RKJCNE said:

Xscaper said:

What's her fascination with homosexuality? Just trying to ride a wave by pandering to a select group. I don't mind a vid or two but it seems to be her running theme now.

Part of the reason why i can barely watch 50 percent of her videos. That and the incessant vulgarity.

Controversy for the sake of controversy.

She hasn't had a homoerotic video since the early 90s bro, and if you don't like it go to that new Kirk Cameron movie or a Santorum rally.

That's your opinion. I find homoeroticism in a lot of her videos. Some subtle some overt.

I can see why gay guys love her but that doesn't change the fact that she's been riding that wave for a long time now. Lady gaga has been trying to do that recently as well.How does she even understand the issues gay people face? Just because her associates have been gay doesn't make her an expert.

It's just my humble opinion of course, but i think there are bigger issues/causes she could champion. Pollution, corruption, racism , killings and the list goes on and on. Let a real gay icon who has suffered discrimination come out and champion his/her own rights. She has chosen to focus on a cause which helps her out as well. It's a mutually beneficial relationship and she has reaped the rewards quite nicely.

ehuffnsd said:

stevenpottle said:

...but I think that's the nature of music video at the moment, whether straight or gay...the stars of videos- the singer, the dancers, the models etc are purely there for decoration, tease, sexual objects, God, look at nearly every Snoop Dog video...I'd personally hate to be a dancer or model, lust or provocation is your main stance. I think it's up to films such as "Weekend" to show some heart or everydayness to being gay...BUT having said that, some people need the image of two strong muscled men eating the same apple that flashes up on TV to confront...maybe it is aggressive, but if I was a confused 15 year old, I would adore this video at the moment

Madonna has said that it was her dance instructor and mentor Christopher Flynn who was the first person to call her beautiful and encouraged her to persure her dreams. Madonna since the days in the 70s when Flynn took her to the gay clubs in Detorit where she said she expereinced freedom for the first time Madonna has been shaped and molded by gay men from Martin Bourgoyne, Andy Worhol, Keith Haring, Christopher Ciccone, Jamie King, Herb Ritts, Steven Misel, Steven Klein, Gianni Versace, Docle and Gabbana, Jean-Paul Gutier, Jean-baptiste Monindo and countless others. She stood up for the gay community when everyone feared us because we might give them AIDS, she introduce the MTV generation to gay people, she was the first straight celebrity to appear on the Adovcate, and I'm glad to see her putting us back in the front of her work because we were there before she was famous and we're still with her and i think it's cool the biggest star in the world is like our emassary to the straight world.

Well, you certainly can't fault Madonna here. She has come up with a good background story for her support

Did she at any stage suffer any discrimination against herself for being gay? Didn't think so.

All i am saying is i do understand why you guys revere her for being your champion. However, i feel her agenda is that of mutual benefit than anything else. She probably saw the gay community as an untapped resource and stuck into it.

Xscaper said:

ehuffnsd said:

Madonna has said that it was her dance instructor and mentor Christopher Flynn who was the first person to call her beautiful and encouraged her to persure her dreams. Madonna since the days in the 70s when Flynn took her to the gay clubs in Detorit where she said she expereinced freedom for the first time Madonna has been shaped and molded by gay men from Martin Bourgoyne, Andy Worhol, Keith Haring, Christopher Ciccone, Jamie King, Herb Ritts, Steven Misel, Steven Klein, Gianni Versace, Docle and Gabbana, Jean-Paul Gutier, Jean-baptiste Monindo and countless others. She stood up for the gay community when everyone feared us because we might give them AIDS, she introduce the MTV generation to gay people, she was the first straight celebrity to appear on the Adovcate, and I'm glad to see her putting us back in the front of her work because we were there before she was famous and we're still with her and i think it's cool the biggest star in the world is like our emassary to the straight world.

Well, you certainly can't fault Madonna here. She has come up with a good background story for her support

Did she at any stage suffer any discrimination against herself for being gay? Didn't think so.

All i am saying is i do understand why you guys revere her for being your champion. However, i feel her agenda is that of mutual benefit than anything else. She probably saw the gay community as an untapped resource and stuck into it.

so it's like I'm white then I can't fight racism?

