One of my staff goes to MADONNA premiére TONIGHT in NYC!

I know how much Madonna messages are revered here, so I thought I'd add one of my own.

One the members of my staff won a pair of seats for tonight's premiére of Madonna's new documentary [the name escapes me] at Loew's Sony Lincoln Center. I'm told that Madonna will be there and she herself is hosting a party at the event. My staff person was told to be there at 4pm for the 8pm event, and there will be an MTV tent. My employee was every excited as Madonna has been their idol since the age of 3. [Boy, do I feel old. I remember when Madonna came on the scene.]

Anyhow, I thought some of you might want to share in the joy of my staff person.

Cheers!

Updated On: 10/18/05 at 06:49 PM

Ugh, I was at my graduate film class at Hunter College today and the professor is late and the lights go down and our substitute teacher was fricking Madonna. All the undergrads were asking her questions like, "How did you succeed?" I mumbled, "With her mouth like every carrerist."

NOBODY was asking her any decent film questions. I raised my hand and said, "Two words: SWEPT AWAY. I got up and headed for the door because I actually take the world of film seriously. The substitute goes, 'You're leaving?' I replied, 'I've never seen tem go bah so slowly in this class EVER.' Later." And I left.

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A kid in my class was a alternate for the Madonna thing... he had won it through mtv.com or something. He went tonight because I guess someone couldn't go and he took their place.

Well, D, why do we post ANY of the "nonsense" we post on BWW?

Madonna is the most famous woman on the planet--she's going to be a topic of discussion by those who love her and (clearly seen from this board) those who hate her.

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Jerby - the very fact that Madonna can be called the most famous woman on the planet - with a straight face, no less - is cause for mourning, in my opinion.

And mind you, this is coming from someone that really doesn't have anything against her. I just don't understand why she matters so much.

Jerby - wait a minute, wait a minute! I DIDN'T say i hated her - I don't KNOW her. YOU'RE the one who claimed she was the 'most famous woman on the planet' - and THAT'S what I was responding to. I find that concept sad. You're talking about a world that includes women who are elected national leaders, and heralded philosophers and thinkers. The concept that a woman who sings pop tunes - a good little Italian Catholic girl who decided that she might open herself to the precepts of other cultures - has more sway than women of much greater substance and contributory possibility frightens me.

I NEVER said I hate her. Because I don't. But I AM bothered by the thought that she has so much influence. I'm reminded of George Bush bragging at a college commencement about what could be accomplished with a 'C' average.

Hmmmm - spectacular. An interesting word. I actually do appreciate the freedom that she has brought to the conscousness of women - too many shackles in place for too long. Do I think that she has driven her point home by pushing the limits of what might be desirable in the long run? Yes, to some extent. Do I think that she's unltimately harmful? Good God, no.

But I really do wonder if there is ultimate benefit in having someone who is of limited capacity - and really only on their own little individual journey, blown up for the rest of us to see her pubic hairs - have so much say over and influence on the lives of so many people.

Oh, trust me Jerby, I'm not blaming her at all - and i don't even blame her for taking advantage of the situation at hand. I just get the vibe of someone who has taken one comparative religion course and philosophy 101 and transmitted their 'enlightenment' to the planet. Is that her fault? No. Should those who are buying into all this marketing be thinking for themselves? YES!

My staff member should be pleased to know that the trip to the Madonna premiére last night was the basis for an intellectual discussion of the power of celebrity and the use/misuse of its influence.

Ok,..now i have to throw my two cents in. I have been reading this post for abit and i believe the discussion has been for the most part, responsible and mature.

But this further proves the magic and accomplishments of Madonna and why she is a true artist. Like many artists, during their time..they never get the benefit of the doubt because of such extreme reactions from people. It happened to Michaelangelo, vangogh, John Lennon...people who were true artists. This makes me put Madonna in that category,..only because over 20 years, the popular culture has been intrigued and re-intrigued...with these kinds of debates and arguments...which i think is special. whether driven by a PR machine or not...it is differnet at times,..and we are now living in different times of the VanGoghs..and there are very few artists at all that CONTINUE to create, inspire, succeed and contribute so much..not only their art..but their beliefs to others.

we also tend to focus on kabbalah..or a couple of failed movies , or a 'british accent' and harbor those feelings because as a society we make ourselves feel better when others are knocked down and thrown to the ground or are doing something different...as opposed to celebrating the accomplishemtns....or celebrating the person as an artist.

We forget that Madonna is the only female artist to have been ON TOP for over 23 consecutive years, without ever taking a break,.contributing some of the most memorable pop songs and music videos...and I believe over 60 or so top40 hits. as well as producing/and writing over 34 #1 dance songs on the billboard charts.
What she did for sexual liberation through the pop world,..and women in general and the barriers she broke as a woman in a very male dominated industry is commendable.
Let's not forget her contribution to 2 oscar winning songs..and commendable performances in films such as Evita (golden globe winner for actress) , dick tracy, a league of their own, and Desperately Seeking Susan.

Let's not also forget 6 amazing world tours that reconvened the way pop artists created stage shows...and how she pushed the music video genre ages ahead by creating mini-films.

what she has done by putting her name and face to AIDs awareness...and all she has donated to children through her books.....this is a woman has quite accomplished alot and constantly commits to her work. and that is to be commended.


in terms of pop artists..

She is not a Cher,..who comes out with a hit song every 10 years...and dissapears....
she is not a janet jackson ...who takes continuos breaks and follows her brother's footsteps..
she is not a mariah carey...although a nice voice..is like a caraccident waiting to happen
or whitney houston..who succumbed to drugs and a violent husband.

Madonna married a brit(hence the accent) has many brit close freinds...2 beautiful children..and the most succesful pop career people like Elvis and Lennon only accomplished.

and that is why she is great. and that is why that post was put up. to celebrate people who have done so much.

do i agree with everything Madonna does...? no.

but it is nice to see someone do what she is doing for once...

and by hearing the new single..and reading her interviews and feeling this new retro-dance energy vibe she's throwing..

i can't wait to buy her new album 'Confessions on a Dancefloor'.
In this fickle pop industry where Paris Hilton makes a CD and Hillary Duff has a 'greatest hits' record...
Madonna is the queen.

And our society is too easy to 'HATE' when it is so hard for us to give it up for someone who has contributed over 13 albums now..and constantly a media mogul and a force to reckon with.
We also forget her contribution to helping new artists like 'Alanis Morrissette, Prodigy, and others with her label Maverick'...

i guess this is why she is so loved in Europe..and all her songs hit #1...they embrace her in other countries whole-heartedly because in America...people are too easy to 'hate' with greed and jealousies.

sorry if my post was long...I just am overwhelmed with people who can't learn to just celebrate others in their fields of work. and forget where people came from.
I guess the same happened to MArilyn Monroe.
When she was alive...no one would give it up to her...she was onsidered a joke. After she died..she was referred to as a 'comedic genius'..go figure.

Madonna in my book..whether i agree with her or not...is the queen of pop and media...she has truly mastered the art..and broken many barriers on so many levels, and used the media in a way to show people so many different things.

I know that if I was in that class..I would have not left..but would have appreciated the experience for what it was worth..and not have looked at the situation with apathy or hate in my eyes.

Jerby - as I stated last night, I realize and appreciate the advanced sense of freedom that she has brought to women - and she has obviously been open and accepting of the gay subculture. If you benefitted from that, that's a wonderful thing.

Also, not that it makes that much difference to the overall tone, but when I mentioned the 'vibe' I got from her concerning her philosophies, I really wasn't saying that that's exactly what she's done - I just feel that it comes across LIKE someone who's done that. I've read a few areticles and editorials by Jewish leaders who didn't seem enthused about her stances.

Of course, I agree with you that a presentation of the positives of life is to be commended - and i really do heartily applaud her conviction to say and do what she wants - independent of the feedback.

taboo - I like what you said very much. If I came across last night like I was condemning her, then I wasn't very communicative with my thoughts. I don't take anything away from what her accomplishments have been, are or will be. I just find it odd that she above all others is heralded the way she seems to be.

Maybe I'm just reacting negatively to the ridiculous number of threads that we've been inundated by with her name in the subject line (which, by the way, is what I really was referring to when I used the word 'nonsense' at the beginning - not this thread in particular.)

This interview clears up much I think:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1511816/10192005/madonna.jhtml

Most notably:
"'The absurd thing is that it's not what they think it is," Madonna said. "It's not a song about Isaac Luria. I don't know anything about Isaac Luria, so I couldn't write a song about him. The song is called 'Isaac' because the man who is singing on it is named Isaac. I think one person saw that name and decided that they were going to go out and say I was doing something blasphemous, and it's just not true."

"It is true, though, that religious ideas play a large part in the documentary — they're just not addressed in a shocking way, as the headlines would have you believe.
Yes, she read from the book of Revelations, and yes, her dancers dressed in religious garb and marched down a runway during "American Life" — but that's old news to anyone who saw her Re-Invention Tour (see "Madonna Twirls Rifle, Lifts Up Her Kilt At Tour Opener"). Madonna's glib commentary about priests and nuns shouldn't shock anyone who's seen her videos, but all the attention on those brief moments undermines the larger themes she tried to get across — bridging religions, bringing people together, hoping for peace."

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Her new single is kind've BLAH.

I thought AMERICAN LIFE was an amazing first single from her previous album, and that song didn't really get the success it desereved.