Options
Madonna: Is she now becoming ridiculous?
Ben_Fisher1
Posts: 2,973 Forum Member
✭✭✭
I have never been much of a fan of Madge, I think though that her heyday was the late 80s early 90s. Back then she produced some great music, great pop. However she seems to have run out of steam these days. For the past ten years at least, her songs have been very samey, and she has reverted to the schtick she was doing 25 years ago in an effort to be provocative, and outrageous. Is this now very tedious?
Her recent comments about ageism, and her anger that people are commenting on her age also reveal her total lack of self-awareness. No, there is nothing tragic with being 56, however when you are still using the same imagery, and going out of your way to appear much younger, of course people will mock. SHE seems to be the one most concerned about her age.
So, is Madonna a genuine musical artiste, or simply a tiresome, and predictable publicity seeker, with a huge ego?
Her recent comments about ageism, and her anger that people are commenting on her age also reveal her total lack of self-awareness. No, there is nothing tragic with being 56, however when you are still using the same imagery, and going out of your way to appear much younger, of course people will mock. SHE seems to be the one most concerned about her age.
So, is Madonna a genuine musical artiste, or simply a tiresome, and predictable publicity seeker, with a huge ego?
0
Comments
Musically I only really like her mid-80s stuff which is fantastic, in fact the 'Like a Virgin' album is in my top 3 of all time. I never liked much after the 'Like A Prayer' album though. Madonna has earned her place in pop royalty and to be honest I doubt any other female artist will dethrone her. So what else can she do now? I suppose it does come down to ego... I cannot imagine Madonna retiring gracefully.
On the other hand pop's princess Kylie seems to handle things quite well, keeping in the public eye but never going too far with publicity stunts. Maybe Kylie could teach Madonna how growing old gracefully is done?
So how is a woman of 56 supposed to look in your opinion?
Do you feel the same about Springsteen, McCartney, the Stones, the Eagles, Kiss, Bon Jovi, Sting etc? They dye their hair, have had surgical enhancements, haven't changed their acts... of course, they're all men.;-)
Then again, these same people were probably talking about the colour of a bloody dress!
Yes to all the above!
And anyone who will not discourage her kids to use drugs needs her head looked at. Singer she may be, good parent, I reserve judgement.
... BUT
I think she's a bit boring at the moment. I feel like we need to see a reinvention from her, change up her image like she used to with every album (I know she still does a bit, but she hasn't had a dramatic change since Hard Candy).
I'm excited to hear she has ballads on her new album as I love a lot of her older ballads, and am hoping she does something a bit more interesting with them if she's going to release them. After all, she is a pop icon, she blazed the trail, but now it feels a bit like she's just stuck in a rut. Just my observation as a casual fan - I'd love to hear the opinion of more informed and knowledgeable fans!
Surely their pension funds must be rolling in MILLIONS of dollars/pounds enough to keep them happy and enjoy the rewards of their hard work in their twilight years to come?
Madonna is only 56 and Kylie is only 46, neither are "old". I think the whole "growing old gracefully" thing is a load of nonsense anyway. Nobody owes anybody else gracefulness.
Must admit, that was a startling revelation about her! I am certain that she doesn't want her kids to take drugs, but to publicly say she wouldn't tell them not to is frankly irresponsible. Apparently she thinks it would be hypocritical to do so considering she experimented with drugs - and didn't like it - many years ago!!! Hello Madonna! You're usually an intelligent woman, so surely you should be using the negative experience you had to teach your kids how bad drugs are. It's commendable to be able to trust your kids and have faith in their intelligence, but they still guidance from parents, no matter how old they are.
All I will say is, listen out for Ghosttown! It is possibly the best song she's recorded since the Ray of Light era. It is a fantastic track, and is a powerful, melodic ballad. It is the next single from her, and as R1 have said they select songs on merit rather than the age of an artist and then still refuse to play this song, then ageist they truly are.
Infact, you can hear it here. Hear how mature and beautiful her voice is when she tries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scVEjRPUFDE
To get to their success in the first place you have to be so obsessive and passionate about it that it's all you know. It's not like you can have that level of commitment and just walk away from when you've made enough money. You'd be lost.
Plus there's the argument that they're addicted to the attention and adoration they get from being on stage and in the public eye.
