From an Uk newspaper, posted at http://www.madonnavillage...php?t=8863

AS she puts the finishing touches to her upcoming world tour, Madonna Louise Ciccone is - as usual - making sure she gets exactly what she wants.
Now 47, the Queen of Pop has the body of a woman half her age, global adoration and enough money to buy her own country, so it's no surprise that she is used to calling the shots.

She can get the Los Angeles Police Department to seal off streets, make hairdressers drop all other celebrity clients at a moment's notice, and have the odd half of bitter flown over to California whenever she fancies it.

But there is one area of life that all-powerful Madonna just can't control - her marriage to British film director Guy Ritchie.

Rumours of fierce rows indicating that their five-year marriage was on the rocks were compounded last month when her father-in-law, John Ritchie, said they were only staying together for the sake of the children - Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, five.

Now Madonna's brother, 46-year-old Christopher Ciccone, adds more fuel to the fire in an exclusive interview with the Mirror.


Talking about the pressure that must come with being married to his famous sister, Christopher says: "You can't really prepare yourself for it. I mean, I don't know how a person prepares himself for that.


"I was there from the beginning so it was no big surprise for me. But if you're not around for the evolution of it, for what it becomes and how intense it can get, it can be surprising. It just takes getting used to - it's as simple as that."


Christopher, who designed the sets for her Blond Ambition and Girlie Show tours, knows how tough it is to be viewed as "Mr Madonna". He also has first-hand experience of how the strain of living with her remarkable fame can harm those closest to her.


He was horrified when she accidentally "outed" him in an interview. Although they have since made it up, he has refused to work so closely with her again.


"I would say Guy has managed to cope," adds Christopher. "They're still together. He's famous himself on a different level and in a different field."


IT is no secret that the Ritchies' marriage has been stormy from the start.


Madonna herself has said: "There is a lot of fire. When I first met him I couldn't believe I had met someone as strong-willed as I was.


"Guy has a very forceful personality with very specific likes and dislikes. He doesn't back down one iota if it's something we disagree on."


Guy, 37, is clearly not one to sit around in the shadow of his far more successful wife. But as his own career has stalled since his last hit movie, Snatch, that is increasingly what he finds himself doing.


The first indication that all was not well came earlier this year. The Mirror revealed how Madonna's close working relationship with record producer Stuart Price had opened up cracks in her marriage.


She was spending an increasing amount of time with 26-year-old Price, who masterminded her disco album Confessions On A Dancefloor.


A week later, she and Guy tried to stage a show of unity when they attended the Brits, but their stilted body language spoke volumes.


The couple spent just 30 minutes at the event in London's Earls Court. Embarrassingly, when Madonna stood to collect her award, Guy went to kiss her - and missed.


A month later, they relocated to Los Angeles in preparation for Madonna's world tour, where they were pictured leaving a Kabbalah centre looking sullen and miserable.


Madonna has even felt forced to put on a show of marital solidarity at rehearsals.


Just last week, the Mirror can reveal, she ordered her dancers to "call me Mrs R". Embarrassingly, few have obliged.


While Madonna currently puts in long days perfecting her routines - determined to appeal to a new "cooler" and younger audience while still retaining the loyal fans from her 80s heyday - Guy has been left hanging about, feeling bored and resentful.


A source in LA reveals: "Madonna is pushing herself to the limit on this tour. It gets harder and harder every year to stay at the top and she won't let herself slip, whatever it takes. But the downside is that everything is just revolving around her work. When Madonna focuses on her music, her marriage starts to slip.


"Guy is just hanging out with the kids, doing his own thing. He does turn up now and then to see her, but he's not at her beck and call.


OFTEN she'll want Guy to watch something or comment on a new look, but he doesn't even bother to show.


"She's got control over absolutely everything on this tour - from what the roadies eat to what power wattage we use.


"But she doesn't have the control over her husband that she wants."


Even so, retired advertising boss John Ritchie is optimistic that being in LA will help his son and daughterin - law sort out their differences.


He says: "It's easier out there because there is less pressure. They seem to have left the bumps they were having in Britain behind them. You can never know that things will work, but they do seem to be fitting into each other more.


"They have put everything behind them and gone to LA to enjoy themselves. They're able to go home at night and be together.


"They both want to see the children. It's the children that will keep them together. The children are everything to them."


Yet Guy has ruled out a permanent move to LA, fearing that he would be swallowed up by his wife's fame.


One source says: "Guy has insisted right from the outset that they keep their main base in England. It is his home country and it is one of the few things he has over her.


"She's no fool. She knows how important this is to him and she's been prepared to make the sacrifice because moving to LA full-time would be the death knell for him.


"He needs to be in Britain with his circle of friends. He likes the pub, he likes hunting, shooting, fishing and being in the countryside. Guy just couldn't survive for long in Los Angeles." Guy is not the only one in Madonna's inner sanctum who is no longer enthralled by every little detail of her career.


Christopher Ciccone admits: "I don't listen to my sister's music really. I've just heard it too much.


