Comments on: Madonna on American values.

Madonna on American values.

Durwood — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:05:57 -0800

I thought this had to be a joke from the Onion. Madonna is quoted as saying that "We as Americans are completely obsessed and wrapped up in a lot of the wrong values -- looking good, having cash in the bank, being perceived as rich, famous and successful or just being famous." She also states that "the only thing that's going to bring you happiness is love and how you treat your fellow man and having compassion for one another." Ridiculing celebrities just doesn't get any better than this!!!

By: Outlawyr

Outlawyr — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:11:30 -0800

What's with all the Madonga posts.

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:19:19 -0800

MadonnaFilter

By: gwint

gwint — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:19:42 -0800

What's with all the Madonga posts. She's got a new album out. Which means lots of drummed up "controversy" so that we're all talking about Madonna. Madonna Madonna Madonna. Did I mention she's got a new album out?

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:24:05 -0800

"It's the most superficial part of the American dream and who would know better than me? The only thing that's going to bring you happiness is love and how you treat your fellow man and having compassion for one another." Wow, just like the apostle Paul. Maybe she'll change her name too. Any guesses?

By: cinderful

cinderful — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:24:28 -0800

I prefer her acting, myself.

By: archimago

archimago — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:26:18 -0800

And a troll to boot. Durwood, you've conveniently not posted her entire comment, which begins "It's the most superficial part of the American dream and who would know better than me? " Why is she not allowed to have insight or be critical?

By: trbrts

trbrts — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:29:33 -0800

Oh man that's rich. From the Material Girl no less. Madonna should give away all her money and let people freely trade her MP3's without being cursed at if this is how she feels.

By: drstrangelove

drstrangelove — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:29:52 -0800

Talk about the fucking pot and kettle...

By: Outlawyr

Outlawyr — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:33:50 -0800

"Why is she not allowed to have insight" If only. It's more like she's parroting something she read in a horoscope or Bazooka Joe fortune.

By: Perigee

Perigee — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:34:20 -0800

Well, archimago, she's allowed to... but it's a little like a hooker preaching against pre-marital sex. Skip on down to the last paragraph: "The critics have been writing me off for 20 years. That's nothing new. As far as I know I still have plenty of fans and sell lots of records. Do I care what critics say about me? No, and I don't read reviews." Seems to me she still has her head up her celebrity, and therefore has very little room to wag her finger at the universe.

By: filchyboy

filchyboy — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:35:54 -0800

I'm a tad confused about what the point is here. She has always critiqued American culture. She is doing so now. She has evolved both as an artist and as a person. John Lennon said similar things in the later years of his life. When he was starting out he was a "material boy." None of this is interesting unless you have absolutely no idea of the history of pop music or art. It seems to me that ridiculing FFPs like this on Metafilter are far more interesting.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:36:24 -0800

Maybe she'll change her name too. Any guesses? How about Madonga? Only one letter changed, just like Paul/Saul, and then she can be the singer for Mofungo, which will suit her new political views.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:38:41 -0800

Talk about the fucking pot and kettle... Pots and kettles can fuck now?? I demand pictures! Bring me Pottery Porn!

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:42:07 -0800

John Lennon said similar things in the later years of his life. Have they released Mark David Chapman yet? Just wondering...

By: Outlawyr

Outlawyr — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:44:23 -0800

Ok, languagehat, that one's gonna cost you.

By: bicyclingfool

bicyclingfool — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:51:53 -0800

I don't usually weigh in on things like this when I've got nothing useful to say, but I can't help myself here: This woman is _soooo_ lame. The only thing I find impressive about her is the constant reformulation of her schtick and subsequent self-promotion. How many ways can one person market themselves and still be the same person? Please, drift away into obscurity already!

By: filchyboy

filchyboy — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:56:01 -0800

2 Bonus Madonna Links:

By: eurasian

eurasian — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:03:23 -0800

mmmm, pottery porn. only slightly less salacious than crockery porn.

By: zekinskia

zekinskia — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:10:03 -0800

Aside from the fact that this is good advertising for her new album, and she knows it... Madonna has preached a decent message to young women throughout her career, IMHO, and at the very least talks about issues such as teen pregnancy, male emotional repression, materialism, racism, and many more topics that are too "unpredictable" for most producers to touch with a ten foot pole. Also, you can call her a loser all you want, but most straight men would give a limb for a date with her.

By: inpHilltr8r

inpHilltr8r — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:25:38 -0800

Although she'd probably prefer flowers...

By: jgilliam

jgilliam — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:28:44 -0800

Gay men may not give a limb for a date with her, but I bet you could coax a kidney or two out of them.

By: xmutex

xmutex — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:31:13 -0800

Dude I'd totally tap that ass.

By: Ignatius J. Reilly

Ignatius J. Reilly — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:34:07 -0800

Pots and kettles can fuck now?? I demand pictures! Bring me Pottery Porn! You're a pervert. It's only OK to watch if they're stainless steel. And I won't even dignify that disguting "crockery" reference above. Sickos.

By: xmutex

xmutex — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:46:33 -0800

I just hope Michael Moore can exploit this, and soon.

By: xmutex

xmutex — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:50:02 -0800

Err, wrong thread, back to sleep.