Question Madonna's intentions if you must, be annoyed by her relationship to the gay community if you will. Whatever I don't care, more fun for the gays!

go2theMax said:

Xscaper said:

Well, you certainly can't fault Madonna here. She has come up with a good background story for her support

Did she at any stage suffer any discrimination against herself for being gay? Didn't think so.

All i am saying is i do understand why you guys revere her for being your champion. However, i feel her agenda is that of mutual benefit than anything else. She probably saw the gay community as an untapped resource and stuck into it.

so it's like I'm white then I can't fight racism?

Of course you can. But you wouldnt make it your priority if there were other more pressing issues against you, would you? If there was an affliction affecting white people then you would obviously make it your priority rather than fighting for someone elses rights. Thats just human nature. You protect yourself first and then, once youre secure you try and help others. So Madonna ran out of other issues to fight for? Of course not. There are obviously more pressing issues but they might not be as lucrative to stand up for. The gay community is a very loyal fan base. Its power cannot be underestimated. Madonna likely knew that and thus established this mutually beneficial situation. Her own brother has had drug addiction issues and as far as my limited information goes, he was homeless as well. Why not campaign against those things, drugs and homelessness etc?

I am not trying to deny her the right to do anything she wants. I am just saying that she wouldnt have been doing this if she wasnt getting anything back in return. Shes a business woman first.

New Interview: SFTW


A mum of four’s time is precious, especially when she has an album to finish and a gruelling tour to play for.

But the Queen of Pop couldn’t have been more enthusiastic and open about her 12th studio album MDNA — which might have something to do with the great reviews it has already received.

In October of this year Madonna will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of her first single Everybody.

Since then she has toured the world nine times, won countless awards and scored ten No1 solo albums.

But the singer, 53, still finds the presentation of new material a nerve-racking experience.

Speaking exclusively to SFTW, she said: “I don’t think presenting any of my work is less nerve-racking than it ever was because I put my heart and soul into something.

“Whether it’s on a film or my record, it’s something to work on in privacy and create in a kind of bubble and then put it out in the world.

“You never know how people are going to receive it, whether it’s going to move them or inspire them. The world is so full of entertainment now, isn’t it? So there are a lot of nerves.

“It’s amazing to be back in music. I like the intimacy of a recording studio and song-writing. I’m using a different part of my brain when I work on music versus when I’m directing a film.

“There are a billion more people on a film and I don’t have that visceral outlet of being able to sing, scream… jump around.

“It’s very different. I love doing both but it was nice to have the simplicity of song-writing after three years of writing a script and directing and editing and talking about my film, to sit down and play my guitar and sing a song. I almost cried.”

Her last studio album, Hard Candy in May 2008, experimented with a hip-hop influence. She collaborated with Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams and Timbaland.

The album reached No1 around the world but received a lukewarm reception from some fans and critics.

MDNA, a “triple entendre” as she describes it, is a return to what she does best: classic pop songs with a sprinkling of trademark controversy.

And it is down to the return of her winning formula: working with top European producers.

Stuart Price produced some of her best original material on Confessions On A Dancefloor back in 2005. She also made some great material with French electronic guru Mirwais.

But her return to the studio with producer William Orbit, who made Ray Of Light back in 1998, is a master stroke.

The tracks they have made together on the new album, including Gang Bang and Some Girls, slot into her discography perfectly.

She has also employed the skills of Martin Solveig, Italian DJ Benny Benassi and his cousin Allessandro.

And Madonna believes her return to Europe for her producing partners is no coincidence.

She explained: “I think maybe I just have more of a European sensibility. People say that about my songs as well. I like working with people who are well-read and know what’s going on in the world.

“Conversation is essential. With William, we always get into discussions about philosophy or quantum physics.

“With Martin Solveig we always end up getting in to discussions about foreign films. When I’m working with people I can’t just write music, I have to be able to talk about life and the world, and art. Benny was a tricky one because he doesn’t speak English very well.

“I ended up kind of using his cousin Allessandro as an interpreter.

“It was a little bit frustrating at first but eventually we found a way to communicate. You figure out a way. With music it’s so much about the vibe and the energy and you know when things are working and when they’re not.

