Madonna - Pop Matriarch or 'Root of All Evil'?
Madonna's "Hard Candy" got its U.S. release today, and marks the dance diva's attempt to reclaim dominance amongst the current crop of pop-tarts. In the spirit of Lewis Black's new Comedy Central show "The Root of All Evil," I'm interested in getting your take on Madonna's relevance, or lack thereof.
I'll kick things off by suggesting that Madonna is the "Root of All Evil," because she set in motion a chain of events that allowed -- nay, encouraged! -- the appearance of everyone from Paula Abdul to Britney Spears. Also, Gwen Stefani, who was annoying enough when she was merely the lead singer with No Doubt, has been suffering from delusions of Madonna-ness, fully engaged by this point in a solo career that shamelessly apes her forebear and indulges in white-girl hip-hop like there's no tomorrow. Finally, Madonna is evil because she thinks being in great physical shape gives her license to appear on album covers and in videos decked out in all sorts of sleazy bondage gear. That's just wrong! Please, stop the madness!
OK, your turn. And please, keep your comments limited to her royal Mandonna-ness. If you have something nasty to say to (or about) me, send me an e-mail at jmiers@buffnews.com.
(Photo: Associated Press)
Jeff Miers has been The Buffalo News' Pop Music Critic since 2001. Prior to that date, he
served as editor in chief of one alternative news weekly, and music editor of another.
We also have to blame her for Dennis Rodman and a whole new line of sporting diva's (TO, Chad Johnson. etc). But isn't she herself only an extention of Bette Midler?
Posted by: VP of Scratching Dauch's Left --- | May 26, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Madonna is great. She gives the people what they want. The people are to blame for this, the lowest common denominator. She is the Rush of pop.
Posted by: George Michael | May 11, 2008 at 08:33 PM
madonna is an original? hmmm. i always thought her "reinventions" were just copy cats of some other trait/look from another culture, or counter culture for that matter. plus she has the help of clothing designers. she's got a team of "originals".
madonna cannot sing. her voice is very unappealing. she is in great physical shape. more power to her there. but as far as her music goes, it leaves VERY little to be desired. yuck factor here. i'm not sure that she's an artist per se (see leslie feist- she is a true artist), or just a genius of art imitating life (isn't that what art is anyway?). narcissists have a way of generating a lot of attention and getting other people to believe they're important as they themselves believe they are.
Posted by: just me | May 11, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Madonna should be hitched to the back of my Ford Explorer and dragged over thistles back to the 80s when she was relevant only in my clown punching fantasies.
Her duet with Timberlake and Timbaland was just wrong and her spacey vocals cause my ears to bleed.
Other than that...she's pretty cool.
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Posted by: Acoustic-Fury | May 05, 2008 at 03:35 PM
Ahhhhhh .... Madonna. A name that sends bile up my air ways like so much gastric reflux after an all night binge at that chocolate bar on Allen street!
I can remember waaaay back to my college days (in the mid-80s) when the harpy of hipness hit the airwaves (aided, in no small part, by that funny thing called Mtv, which at the time actually DID play music videos!) During much of the time she was inundating us with pop pablum and foolish poseur antics, I feel she'd done as much for dance music as Steve Erkel has done for the NAACP!!!
Now Madge is (sadly) still touting her "lets get a rile out of 'em" silliness, whether writing children's books (uh, yeah) or putting out more vapid dance beats with her latest wreck of a CD, in perhaps a lame fisted attempt to be a female version of David Bowie (whom I think is a chameleon in music and art with his many musical and alter ego changes whether Alladdin sane, Ziggy, the Thin White Duke, Blue Jean, etc....).
Lets face it, this rouse is getting old. And so is Madonna, whos looking all too foppish these days. C'mon Madge, grow the hell up! Its time to stop trying to extend your much abused 15 minutes of shame... errm, I mean fame, and just follow your British hubby around trying to perfect your wavering British accent.
'Nuff said!
Dirwood
Posted by: Dirwood | May 05, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Madonna is hot!
Posted by: Ricky | May 01, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Madonna encouraging or influencing the likes of Abdul, Stefani, or any other bad pop artist that came after her is no different than say...Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing being copied into every bad 80's hair band guitar solo (must finger tap). Also no different than 90's gangsta rap inspiring generations of suburban white trash to dress, talk, and try to act like they are from the "ghetto". Madonna is an original, so bash for something other than the rash of pop tarts that followed in her mold.
Posted by: Pumpy | April 29, 2008 at 01:11 PM
Madonna evil because of her great physical shape? What a completely vapid rationale. I'm sure Miers has no problem with middle-aged Prince shaking his lovesexy booty in tight leather pants at Coachella or beyond middle-aged Mick Jagger. They're real artists, right?
Posted by: Julie D. | April 29, 2008 at 12:15 PM