Ooh excellent thanks for letting me know!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scVEjRPUFDE
Reposted the link to the song for you. Your opinion would be appreciated because you seem to post in a common sense sort of way rather than being nasty!
I think it's because they're workaholics. To be at the top in the pop industry for years and years takes stamina and dedication. You're not going to be at the top of your game if you enjoy being a couch potato. ;-)
Thanks for the compliment
I really like that song. It's the most I've enjoyed one of her songs for a while. Thanks for bringing it to my attention - I agree if Radio 1 don't playlist it then they're not only crazy but clearly ageist!
This is so predictable. As soon as you criticize her, you get people accusing you of agism and sexism, and I am not being either. I think a 56 year old should look however they want. What I am drawing attention to is a woman who herself seems ageist. She appears to do everything she can to disguise the fact she's getting older, ironic much? why is this? cause she's locked into her self imposed, sexualized, image and cannot break out of it, since this is what has made her famous. Not her singing voice, her imagery, mostly borrowed from Monroe and Deitrich:p Arguably it's getting a bit sad now.
That's another thing judging by her interviews she comes across as being very delusional and pretentious. She appears to think that she is a musical genius whos destiny it is to 'enlighten' us. Please!;-)
I do see where you're coming from and to a small point I agree. Madonna does have a point about the media being ageist towards her, but on the other hand, she can come across as perhaps trying too hard to be still be relevant. She doesn't need to try to be relevant, simply because she is! As long as she continues to make music then relevance isn't an issue. Another poster suggested (it might have been you, I can't remember), that she is herself being ageist, albeit inadvertently, because she has incredibly young dancers appear with her. This got me thinking, what if she did have dancers the same age as her? How would the media respond. I doubt they'd be kind, instead insisting it was like a pensioners jamboree, but it was a valid, and interesting point.
I think at the end of the day though, Madonna is just being Madonna because she doesn't know who else to be. She genuinely sees no problem with her being the same as she was 20 years ago, because in her eyes she IS the same as she was 20 years ago.
I remember my nan once told my uncle to stop car racing when he was 45 because he was acting like a 20 year old and had a family to consider. But in my uncles eyes he didn't see why he should stop! He loved high speeds, he loved being provocative, and the more people told him to stop, the worse he got. I think that for any individual, once they fall into a way of life and get the attention, it is very hard for them to change back into a lamb.
It does seem that the rest of the world has more of a problem accepting Madonna for being Madonna than Madonna herself does, but, I do agree with you, it is unnecessary for Madonna to constantly make a point about her age. She doesn't need to stop what she wants to keep doing, just do it because you want to, and not because you're trying to prove a non-existent ageist point.
I completely disagree. I think her attitude is absolutely spot on. Her daughter in particular, seems a very headstrong young woman (from what I can gather) and if Madonna were to say 'bad evil drugs, don't ever take them', I suspect it would elicit a rebellious response. I think it is far better to discuss drugs rationally and to not encourage drug taking (of course) but to discuss your own experiences honestly and openly - which is what she has done. In the industry she's in she will have been exposed to more drugs than a Colombian warlord so I think it's eminently sensible to be realistic. Drug taking and experimentation is a part of growing up for most people nowadays and not everyone that has the odd spliff or line of coke ends up dead with a syringe in their arm.
Umm, no, because they don't have to sell a sexual image to get ahead, and stay on top. That is the nub of it I think. Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Sting for example, have never had to use nudity to sell their music. Not just because they have genuine talent, but also because they are male and don't feel the need to. Many female singers like Madonna ushered in a whole slew of female singers who used sexual imagery to get attention, and sadly, they have to stick with it, because that is what the public expects of them after a while. If Madonna had any real talent she would have grown and developed as an artist, instead she trots out the usual tricks, and looks like a one note pony:p
I disagree with this point. She is totally unpretentious. She doesn't think she's a musical genius at all. Infact she has openly admitted several times that she's not the greatest singer or dancer, but does consider herself an artist. As an artist and a person who has one of the biggest fanbases in the world, she does enlighten those who are her fans. She is who she is because of her fans. She doesn't really worry too much about non-fans because they're always going to have a different opinion about her. i wouldn't describe her as delusional either, but I do think she doesn't really understand the way people buy music these days. She does have an old fashioned idea that people still go the "record store" and buy singles!