“When you’re working with someone for the first time, there’s a kind of shyness that everybody has, so with Benny it was more challenging because of that but we figured it out and by the end I felt like I knew him very well.

“Martin is such good fun, I adore him. You have to feel like you can say ‘No, I don’t like that,’ and you’re not going to hurt their feelings. And vice versa.

“But he’s got just the right balance of seriousness and humour.

“He’s very organised and methodical in his thinking so I like his work process.”

The production on the album is slick, with some great touches.

On Gang Bang the noise of a spent cartridge from a gun hitting a concrete floor illustrates her “Kill Bill” fantasy for the track.

But the contrast of a huge pop track like Superstar, featuring her daughter Lourdes on backing vocals, is followed up with a song called Falling Free — one of her most stripped-back songs for years. She explained: “I have to be completely involved in the production. I like the contrast.

“I like to have something that is just slammed with noise and sound and bass and drum, sensory overload and then create something like Falling Free, which is stripped back and all you can really hear is my voice and the lyrics.

“Sometimes I sit down on a guitar and start strumming chords and things come out.

“Sometimes people bring a song to me that has a title, for instance, or an idea of a lyric and I take it and kind of re-shape it, re-word it and make it my own. It comes in so many different ways, it’s always been that way.”

The album features some big collaborations with strong female solo stars — M.I.A and rapper Nicki Minaj. Give Me All Your Luvin’ was the Superbowl song that ended up causing controversy when M.I.A decided to stick up her middle fin ger.

But that punk spirit is exactly why she got them on board.

She said: “I was looking to collaborate with women who I think have a strong sense of themselves.

“They were a lot of fun to be around in the studio, for sure.

“I think we were all shy of each other in the beginning, that’s just human nature.

“I think we got over that pretty quickly.

“They’re both very self-possessed people, especially M.I.A. I don’t think she’s impressed much by stars and celebrities, so we just got down to business. I loved her.”

And the key to keeping the music original? Don’t listen to chart music while you are writing.

She said: “I wasn’t listening to anything to tell you the truth, when I wrote this.

“I was working on the soundtrack to my movie W.E. So just classical music. I actually don’t like listening to pop music while I’m working on pop music — it doesn’t really work.

“You don’t want to hear other people’s stuff, you need a clean slate to work off.”

The Sun Something For The Weekend

for those of you who purchased this album on iTunes,here's what the digital booklet looks like....

Xscaper said:

go2theMax said:

so it's like I'm white then I can't fight racism?

Of course you can. But you wouldnt make it your priority if there were other more pressing issues against you, would you? If there was an affliction affecting white people then you would obviously make it your priority rather than fighting for someone elses rights. Thats just human nature. You protect yourself first and then, once youre secure you try and help others. So Madonna ran out of other issues to fight for? Of course not. There are obviously more pressing issues but they might not be as lucrative to stand up for. The gay community is a very loyal fan base. Its power cannot be underestimated. Madonna likely knew that and thus established this mutually beneficial situation. Her own brother has had drug addiction issues and as far as my limited information goes, he was homeless as well. Why not campaign against those things, drugs and homelessness etc?

I am not trying to deny her the right to do anything she wants. I am just saying that she wouldnt have been doing this if she wasnt getting anything back in return. Shes a business woman first.

Madonna is also involved in fighting poverty in Africa,particularly Malawi,where she has adopted two children and is planning to build several schools.You're implying that she only supports causes when it benefits her...how exactly is she "benefitting" from all of her charity work in Malawi? When she was adopting David,the media attacked her and even accused her of kidnapping a young child.

I LOVE that new picture from the interview SoulAlive posted! She looks amazing!

I love the interview, I love the fact that she didn't listen at all what was in the charts!

In addition to the Yankee Stadium shows,Madonna adds a Madison Square Garden show to her schedule....

2012 World Tour To Stop At NYC's Madison Square Garden

We are happy to announce that a show at New York's Madison Square Garden has just been added to Madonna's 2012 World Tour schedule and will take place on November 12!

Tickets to this newly added show will go on sale at 10am local time on March 30, while a devoted fan club pre-sale will start March 26 at Noon local time for Legacy members/1pm for Live Pass members.

