Madonna
Posted Thu Apr 17 1:56pm PDT by Bob Lefsetz in The Lefsetz Letter


She got her face redone, hooked up with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake and spent hours in the gym...but how many people have heard the record?

Maybe you've even seen her in the media parade. Adopting an underprivileged child, posing on the cover of Vanity Fair... But did that make you turn on Top Forty radio, did it make you scour the Web to hear the track? And what is the name of the track anyway?

It's not 1985, when we were all addicted to MTV, when it was the train-wreck of a generation, PerezHilton.com without the competition of TMZ and wannabes. We saw her in that production number, we knew the material girl was not a virgin. She became the talk of a generation because we were all tuned into the same damn channel. Now MTV airs almost no videos and those waiting for clips on the outlet must not have Net connections, where you can view almost any clip you want instantly!

Assuming you want to see the clip. Which looks sh*tty in a small box. And even if this new site, PluggedIn, gets traction, are labels really going to spend a fortune for production numbers, usually featuring actors as opposed to the act itself?

Madonna may have made a deal with LiveNation, but that does not mean she's the ubiquitous cultural icon she once was. No one can be. There's no center and too much choice. We watched those shows on network television in the sixties because we had no choice. As soon as we had options, we abandoned the networks for cable. And now some are abandoning the box completely for the Web.

It's kind of funny to see Madonna trying so hard. And that's what she's doing. Rather than kicking back and figuring out how to play in the new world, she's just ramping it up old style. Add on the glitz, add on the glamour... Like someone under 40 who wasn't around the first time through is even going to give a sh*t. Like kids are going with their buddies to see her at overinflated prices because of the new hit. Nah, if they go to the show at all it will be with their parents, as nostalgia.

Give Radiohead and Trent Reznor props. They're living in the now. Madonna is living in the twentieth century. It's as if Michael Jordan assembled a superstar team of young 'uns to go for an NBA championship... It would be creepy. And just looking at Madonna is creepy. Wasn't she the one with the air conditioned teeth and the chubby thighs? Wasn't she the one with the sassy mouth, but the body of the girl next door? Wasn't she attractive because she was playing dress-up? Wasn't she Susan in that movie? Wasn't that truly her own screen success? When she was an underdog, someone who didn't fit in, as opposed to a superstar giving dictation?

But this isn't solely about Madonna. It's about Jay-Z. It's about anybody who sold millions of albums under the old paradigm. You just can't do it anymore. You just can't get enough eyeballs. You're a niche product, no matter how hard you flog yourself.

I was sitting in a restaurant in Toronto. And I put forth the question, have you heard the new Madonna track?

Karen, one of Canada's foremost music journalists, on the trail of everything new and trendy, said no.

Tanya, an exec at EMI Music Publishing, said no.

Felice said no.

And I said no too.

But according to the chart, the Madonna track was number one.

I guess the chart doesn't mean much anymore.

http://new.us.music.yahoo...56/madonna

While I can't stand Justin Timberdouche, and the lyrics and song structure (or lack of) of the new single kind of get on my tits, Madonna matters a hell of a lot more than Bob Lefsetz (whoever the fuck that is) ever will.


One: Karen Bliss is one of Canada's foremost insecure, groupie-wannabe know-nothings.

Two: So I'm supposed to believe that because some random bitch from EMI Publishing , another random bitch named "Felice" and a hater trying to make a name for himself by writing a piece about how Madonna "no longer matters" haven't heard her new single, that she's played out? Oh, okay, Bob. Thanks for hippin' me.

Personally, I could care less whether or not Madonna still "matters". What I do care about is bitter hipsters crapping out tired pieces about how so-and-so is no longer relevant, in a lame-ass attempt to draw some attention to themselves. In his defense, at least he's come up with the stunning observation that the market has become more fragmented.

There is nothing sadder than a "rock critic" (except maybe a rock critic writing a piece about how Madonna no longer matters, while she's sitting in her luxury flat, wiping her ass with platinum-gilded toilet paper).

Did I mention I'm no longer big on hipsters?

The ending summary (okay the whole article) was kind of redundant. All we learned is those people are not listening to Madonna.

She does matter and she doesnt matter. She'll always be famous and there'll always be interest in her, but she doesnt really matter on a pop music level anymore, or as much as she used to. Shes definetly more loved as an entertainer and when it comes to performing, which is what happens to most acts as they get older in the industry. I mean when she puts music out it is still praised and loved by many but if she decided not to release anymore music I dont think anyone other then her fans would be too dissapointed.

All I got from that article is that older artists don't sell records like they used to.

SHOCKING!!!

Nobody spends that much time writing or talking about someone if they no longer matter. It's a done deal and everyone just quietly acknowledges it and moves on. They don't ask their friends about it at dinner and then write a fucking essay about it.

she never mattered she is just a oversexed [snipped - June7] woman that people percieve as sooo talented when she not she cant dance her singing is ok her songs some of em hot but she half of what she is percieved 2 b

Paris9748430 said:

I know! And I'd never read a piece before that stated that the music market is more fragmented than it used to be!*



*With the exception of every article focusing on the music business since 1992.