"There are certain songs that I really like, such as Like A Prayer, and the Erotica album was a great record - probably her best, in my opinion. Confessions is a more joyful, a little happier - like she's lightened up a bit."


THROUGH Madonna, Christopher was drawn into the Kabbalah religion, but he has since become disenchanted with the faith - a mystical branch of Judaism.


He says: "She took me to her house and all of the teachers were there and I just listened.


"There are some really good things in it. You have to take it and make it your own, the same as being a Catholic, make it whatever works. But anything that's organised can become very cultish. It got that way for me, so for a long time I sort of stopped.


"With all the celebrities involved, it takes something that's actually kind of cool and really useful and makes it appear foolish, stupid and faddish -- and it's not.


"But when you read about Britney Spears investigating it, it becomes so..."


Surprisingly, their father Tony - a devout Catholic - didn't turn a hair when told about Madonna's obsession with Kabbalah. But then it seems he gave up battling his strong-willed daughter a long time ago.


Christopher says: "I think my father did what only the father of Madonna could do and that's just let it slide off and carry on. It could make a person crazy, but he just makes his wine and he's a happy guy."


There's a lesson there for Guy, if he wants his marriage to survive.

Sounds like she's a workaholic and a control freak.

I admire her as a music-video artist and theatrical performer. However, she annoys me mainly because very rarely does anyone ever challenge her hypocrisy or take her to task. Yeah, yeah... some may have tried, but no one ever really takes those challenges seriously. Madonna always seems to come-out unscathed. I dunno. There is just something about Madonna that I don't find genuine, and that goes for this spiritual evolvement as well as her music. Madonna is a marketing machine. She doesn't really stand for anything while professing that she stands for something. She's an opportunist, period. She stands for whatever is going to best promote her. She gives the public what they want to hear and see, but somehow people view it as risk-taking or original when the truth is she is playing it safe. She's really a genuis at self-promotion. Nonetheless, I think she is way over-rated as an artist with any sort of depth. She just morphs into what will keep her in the game.


Yeah, I have Confessions, but haven't played it for a couple a months. It's ok. I just don't think it's this amazing cd either. It's sort of middle of the road, trying to appeal to the broadest market.

Isel said:

I don't think she would be anything if she didn't genuinely care about making good pop music. Listen closely to "Jump" or "Get Together" or "Bad Girl" or "Like A Prayer." It's more than marketing.
And her stage performances ARE genuine. At the end of the day she wants to dance.

badujunkie said:

Well, she should have stuck to being a dancer then!! I'm just kidding. But in all honesty, very few dancers are worldwide, international "stars" outside of the dance world. So maybe Madonna realized that dance wouldn't take her way she wanted to be. I guess I'm being unfair because I've never been a huge fan of Madonna's, so it's unlikely that I'm going to change my opinion about her. Plus, I realize that she has this HUGE fan-base here, so I even took a risk expressing my opinion. I just feel like she is playing this role. I think music gave her this chance to be a star, and she took it. I think more than being in music, Madonna wanted to be a star, but that's just my observation. So that trend has just continued because she doesn't want to let it go. She likes being Madonna the star.. the icon. I don't know the woman. It's just an observation.
[Edited 5/7/06 10:08am]

Isel said:

Agree with everything you said, but if you know that why did you buy Confessions? Record stores are big places.If you walk around you can find much more worthy things to spend your money on.

MikeMatronik said:

Madonna looks hot there! I'm sure all those men must have had a lot of fun getting the blood sucked out of them!

whoknows said:

Ohhh record stores. Those still exist?? (I'm just playing.) Actually, I think I bought it on-line--ON SALE. I didn't pay full-price for it. I just wanted to give the cd a chance. I read some interesting reviews. I thought it would be something I might be able to enjoy. I enjoyed it, but after a few weeks Confessions was relegated to my car, and occasionally I'll work-out to it. lol

I was all hyped to see Madonna's tour for the same reason. I wanted to give her a chance, but I'm not really interested anymore--mainly I just find her very hypocritical. I had to come back to add that I'm not even sure that hypocritical is the correct word. I can't really put my finger on it,but it probably has to do more with being disingenuous. There's just something about her that has never appealed to me. I really think that if she could have transitioned into acting, her music career would have become a thing of the past. But that's probably true of a lot of artists--and has been true.

I guess the same argument could be made about Cher,but Cher never has pretended to be... more than what she is/was as a musical artist. She is a GREAT actresss... Great. But in music, she is more an entertainer... or seemed to have been. Maybe Cher is a bad comparison, but Madonna to me is so pretentious. I think that's why Madonna isn't as successful as an actress: she can't step away from herself for just one moment. She is most successful in roles that sort of reflect her personality. She has to be in control, so she can't let go of that Madonna persona because without it, who is she?
[Edited 5/7/06 10:49am]

Isel said:

So glad to hear you say this. She as good as said this herself back in 85 when she was still basking in the warm glow of DSS. Music was only ever an avenue to stardom for her and if the movies had worked out she'd be devoted to that. A reviewer once pointed out how many of Madonna's songs tell us how wonderful she thinks music is and asked, "Is she worried we don't believe her?" Do I really need this vampire to tell me how great music is? She reminds me of people who switch sides in war and continually overcompensate to prove their loyalty.