SoulAlive said:

Xscaper said:

Of course you can. But you wouldnt make it your priority if there were other more pressing issues against you, would you? If there was an affliction affecting white people then you would obviously make it your priority rather than fighting for someone elses rights. Thats just human nature. You protect yourself first and then, once youre secure you try and help others. So Madonna ran out of other issues to fight for? Of course not. There are obviously more pressing issues but they might not be as lucrative to stand up for. The gay community is a very loyal fan base. Its power cannot be underestimated. Madonna likely knew that and thus established this mutually beneficial situation. Her own brother has had drug addiction issues and as far as my limited information goes, he was homeless as well. Why not campaign against those things, drugs and homelessness etc?

I am not trying to deny her the right to do anything she wants. I am just saying that she wouldnt have been doing this if she wasnt getting anything back in return. Shes a business woman first.

Madonna is also involved in fighting poverty in Africa,particularly Malawi,where she has adopted two children and is planning to build several schools.You're implying that she only supports causes when it benefits her...how exactly is she "benefitting" from all of her charity work in Malawi? When she was adopting David,the media attacked her and even accused her of kidnapping a young child.

That's a very appreciable act. No doubt about it.

However, it looks like i haven't been able to properly convey myself here.

Her work in Africa and against poverty is obviously important but apparently it's not important enough for her to push it to the forefront of her creativity. It's not reflected in her music and in her videos.

Not every fan follows her personal life but her music reaches a lot of people. People still need to hear about these problems. Sad songs about the earth falling apart and people suffering aren't really fashionable though and may not go down as well with her target audience as happy campy songs do.

She may support a million causes but all i see in her videos is support for the Gay community. Nothing else gets promoted as much as that. Children in Africa obviously can't buy her albums no matter how much you support them, can they? j/k

On another note, if i was gay i would be slightly unimpressed with this video. Men in stilleto heels?

She's not really helping stright people understand gay people any better if you ask me. Is she trying to promote the stereotype that all gay men are camp and cross dress? This video is done in very bad taste.

Xscaper said:

go2theMax said:

so it's like I'm white then I can't fight racism?

Of course you can. But you wouldnt make it your priority if there were other more pressing issues against you, would you? If there was an affliction affecting white people then you would obviously make it your priority rather than fighting for someone elses rights. Thats just human nature. You protect yourself first and then, once youre secure you try and help others. So Madonna ran out of other issues to fight for? Of course not. There are obviously more pressing issues but they might not be as lucrative to stand up for. The gay community is a very loyal fan base. Its power cannot be underestimated. Madonna likely knew that and thus established this mutually beneficial situation. Her own brother has had drug addiction issues and as far as my limited information goes, he was homeless as well. Why not campaign against those things, drugs and homelessness etc?

I am not trying to deny her the right to do anything she wants. I am just saying that she wouldnt have been doing this if she wasnt getting anything back in return. Shes a business woman first.

well, I think she's been fighting predjudice against gay people since 80's, when the world was a lot less opened 2 them. Back then it could be (and I think it was) kinda risky 4 an artist 2 do that...image wise.

Or maybe she wanted to win her audience of fans?

I never believed that Madonna would have risked her career for gays frankly, she absolutely clear guided by quite different interests ... business interests first. I'm not saying it's bad, it's okay, just laughable when someone thinks she is an altruist and a fighter for the rights of the oppressed.

LiLi1992 said:

Or maybe she wanted to win her audience of fans?

I never believed that Madonna would have risked her career for gays frankly, she absolutely clear guided by quite different interests ... business interests first. I'm not saying it's bad, it's okay, just laughable when someone thinks she is an altruist and a fighter for the rights of the oppressed.

I think she would have had a lot more success if she was a well-behaved american sweetheart. as a business woman or not..she took risks. There wasn't many women with the guts 2 do it

not true...up until Like a Prayer I think she had a larger audiende. Gay people alone would not have granted the success she had.

Straight people have followed her careeer, bought the albums and attended her gigs too. I, for one, can attest to that.

LiLi1992 said:

Gay people alone would not have granted the success she had.