Raze said:

Raze said:

TonyVanDam said:

I reckon there are not too many (any?) hall of famers who had true lasting popularity from their debut until the day they were inducted like Madonna actually has.

The thread title got my hopes up, but this is more an article about how fragmented the culture is becoming than anything else. It takes a few tame, unfocused shots at Madge, but as the writer said himself "This isn't solely about Madonna. It's about Jay-Z. It's about anybody who sold millions of albums under the old paradigm. You just can't do it anymore. You just can't get enough eyeballs." He just put Madonna in there to give a different angle to the real story, which is that people are no longer so easy to reach en masse. Twenty years ago probably everyone knew the latest No. 1 single. Nowadays most people probably don't.

Like Liz Smith recently pointed out,"Every few years,they say Madonna is irrelevent".These articles are funny to me.They keep dissing her and yet she keeps on doing her thing,proving them wrong,over and over and over.

Oddly,we only see these types of articles before a new album is released.Two weeks from now,when her album is Number One in thirty countries,what will these critics be saying then? At the end of this year,when she's on tour,selling out huge arenas,what are these critics gonna say then? When she's grossing over $200 million for a three-month tour,these critics are nowhere to be found They keep their mouths shut then.

SoulAlive said:

I heard Madonna just got something like $25 million to perform two shows? It was on another forum.. pointing out that she was "beating" Prince

Cinnie said:

Yeah,and this is exactly the type of news that these critics would never report Madonna is getting $25 million to perform two shows in Dubai.If this makes her "irrelevent",then I'm sure there are many pop stars who would love to be "irrelevent" like this

SoulAlive said:

YES! That's the news

Shit... there are all kinds of hall of famers who can't pull that kind of dough.

Exactly.I mean,it's one thing to dislike Madonna and her music,but come on...calling her "irrelevent" is just plain stupid.You gotta give her props.She's managing her career better than anyone else in pop music.She's still making the bucks.

midnightmover said:

That's why I'm emailing Bob Lefsetz to suggest he change the name of his blog to "The Captain Obvious Column".


Dear Bob Lefsetz:

You can still get the eyeballs; it's the paying customers that are harder to come by. In other words: It's the downloads, stupid.

SoulAlive said:

Exactly. Who's with me on the campaign to replace The Lefsetz Letter with the SoulAlive Send?

SoulAlive said:

Bob Lefsetz would light his balls on fire to be irrelevant like that.

SoulAlive said:

Yeah? Well, she's no Bob Lefsetz, pulling in $20,000 a year and eating a meal with a crusty ho!

midnightmover said:

^^^what U said....on the money...

To be honest,I kinda like these Madonna-bashing articles I think it pushes her harder to accomplish great things.When she has a successful album and tour,she can sit back and laugh at those articles.Success is the best revenge.

Ace said:

SoulAlive said:

First of all this is not an article. It's a blog from some guy I've never even heard of. I doubt Madonna is gonna read this guy's blog. She'll read what the mainstream media says and she'll like what she reads since it's overwhelmimgly positive.

Secondly, if you actually read it, you'll see he's not really saying Madonna is any more irrelevant than anyone else. Again, I have to quote what some of you guys didn't read. "This isn't solely about Madonna. It's about Jay-Z. It's about anybody who sold millions of albums under the old paradigm. You just can't do it anymore. You just can't get enough eyeballs." His point is actually a pretty obvious one, and not really about Madonna much at all, but hey I explained this already. Just read my last post.
[Edited 4/19/08 15:19pm]

No longer mattering in today's music scene is a compliment. Only a fool would want to matter.

Without getting caught up in all the Madonna love, what about what the guy is saying?

What does a new artist do these days to be "relevant", and relevant to whom?

If it's under 30's, no one these days, NO one is going to do what Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen did in the 80's.

There will be no more Thrillers, Purple Rains or Born in the USAs.

So what is a new artist to do? And how do these classic artists attract an audience?

Is Prince relegated to the closet of 80's nostalgia? Do we continue to watch Bruce's band members die off or play on talk shows?

I'm not trying to ride anybody. With the current state of the music business, how does a still-talented veteran get noticed by the people who buy music?

And who buys music anymore? Who are the folks who spend all that money on iTunes?
I know no one is going to the wrecka stows anymore. Tower Records went out of business. Some of the Virgin Records places are also closing down. The selection at Best Buy and Circuit City are laughable.

The writer derides Madonna (and other artists) for putting herself out there and getting associated with younger artists, but a 50 year old woman can't keep writhing on the ground, and a 50 year old guy can't masturbate a guitar without looking creepy, so what does an artist do in 2008?

Raze said:

I just smoked a bowl, thanks for the laugh!

Raze said:

I just smoked a bowl, thanks for the laugh!