F R I D AY, O C TO B E R 2 7 , 2 0 0 6The NYT Analyzes Madonna (and Bush)The New York Times publishes an essay on the TV appearances of Bushand Madonna, which I found annoying on several levels.</p><p> First, we're inthe midst of a war and a midterm election, so lumping Bush withMadonna is very clever and post-modern and witty and all that butundermines the seriousness of these times.</p><p> The link between them isobviously facile -- it's as if they're saying 'What's the difference betweena President that most Americans believe lied to them about why weinvaded another country, a President who has by his own admissionbroken the law (and then had the law changed) a President who says hemust reserve the right to torture people when signing into law a billthat specifically forbids him to do so and a pop star who adopted ababy?' They're both celebrities, right?But I save most of my ire for the stuff on Madonna.</p><p> It said, "Madonnawent on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to assure a skeptical public thatshe didn’t snatch an African baby on a fashionably philanthropicwhim." A skeptical public? I don't think so.</p><p> This whole thing is just amedia-created event.</p><p> I don't think the public has an opinion aboutMadonna's adoption and if the Oprah audience is any guide (andOprah rules the world, you know), they're supportive of someone withlimitless wealth and kids of her own who is willing to adopt a little boy.Then it said with her adoption that "Madonna came off as a LadyBountiful-come-lately, trying to compete with Bono in the world ofphilanthropy in Africa and with Angelina Jolie in the arena of celebritymothers without borders." Maybe to the media.</p><p> The more celebritieswho use their fame to promote charitable works the better, I say.Would you rather have stars gabbing about the designer they'rewearing or talking about helping to feed starving children or ending thegenocide in Darfur?Most misleading of all, the NYT said "It was interesting to see theentertainer who made her name by courting and provoking the pressnow blaming reporters for her publicity woes." Madonna is alwaysportrayed as a master of media manipulation, but the truth is that formany, many years she has consistently (and probably accurately)bemoaned the media and its fascination with silly stuff, not to mentionNext Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: The NYT Analyzes Madonna (and Bush)http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/nyt-analyzes-madonna-... 1 of 37/28/09 4:33 PMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SAaronMichael in New YorkBiboy POPSURFING.COM: The NYT Analyzes Madonna (and Bush)http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/nyt-analyzes-madonna-... 2 of 37/28/09 4:33 PMPOPSURFING.COM: The NYT Analyzes Madonna (and Bush)http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/10/nyt-analyzes-madonna-... 3 of 37/28/09 4:33 PM