The main part of her loyal fans - gays (I visit her fan sites /rarely/ so confident in my words), but her audience is much wider, there are many casual fans or people who like some of the songs and videos.

Her albums in the U.S. became less successful because she has ceased to be a "new" star, fed up with the audience. Common for pop stars, the U.S. market constantly demands new stars.

Straight people have followed her careeer, bought the albums and attended her gigs too. I, for one, can attest to that.

Did I deny it?? I am a straight girl and have 7 her albums in the collection.
I talked about majority of her obsessed and hardcore fans.

no more than that....

[Edited 3/23/12 9:40am]

I got you the first time. That say, only the truly hardcore would admit to owning copies of American Life.

Identity said:

I got you the first time. That say, only the truly hardcore would admit to owning copies of American Life.

I have "American Life" and I like it more than most of her albums.
But I can not say that I am her big fan, just a music fan.

I would say for me:
1. Ray of Light 5/5
2. Like a Prayer 4.5/5
3. American Life 4/5
4. Music 4/5
5. MDNA 3.5/5
6. COTDF 3.5/5

I'm not really interested in her other albums.

Madonna sets Madison Square Garden show

9:27 AM By Glenn Gamboa

Photo credit: Getty Images

With the second of her Yankee Stadium shows close to selling out even before her new album “MDNA” arrives on Monday, Madonna has added a third New York show to her world tour, stopping at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12.

“Madonna’s track record as a world class entertainer and touring artist speaks for itself,” said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's chief executive of Global Touring, which is promoting the tour. “Her artistry, talent and creative productions get bigger and better with each tour and Madonna 2012 will be no exception.”

Tickets for the Madison Square Garden show go on sale at 10 a.m. March 30 through Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Fans who buy a ticket for her tour also get a copy of Madonna's “MDNA” album.

According to Live Nation, Madonna's Sept. 6 show at Yankee Stadium is sold out, but limited tickets remain for the Sept. 8 show. Her tour is set to start on May 29 in Tel Aviv, Israel. It reaches North America on Aug. 28 in Philadelphia and runs through Nov. 20 in Miami.

Metacritic score 73/100

list of all the Metacrtiic scores of Madonna's albums

MDNA 73/100
Celebration 84/100
Hard Candy 65/100
Confessions On A Dance Floor 80/100
American Life 60/100
Music 80/100

Identity said:

photoshopped or not, Madonna still has a wonderful set of BOOBS

LiLi1992 said:

Metacritic score 73/100

list of all the Metacrtiic scores of Madonna's albums

MDNA 73/100
Celebration 84/100
Hard Candy 65/100
Confessions On A Dance Floor 80/100
American Life 60/100
Music 80/100

go2theMax said:

LiLi1992 said:

Or maybe she wanted to win her audience of fans?

I never believed that Madonna would have risked her career for gays frankly, she absolutely clear guided by quite different interests ... business interests first. I'm not saying it's bad, it's okay, just laughable when someone thinks she is an altruist and a fighter for the rights of the oppressed.

I think she would have had a lot more success if she was a well-behaved american sweetheart. as a business woman or not..she took risks. There wasn't many women with the guts 2 do it

You have a point there because if she was this innocent singer without this much overt sexuality she probably would have been more accessible to kids BUT at the same time Media all over the world esp. US and UK doesn't respect the meek celebrity. If Madonna had been a lot more subdued and conservative she would have suffered at the hands of media manipulation. Baseless scandals etc would have been the norm.

If you know you can write shit about someone and they're just gonna cower down and hide then you've got nothing to worry about. Madonna has always had this "I am gonna say and do whatever the fuck i want and you can go fuck yourself if you disagree". In an ideal world that would piss off a lot of people however in our world it actually ensures people think twice before slandering you or writing any crap about you coz they know you're gonna come after them. Somehow they start respecting you. I know it sounds crazy but i feel that's what happened in her case. The media can't bring her down no matter what they do. She's just too strong. "If you can't beat em join em" comes to mind here.

She may have lost a few fans initially with her "in your face" attitude but she has regained a lot many more over a period of time. Believe it or not but people still listen like sheep to the Media.

RKJCNE said: