New York Times: Growing Older with Madonna

[HolidayGuy]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/fashion/growing-older-with-madonna-jancee-dunn.html?referrer=&_r=0

New York Times

Growing Older With Madonna

By JANCEE DUNN
June 24, 2015

In the video for “Bitch I’m Madonna,” a party anthem released last Wednesday, the pop star of the title, in a clingy Moschino leopard-print dress, hot-pink coif and gold teeth grills, romps through the corridors of the Standard hotel along Manhattan’s High Line. “The bass is pumping,” she sings, adding a suggestive phrase before gleefully making out with some guy in the hallway.

Madonna will turn 57 in August. As she has repeatedly pointed out, her age is not going to slow her down. “Shut up jealous bitches!” she wrote recently on her Instagram account. “I hope you are as fun loving and adventurous as me when you’re my age!!!! Hahahhahaha let’s see.”

But the subject of her advancing years dominates seemingly every conversation about her, as she has become a crusader, willingly or not, against age discrimination. As someone who once tracked her closely, I have watched with queasy fascination her attempts to navigate the undeniable fact that she is growing older before our eyes in an era of obsessive self-documentation and rampant oversharing — one that she had a direct hand in creating.

Over the last several months of Madonna’s publicity for her latest album, “Rebel Heart,” I toggle between indignation at the barrage of old-lady jokes (her tumble at the Brit Awards provoking feigned concern about a broken hip) and embarrassment at her febrile determination to be the world’s youngest, raunchiest 56-year-old. It’s relentless: the awkward onstage kiss with Drake, the topless shot in Interview magazine, the strenuous demonstrations of libido. Alongside an Instagrammed photo of the male model Andrea Denver, she wrote “8 pac! Hell to the Yeah!” (This was followed by three heart emojis and a thumbs up.)

When Madonna lifted her Givenchy matador costume to flash her fishnet-encased derrière on the Grammys red carpet, I reacted first with a kind of clinical admiration (her workouts must be intense, given the muscle mass you lose starting in your 30s), followed by prim disapproval (come on, it’s not as if photographers are going to ignore you if you don’t flash them). Why does she have the seemingly compulsive need to shock and titillate, drawing from a playbook that is now over three decades old? Yes, she is constantly reinventing herself, but is she evolving? “There comes a time in every Salome’s life,” Harvey Fierstein once wrote, “when she should no longer be dropping the last veil.” Has the queen of reinvention reached that point?

Certainly, when it come to her aging process, belief is easy to suspend. Her skin is flawless, as evinced by the photo she posted from inside the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sandwiched between the much younger Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Then there is her preternaturally toned frame, honed by grueling workouts a reported six days a week and showed off in Versace ad campaigns.

Much of the hand-wringing around her age focuses on her lack of dignity. But she’s not a United Nations ambassador — she’s a pop star. And let’s not forget that when pop stars now shoot whipped cream out of their bras and wear dresses made of meat, it’s because they are trying to clear the bar she set.

In her 1991 documentary film, “Madonna: Truth or Dare,” cameras were voyeuristic, which seemed radical then and eerily prophetic now: Here is Madonna slurping soup while chatting on the phone, there is Madonna getting her throat examined by a doctor. “She doesn’t want to live off camera, much less talk,” said Warren Beatty, her boyfriend at the time.

Now we all live constantly on camera, busily Instagramming and tweeting our every move. Madonna’s throat exam is demure compared with “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” on which we would not be surprised to see a high colonic recorded for posterity.

Kanye West, a Kardashian in-law, calls Madonna “the greatest visual musical artist that we’ve ever had.” Her music videos — over 60 — helped define the genre; she has had more No. 1 singles (45) than anyone. Along with Michael Jackson, she expanded the video form from a routine performance — or, in the early days, a goofy skit shot on a paltry budget — into four minutes of emotionally layered storytelling.

But she was late to social media — she joined Twitter in 2012 and Instagram in 2013 — and there’s been a stream of gaffes as she attempts to be down with the kids.

In 2000, back when the narrative was easier to control, I interviewed her for the cover story in Rolling Stone. Our chat was to take place in her office at Maverick Records in Los Angeles. Sick with nerves, I showed up an hour early — I had been told she doesn’t tolerate lateness — and sat in front of the building, trying to calm my hammering heart.

She was witty, well read and told amusing stories, such as her worst job as a teenager in Michigan: a house cleaner, scrubbing the toilets at the homes of the popular boys.

I wormed my way into the bathroom adjoining her office, opened the cabinet and dutifully cataloged the contents for my friends: a bottle of Fracas perfume, a geranium facial spray from a company called Tree of Life (which we all ran out and bought) and La Mer face lotion.

She was fine-boned and tiny, even though she was heavily pregnant at the time with her son Rocco. At one point, I had to help her, puffing, out of a chair. It was odd to see a person celebrated for her superhuman strength so physically vulnerable.

Now I see her as vulnerable in a different way, the constant products from her outrage-generator obscuring her talent. The strange thing is that like her triceps, her voice is stronger than ever, most notably in March during a live performance of “Ghosttown” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, with no horned dancers, just Taylor Swift strumming guitar. (What better testament to Madonna’s power than to get one of the biggest stars on the planet to be your backup player.)

Among the most intriguing tracks on “Rebel Heart” is the simple, haunting “Joan of Arc,” in which she reveals that contrary to belief, the haters do burrow under her skin. “Each time they write a hateful word,” she sings, “dragging my soul into the dirt/I wanna die.”

In interviews, Madonna has repeatedly said that she is kicking down the doors so that the women following her will not have to deal with ageism. Perhaps she has begun to change the paradigm already: People magazine selected Sean Connery as its Sexiest Man Alive at age 59 (and bald as a cantaloupe), while 42 (Halle Berry in 2008) is the current ceiling for Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive.

“I take care of myself; I’m in good shape,” she told a reporter after her Grammys flash, with some epithets for good measure. She can show her bare bottom, she pointed out, “when I’m 56 or 66 — or 76.”

She can, she very well might, and the world will probably still be talking about her. Since I’ve probably seen her derrière more often than I’ve seen my own at this point, I won’t be clicking on those photos.

Jancee Dunn is a writer, most recently as the co-author of Cyndi Lauper’s memoir, and a former V.J.

[Apples388]

Another age-centric article. How... riveting.

[HolidayGuy]

But of course- she's battling perceptions of how women of a certain age should act, making the world more CULTURALLY ENRICHING than evah.

Three decades and change later, she's still freshly on people's minds.

[mad4mad2]

Blah, blah, blah Yes, just keep talking and writing articles about the Queen.

[Glindathegood]

It actually was a good article. It started out ageist, but it ended on a positive note. I loved how it praised her voice.

[FreeMySoul]

Her lack of dignity? We must have different understanding of that word because I feel Madonna is the epitome of dignity and class.

[Glindathegood]

Her lack of dignity? We must have different understanding of that word because I feel Madonna is the epitome of dignity and class.

But the writer of the article wasn't saying that, she was talking about the media perception. She followed that with she's not a United Nations Ambassador, but a pop star.

The article although at first glance may seem ageist, if you read it carefully it's actually defending her.

[nefarious]

"But the subject of her advancing years dominates seemingly every conversation about her."

So this person decided to amend this by . . . writing an article about her age? I agree with Suedehead - how riveting indeed.

"Why does she have the seemingly compulsive need to shock and titillate"

Oh please. She's not showing up to award shows wearing over-the-top theatre costumes or a chicken-nugget mask. All she's doing is expressing herself sexually which, at her age, is for some reason shocking and offensive when it shouldn't be. That's the whole point - she's rebelling against expectations that are repressive and wrong - that's what she's always done. She's not being meaninglessly shocking just for the sake of it (unlike some other pop stars not worth mentioning). When are people going to understand this?

Also, when I think "shock tactics" I think of things like going on stage and dowsing yourself in pig's blood or being vomited on or something - not being a woman over 50 who dares to be sexual or to have fun. That's not shocking. If that offends you, you're ridiculous.

"I toggle between indignation at the barrage of old-lady jokes (her tumble at the Brit Awards provoking feigned concern about a broken hip) and embarrassment at her febrile determination to be the world’s youngest, raunchiest 56-year-old"

Translation: I don't like when people make ageist jokes about her, but she's old and needs to act like it.

Ugh people.

[Glindathegood]

People are totally misunderstanding the article. She is using the media perceptions of her and actually challenging them. It's a little contradictory but it's actually flattering towards Madonna. I think we are so used to the negative hate diatribes against Madonna, but if you actually use your brain and read the article carefully, it's really saying the opposite.

[antoniotorres]

Like many,my initial impression was can anyone write an article on Madonna without the ageist references?

Then I thought that would be dishonest because society is incredibly ageist especially when it

comes to women. Then I re-read this article closely and I have concluded this is a good article that acknowledges the ageism and points out quite clearly Madonna has navigated that pretty well with a few missteps.

I,to am glad the writer points out Madonna has manage to defy conventional wisdom at every turn. And rightfully acknowledges her voice. Which is stronger than ever. Usually the voice diminishes as you get older.

Her impressive physical shape.

And states she will probably continue to defy right to the end!

Ultimately making it easier for women coming up behind her!

A good article!!

[nefarious]

People are totally misunderstanding the article. She is using the media perceptions of her and actually challenging them. It's a little contradictory but it's actually flattering towards Madonna. I think we are so used to the negative hate diatribes against Madonna, but if you actually use your brain and read the article carefully, it's really saying the opposite.

It said some very nice things about Madonna to be sure, but that doesn't mean it wasn't being ignorant at the same time (and it was).

My brain is functioning fine, and throwing in a bunch of praises is not going to make me overlook the parts where the author called her embarrassing and relentlessly trying to act young. That's no different than the narrative being spewed by the rest of the ageist media and you don't get to get away with it by saying she has a strong voice (even though that is a nice compliment).

[Andra]

“Shut up jealous bitches!” she wrote recently on her Instagram

[antoniotorres]

It said some very nice things about Madonna to be sure, but that doesn't mean it wasn't being ignorant at the same time (and it was).

My brain is functioning fine, and throwing in a bunch of praises is not going to make me overlook the parts where the author called her embarrassing and relentlessly trying to act young. That's no different than the narrative being spewed by the rest of the ageist media and you don't get to get away with it by saying she has a strong voice (even though that is a nice compliment).

The author does not call Madonna embarrassing and relentlessly trying to act young. He was challenging his own views on ageism and upon reflection acknowledges Madonna has indeed been a cultural force challenging societies view on ageism and will continue do that right to the end!!!

[nefarious]

The author does not call Madonna embarrassing and relentlessly trying to act young. He was challenging his own views on ageism and upon reflection acknowledges Madonna has indeed been a cultural force challenging societies view on ageism and will continue do that right to the end!!!

"It’s relentless: the awkward onstage kiss with Drake, the topless shot in Interview magazine, the strenuous demonstrations of libido."

Seriously - she refers to Madonna's sexual expression as "strenuous". Something tells me if that if Madonna were thirty years younger, the demonstrations of libido would not be called "strenuous" but instead "empowering" or something of the like. When Madonna does it, suddenly it's desperate and inappropriate. The author is doing NOTHING to combat this idea in the article, and instead perpetuates these ageist beliefs.

Look, if you liked the article, I'm happy for you. It did say some very positive things about Madonna and I did find myself nodding along in agreement at many parts. But don't let that confuse you into thinking the whole article is without flaws, because it's not. You can acknowledge that it's problematic even though some of the insights were nice and very favorable (I really liked the bit where the author talked about their experience interviewing M). It doesn't have to be one or the other.

[Guest]

Good article. Thanks for sharing.

[Starman]

The NYT is still writing about her after 100s years

Thats what matters

[Roland Barthes]

This is the most important era in Madonna's career probably ever. Yes sometimes i feel like she does not need to do what she does or goes too far and then i realize i had the same impression when i saw her kissing other women or flashing her breasts, having all these gay guys in Truth or dare...She made me evolve and open my mind to what is different and most of all to my own difference. She's taking shit but she knows what she's doing. She's building the future like she always did.

People may bark but at the same time she's making them talk about this very topic and probably showing them how much they are stuck up. I believe she's doing her job as an artist which is not looking for popularity but to bring a new light on something we thought was one way and question why it should be so.

[antoniotorres]

"It’s relentless: the awkward onstage kiss with Drake, the topless shot in Interview magazine, the strenuous demonstrations of libido."

Seriously - she refers to Madonna's sexual expression as "strenuous". Something tells me if that if Madonna were thirty years younger, the demonstrations of libido would not be called "strenuous" but instead "empowering" or something of the like. When Madonna does it, suddenly it's desperate and inappropriate. The author is doing NOTHING to combat this idea in the article, and instead perpetuates these ageist beliefs.

Look, if you liked the article, I'm happy for you. It did say some very positive things about Madonna and I did find myself nodding along in agreement at many parts. But don't let that confuse you into thinking the whole article is without flaws, because it's not. You can acknowledge that it's problematic even though some of the insights were nice and very favorable (I really liked the bit where the author talked about their experience interviewing M). It doesn't have to be one or the other.

I Agree,we have a difference of opinion. I am not confused or manipulated by her writing. I can admit it seems contradictory in spots. Overall,Unlike you, I don't see her writing style as a not so disguised putdown with compliments sprinkled on top to mask it! Simply challenging your own beliefs isn't perpetuating anything.

It has always been Madonna's theme to challenge and defy. The writer acknowledges that. Madonna has marveled the world for more than 30 years and help move the culture forward. And it looks like Madonna will continue to defy and have the world mesmerized and help move the culture forward right to the end. That is the overall and undeniable theme of the article.

[Jairo]

Good article

[Sloane]

I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing that Warren Beatty quote again. It wasn't that profound really.

[VogueMusic]

This is the most important era in Madonna's career probably ever. Yes sometimes i feel like she does not need to do what she does or goes too far and then i realize i had the same impression when i saw her kissing other women or flashing her breasts, having all these gay guys in Truth or dare...She made me evolve and open my mind to what is different and most of all to my own difference. She's taking shit but she knows what she's doing. She's building the future like she always did.

People may bark but at the same time she's making them talk about this very topic and probably showing them how much they are stuck up. I believe she's doing her job as an artist which is not looking for popularity but to bring a new light on something we thought was one way and question why it should be so.

YES!!!

[mad4mad2]

The morons here saying "Good Article" lol There is nothing good about the article other than they keep bother writing an article.

[Icykiller]

The morons here saying "Good Article" lol There is nothing good about the article other than they keep bother writing an article.

I think it was a good article. Madonna is indeed breaking paradigms with what she is doing. She is even breaking them just for her physique and her amazing stamina. And her better-than-ever voice as the writer points out. Sure, it is bothersome sometimes, it challenges my perspectives of, not only people her age, but of her as I came to admire her (a ROLster here). But this is her essence, what Madonna is and represents. She is not a fun, sexy pop singer, she is a cultural game changer.

[Guest Pud Whacker]

Good article. Thanks for sharing.

it was marvelous, whats everyones problem with this one?

[Guest Pud Whacker]

I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing that Warren Beatty quote again. It wasn't that profound really.

really? you dont find it pertinent in the world we are living in right now as you walk down the street watching people taking photos of themselves?

[le smoking]

This is the most important era in Madonna's career probably ever. Yes sometimes i feel like she does not need to do what she does or goes too far and then i realize i had the same impression when i saw her kissing other women or flashing her breasts, having all these gay guys in Truth or dare...She made me evolve and open my mind to what is different and most of all to my own difference. She's taking shit but she knows what she's doing. She's building the future like she always did.

People may bark but at the same time she's making them talk about this very topic and probably showing them how much they are stuck up. I believe she's doing her job as an artist which is not looking for popularity but to bring a new light on something we thought was one way and question why it should be so.

:Clap:

[promise to try]

nice read, thank you for sharing!

[nemo64]

The author does not call Madonna embarrassing and relentlessly trying to act young. He was challenging his own views on ageism and upon reflection acknowledges Madonna has indeed been a cultural force challenging societies view on ageism and will continue do that right to the end!!!

Article was written by a woman on the cusp of turning 50.

It was well written and I appreciated her expression of personal reaction to her observations of Madonna. My question, though, is why can't "good" articles like these that offer some analysis of Madonna's impact end with a sentiment that allows the reader to take away a final positive impression?

It could have ended with "She can, she very well might, and the world will probably still be talking about her." Was there really a need for the writer to finish off about not wanting to click on photos of M's behind? Unnecessary and that irked me. Tired of this type of endings.

[Camacho]

It IS ultimately a good article Moan of Arcers. For a serious, respected publication to dissect her like they did since FOREVER reinforces her continuing relevance. They don't do this for has beens.

[nemo64]

^ I didn't say that it was a bad one. I'm not a Moan of Arcer and I get that it's a positive thing that NYT still cares enough to publish such articles about her. I'm questioning why writers feel compelled to talk about her impact and relevance and then finish off with a "but", no pun intended.