whoknows said:

Sorry you guys are mistaken. Madonna loves music. She woulda quit making records LONG time ago and retired to her sofa rolling spliffs like George Michael and enjoying the fortune. She's a music buff...from old musicals to french techno to hip hop to Depeche Mode to Goldfrapp...and she loves making it. She's said herself, "writing and recording music makes me feel good." Just because she also wants fame and icon status and success as an actress doesn't contraindicate.

badujunkie said:

Keep telling yourself that. Music is her career so of course she keeps listening to new things. She wouldn't have stayed on top if she didn't, but you must understand she's listening for things to leech off of and nothing more. Madonna loves what music has given her much more than she loves music.

badujunkie said:

I'm sure she does love it and the industry because both have taken her to where she wanted to be. She started-out as a dancer. She didn't pursue music from an early age. In fact, didn't she try to get into to acting BEFORE being successful in music? Sure she may have written poetry or written in a journal, but a lot of people do the same thing for peace of mind without going into the music business.

I know A LOT of people will disagree with me because to them Madonna can do no wrong. I'm not suggesting that she is not grateful for her music career and her fans... although she has made a couple of comments about Americans being dumb during the Reinvention Tour that I didn't appreciate. Of course, she made those comments while in London, so there ya go. Hey, her dumb American fans just made her Reinvention Tour a success, paying a pretty steep price just to see her. Also she has made these comments about television being full of junk, but at the same time, she has contributed to that junk,sooooo She has no problem with people, particularly kids on MTV, watching her junk, I guess. I would say that's sort of biting the hand that feeds her.

Like I said, that pretentious sort of attitude really, really annoys me.

Isel said:

Preach, brother, preach! These kids ain't ready for your truth!

Isel said:

For not being a fan of hers you and whoknows both sure spend a lot of time analyzing her. It seems you have animosity toward her as a person or more how YOU PERCEIVE her as a person. I go by music and performance. She makes great pop albums (imo) and puts on great shows (imo). I could give a fuck if she's a kind or pretentious person.

badujunkie said:

Well this is why she is so successful. Because even the people that hate her love to hate her. She wins either way.

Isel said:

You do know, Janet Jackson never was into music at an early age either. She was basically pushed into it when she herself said she'd rather be an actress.
I guess that takes away some credibility from her too huh?

jayaredee said:

I see Janet as a team (Janet, Jimmy & Terry). When Damita Jo came out, Janet lots her magic with all those producers she used in that album

jayaredee said:

Well she was always exposed to music. She didn't like making her first two records because it was Joe there pushing her to do shit and it wasn't her own creative initiative.

Both Janet & Madonna spent a lot of time in their rooms listening to music when they were young, though. Janet because she was the most ignored member of the family and that's probably why she turned out the most normal when you think about it. She's talked about this a lot in interviews.

Isel said:

Anyone w/ her level of success & longevity has to be...

MikeMatronik said:

Damita Jo was better than All For You, so this really doesn't wash The good thing about the new record is she has really tried new things with it and seems to be going in a more interesting direction than her last two albums would suggest.

VoicesCarry said:

Of course both of them were exposed to music, and at one point i'm sure they'd both rather be actresses than in the music industry. But they are where they are and they both had impact no? So why use silly arguments to take away from someone's credibility or influence.

And people are here just for the sake of hating on her as opposed to discussing the article, the rather uninteresting article i might add.

Love her or hate her, we have to admit that Madonna is the figher and a winner! She dared to do what many women didn't have the balls to do. She made underground phenomenons mainstream like the Vogue. She recycled Glamour, Marylin Monroe and re-invented ideas of other pionering women!

She's also human. Thus imperfect! She's a bitch and a mother figure. That's why I admire and confess that I'm a fan since I was toddler.

She's like my mom, never to be understood by mere mortals!

MikeMatronik said:

Okay i'm leaving this topic now, you just opened what will become a 200+ reply topic.

VoicesCarry said:

Strangely I have all her albums since RM1814. I liked All for You, but The Velvet Rope will always be my favorite janet album...It's a matter of taste.

jayaredee said:

Janet is really a great woman. Her sanity is incredible. She handled the scandal with an uncanny finess. She's a lady!

jayaredee said:

It's my opinion!

I just sick of all this madonna and janet hate raves!

All my life why was teased for my love of Prince, Madonna and even David Bowie!

jayaredee said:

That's my point; I agree with you - no hating.

Pop stars like Madge & JJ are the last of their kind - smart women at the helm of their own business. I can't stand the new wave of moronic stars like Britney, who can barely string a sentence together.
[Edited 5/7/06 14:16pm]

VoicesCarry said:

I wasn't referring to you hating, more like whoknows...
The article was crap though, so i guess a new discussion had to arise.

VoicesCarry said:

Amen. No arguments here.

I'm starting to regret posting the article...

What scares me, is that if I become famous (thank god that won't happen!), my life is gonna be splashed on some tabloid! I don't want that!