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:50:02 -0800

Gay men may not give a limb for a date with her, but I bet you could coax a kidney or two out of them. To have front row tickets and backstage passes to one of her stellar shows, yes. She's quite the entertainer. However, I'd only want the backstage passes to illustrate the idea that she wouldn't talk so much with me in her mouth. CelebrityBashingFilter

By: 4easypayments

4easypayments — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:53:31 -0800

Ridiculing celebrities just doesn't get any better than this!!! I don't understand what part of this is ironic or mockworthy (or newsworthy for that matter). Isn't it pretty standard for those who have pursued and accumulated large amounts of wealth to realize it's not enough in itself to make them happy?

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 15:00:57 -0800

speaking of Onion jokes, this was the most insightful one this week: Tortured Ugandan Political Prisoner Wishes Uganda Had Oil KAMPALA, UGANDA—A day after having his hands amputated by soldiers backing President Yoweri Museveni's brutal regime, Ugandan political prisoner Otobo Ankole expressed regret Monday over Uganda's lack of oil reserves. "I dream of the U.S. one day fighting for the liberation of the oppressed Ugandan people," said Ankole as he nursed his bloody stumps. "But, alas, our number-one natural resource is sugar cane." Ankole, whose wife, parents, and five children were among the 4,000 slaughtered in Uganda's ethnic killings of 2002, then bowed his head and said a prayer for petroleum.

By: SpaceCadet

SpaceCadet — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 15:05:08 -0800

So is she going to stop trying to look good, give away her millions and help the sick and needy? Don't describe the path, walk down it.

By: seanyboy

seanyboy — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 15:09:36 -0800

Just a simple case of celebrity "the corners of maslov's triangle are always sharper on the other side" envy. Pity the woman. She wanted to be famous, and when it happened, she decided she didn't like it. BFD. It doesn't take a Henna Tatooist to see she's been heading down this particular path for a long time.

By: ed

ed — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 15:12:34 -0800

Madonna has preached a decent message to young women throughout her career. From "Into the Groove": Music can be such a revelation / Dancing around you feel the sweet sensation / We might be lovers if the rhthym's right / I hope this feeling never ends tonight From "Vogue": It makes no difference if you're black or white / If you're a boy or a girl / If the music's pumping or it will give you new life / You're a superstar, yes, that's what you are, you know it From "Justify My Love": I want to know you / Not like that / I don't wanna be your mother / I don't wanna be your sister either / I just wanna be your lover / I wanna be your baby / Kiss me, that's right, kiss me From "Sanctuary": Who needs the sun, when the rain's so full of life / Who needs the sky / It's here in your arms I want to be buried / You are my sanctuary From "Ray of Light": And I feel / Quicker than a ray of light / Then gone for / Someone else should be there / Through the endless years Yup. Scintillating nuggets of wisdom there. No question about it: Madonna's lyrics are truly the poetry for our time.

By: Ty Webb

Ty Webb — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 15:57:46 -0800

Greta Garbo, and Monroe Dietrich and DiMaggio Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean On the cover of a magazine Grace Kelly; Harlow, Jean Picture of a beauty queen Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers, dance on air They had style, they had grace Rita Hayworth gave good face Lauren, Katharine, Lana too Bette Davis, we love you Ladies with an attitude Fellows that were in the mood Don't just stand there, let's get to it Strike a pose, there's nothing to it Vogue. How can you argue with that?

By: WolfDaddy

WolfDaddy — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 16:00:04 -0800

I've always been fond of "Don't repress yourself, express yourself" myself. But only when it applies to me.

By: kindall

kindall — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 16:50:23 -0800

If you think Madonna's lyrics contain the entirety of her message and role-model-ness, you're missing 90% of her.

By: Ty Webb

Ty Webb — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 16:58:37 -0800

kindall, exactly. Madonna's music, while not entirely beside the point, is more or less simply the avenue she's chosen to market herself. Her real genius, and it is genius, is in marketing. On the one hand, as a musician, I resent the utter comodification of art that her career represents; on the other hand, damn it's impressive.

By: hama7

hama7 — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 18:28:21 -0800

I love it when ridiculously wealthy people criticize other ridiculously wealthy people for being ridiculously wealthy.

By: BirdD0g

BirdD0g — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 18:51:16 -0800

ZenMaster–
They have released Mark David Chapman, if by they you mean the band ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead." Which album is it on, you ask? Why Madonna, of course.
I'm kind of freaked out right now.

By: shabrem

shabrem — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 21:55:17 -0800

Madonna is just reporting what must be a rather obvious truth to her by now, that fame is no satisfaction.

By: shabrem

shabrem — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 21:56:08 -0800

Obvious and forceful. And bulbous.

By: arto

arto — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 02:46:01 -0800

For those of you who don't read boingboing (and shame on you!), I give you something that's probably gonna be better than the official album tracks anyway, the Digital Cutup Lounge vs Madonna "What The Fuck Do You Think You're Doing" remix (3.7mb mp3)

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 07:29:08 -0800

Har har, I heard on Fox that it was funn-ee to make fun of celebrities.

By: teradome

teradome — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 07:33:26 -0800

I think Colin Quinn said it well recently about these celebrity lectures, although I'm paraphrasing since I don't have a photographic memory: "Maybe people don't like being told how spoiled and arrogant they are by the most spoiled and arrogant."

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 08:41:20 -0800

Madonna is quoted as saying that "We as Americans are completely obsessed and wrapped up in a lot of the wrong values -- looking good, having cash in the bank, being perceived as rich, famous and successful or just being famous." Cognitive ... dissonance ... critical ... must ... stay ... conscious ...

By: newlydead

newlydead — Fri, 25 Apr 2003 16:55:56 -0800

Umh. Are those values or attributes? And, just for fun, is "having cash in the bank" the same as being "perceived as rich?"