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Originally Posted by XXXWriterDude
Ken, that was a joke.. I think the only people still reading this thread are you, me and Don. And maybe Paco.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XXXWriterDude
Ken, that was a joke.. I think the only people still reading this thread are you, me and Don. And maybe Paco.
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Originally Posted by Jasun
Hmmm, interesting attempt at humor there, Jasun...
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Originally Posted by Jasun
Hey, how did you know? You watchin me? *Looking over my shoulder*
I'll admit I would like to know where this is heading, but have not replied as I do not wish to argue with Ken (or any person), nor do I want people to think I am jealous of a someone such as her (Reinhold Messner is the type of person I would be more inclined to be jealous of, if I even bothered with that feeling.) !
I'll buy that its' a bold and daring statement, but let's not forget that it was also a great big "fuck you" to Pepsi. You have to admit that it was a brilliant piece of PR and manipulation of the system. Sign a contract to have your new song released on a soda commercial, collect the giant hunk of cash, then immediately release a music video that will certainly piss off every Catholic in America, as well as several other religious folk, ensuring that Pepsi will pull the commercials and that you will recived the most amount of money ever paid for a single airing of a TV commercial. And they say she's not in it just for the money.Quote:
I mean, you take the video for "Like a Prayer," a bold and daring statement about racism in America and the way that organized religion has sanctioned it, and it's impossible--at least for me--to dismiss her as just a pop artist, or even as someone who only churns out "drek."
I feel I must make a note here. I'm not a Madonna hater. I actually admire her for the above mentioned stunt. I've talked before about how my favorite artist is Andy Warhol and he pulled shit like that all the time. He helped orchestrate the pop art movement and the hight of his popularity as an artist, he declared pop art to be dead and moved on to films. And then had the gall to release films that consisted of him turning on the camera and leaving the room so that the actors had to just make it up as they went along. My point is that there are people who felt Warhol was a genius as an artist and those who knew he was a genius as a bullshit artist. I love a lot of Madonna's music, and she's had some very artistic videos and performances, but don't act like she's not a bullshit artist. She's a total media manipulator who's every move is calculated to bring in the most income. Is there anything wrong with that? No. But let's call it like it is.
Her big cd launch is tonight. I listened to the album, and my favorites were Sorry, Forbidden Love, and Like It Or Not. The whole thing is great though, I think she's done a fantastic job.
Yeah, I was at a friend's place this weekend and had it kinda forced on me... three times, in an effort to get me to admit it's good.
sorry.. no.. nothing I can even remember other than the samples of better songs.
But that's ok. Madonna fans are all happy that she's back to making dance music, so it can't be all that bad, and yeah, I'll get drunk and dance to it one day... I always do.
Well, I agree with you on a few points, but I choose not to be so reductive in my assessment of any artist, Madonna or not. I just find that to be such a dreadfully cynical way of thinking. People love to reduce everything artists do to publicity stunts. And as an artist, I just think that's boring and disrespectful of their work. I choose to believe that the artists I admire got into this business for the artistry of it above anything else. Do I acknowledge that they want to be as successful as possible? Absolutely. And??? What's the frickin' point of it, except to reduce them to being less than genuine, which again, I find to be incredibly disrespectful. It doesn't take away from the artistry of their work. I used to be a member of a theater company and we were very good at putting just the right spin on our press to get people to show up to our shows. But the show was the most important thing, never the press. For many artists, oiling the machine is a necessary evil in order to get people to pay attention to what you are attempting to do with your art. The fact remains that pop music, movies, books, theater, porn are all BUSINESSES, and part of any artist's job is to take part in the business to the extent that they want their careers to be successful. Madonna just happens to excel at it. But it HARDLY makes her a "bullshit artist." If she was such a thing, I certainly wouldn't connect to her work in the way that I do. I am not easily snowed by anybody.Quote:
Originally Posted by WWC-DonMike
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Originally Posted by Jasun
Personally, Jasun, I really don't care if you do or do not like Madonna's music. You have that right. You've made it obvious that you're not a fan of pop music in general, and that is something that I totally understand and have no problems with. It would make perfect sense that if you don't like dance and pop, you're probably not going to like Madonna. I don't take that personally, because in much the same manner, I just can't connect to heavy metal. The difference is that I don't call heavy metal "crap" or "drek," as since I don't have an appreciation for it, it would be unfair of me to dismiss it as such. I just say it's not for me and leave it to those who enjoy it. Obviously, it serves a very important function their lives. I try not to be so casually dismissive of others' interests. I just kind of find that to be a little disrespectful.
When I debate, I try to debate ideas and actions and philosophy, not one's liking of a certain genre of music. My whole point all along has been that, regardless of one's personal opinion of the music, it's impossible not to recognize the strides Madonna has made in pop culture, the gay community, feminism, and social change. As I've said all along, love her or hate her, to ignore the influence she has had and the importance of her career is really just plain stubbornness. The woman has been had an amazing cultural influence for well over 20 years, and has a still-rabid fan base of people whose lives she has genuinely touched in very powerful, emotional and very real ways. And that's something that can't be discredited. I just think that kind of career deserves some kind of credit and attention--even from her detractors. There's no way you can have a career of that measure without having something unique and interesting to say. It's just simply not possible.
Anyway, my close friends would tell you that I am often critical of Madonna, though you wouldn't know it from this thread. They all kind of groan when a new CD comes out, but the truth is, they just don't get it. Most of them don't have any kind of thing they've connected to on that level. And I think that's actually kind of sad. When you do connect to someone's art in such an intense way, I think it means that you're tapping into a universal humaneness and a communal consciousness that is able to uplift you in trying times. To me, that's what all the best art is about in the long run. It teaches you something about yourself and gives you a reprieve when you need it. And that's what Madonna's career has done for me. And I'm happy to be a gay man who has been inspired by her, just as she has been inspired by us.
Anyway, that's it for me on this thread. Even I get tired of talking about Madonna. :)
Now Ken... you know that you took more than one jab at metal in this thread...
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Originally Posted by Jasun
Only after you took the first shot. An eye for an eye ,buddy. :)
Well got the cd last night... don't like it AT ALL! :(Quote:
Originally Posted by SLS
The only song i like is hung up.
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Originally Posted by Scorpio
Really???? Wow. Play it again, Sam. LOL! There is some AMAZING stuff on that disc. "Jump" is especially excellent, and "Get Together" and "Sorry" are quite good as well.
I've talked to several Madonna fans who said it took them playing the CD four or five times before they were able to connect to the new sound, but once they did, now they can't stop playing it. When I first heard the Ray of Light album, I didn't like it. Then, I think it was on my sixth or seventh listen, it just gelled, and now it's one of my favorite Madonna records ever.
A lot of the times our expectations or our perception of an artist's "sound" prevent us from truly hearing the music on its own merits. That happens to me a lot, with movies too. After seeing the first Lord of the Rings movie and absolutely loving it, I was SOOOO psyched for the second two movies to come out, I had to watch them two or three times before I fully appreciated them. ;)
No, it's NOT corn syrup. I don't know what the hell it is, but it's foul and vile and awful. I wanted to see The Misfits one time so I thought I was willing to stand there through GWAR, but I was in front and got so drenched with that nasty shit, I had to leave. I'm not sure what it is but it's sure the fuck not liquid candy. It was in the middle of winter too, so I was a rotten GWAR-juice popsicle by the time I got back to my car. Never, ever, ever again!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasun
Hey Ken I made a remix of Hung Up just for you. Let me know what you think :p
Sounds Like Sex VS Madonna - Hung Up (All Night Booty Grinder Remix)
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Originally Posted by SLS
Pretty good. Thanx! Are you a DJ?