matarazzzo welcome to the dollhouse
courtney love the people vs larry flynt
linda henry beautiful thing
diane keaton marvin's room
winona ryder the crucible
gena rowlands unhook the stars
nicole kidman the portrait of a lady
debbie reynolds mother
kate winslet jude

Michael Parsons said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael Parsons said...

You know I would have something to say.

'4 Minutes to get back to the drawing board' is not that great. There are moments, but Madonna is Madonna, she does not need a Justin.

Is this Madonna wanting to get played on American radio again? Or is she simply seeing if she can groove better then the Nelly's and Rihanna's?

We all know she can.

Those attacking the age factor are just ignorant. There would be no Beyonce's or Pink's or Lily Allens or even Kylies had there not been Madonna. She blazed the way for free thinking attitude and feminism through female sexuality. (remember Kylie was pure innocent unoffencive pop at the beginning.....(no writing about on boat singing about being 'touched' for her)
When Madge dry humped the dancer on her Blonde Ambition tour during 'Express Yourself' she was simply saying, 'Hey girls like sex too, it does not make us whores'. Now she is just letting the world know you can still look sexy and rock out after 40.

And to add.....there is something seriously wrong with calling a mother a 'slut' Amy. Something so so wrong. Especially from someone who put Blu Cantrell as their favorite music. ;)

lawyer tony fernando said...

What I love about Madonna is that no matter what she achieves, she´s not affraid to go into a new direction, she´s the real BRAVE ONE. And tbh no female singer has showed signs to be a new Queen of Pop, cause everyone is copying her style,carrer moves,etc, so SHE´S OVER WHEN SHE SAYS SHE´S OVER. I loved her in DSS and WTG, also in Evita,A league of their own and Dick Tracy, perharps her new movie that she already has a studio behind her will show her talent as a control freak in the director´s chair!

Amy Jane said...

tony thanks for putting that into words. As long as people are still so influenced by her she IS relevant, no matter how many people want to write her off.

it's fascinating and admirable that she's been able to do this since her very first year as a star. From the very first hit people have been decrying her "over"

you're so right... it's only over when she's ready for it to end.

Amy said...

"
And to add.....there is something seriously wrong with calling a mother a 'slut' Amy. Something so so wrong. Especially from someone who put Blu Cantrell as their favorite music. ;)"

No, there isn't. There are mothers who are literal prostitutes. Get over yourself.

And I don't see how Blu Cantrell is a slut. I don't think she's ever published a book with Vanilla Ice sticking his penis into her anus. :)

Anonymous said...

I love that "4 Minutes" song and can't wait for Madonna's new album to come out. If I look like that at fifty, I doubt that I'll be complaining that much. If people don't like her new sound or her age or her re-invention of being "urban", then take a hike and listen to chart-topper and actress extraordinaire Miley Cyrus instead.

Anonymous said...

What Amy said :)


Oh and... "passable"? Madonna couldn't act if her life depended on it. All you see in her are layers upon layers of fake and silly.

What's most annoying, though, is to watch her during interviews; you know she believes she's actually saying something important while spouting jaw-dropping inanities one after another.

Anonymous said...

Maybe some people on this board should start listening to...music ? Perhaps ?
If you think she's the best "artist" out there... it says a lot about your culture and education