This week I read Christopher Ciccone's book about growing up with, and working for, his sister Madonna. I know, I know -- not very literary. But I found it at Barnes & Noble on the clearance rack for $4 or so, and besides, I've always liked Madonna. I've long been impressed with her ability to continually reinvent herself.
Anyway, if his book is any indication, she sounds like a bit of a pill. She's evidently very focused and very ambitious, which isn't really surprising given the level of her success. (Christopher and Madonna have had a bit of a falling out, too, so he may have an axe to grind.)
I was impressed by her insistence on going to bed every night at 11 p.m. That's pretty much what I do -- except it's 10 p.m. for me.
Anyway, after reading the book I rented "Desperately Seeking Susan," which I remember going to see in the theaters in 1985. In one scene, Madonna talks on a pink telephone plastered with seashells, and I remembered that telephone vividly. I liked the whole bohemian feel of her city life, and it's cool to watch the same movie now, on the other side of a decade living in New York. As movies go, it's so-so. And sadly, one of Madonna's best.
(Photo: "Hotel California," Branchburg, N.J. Madonna probably would not stay here.)
I enjoyed that movie a lot - it was fun like a candy bar. I actually liked her in Dick Tracy (which I found to be wonderfully campy, actually), and in A League of Their Own.
ReplyDeleteA Madonna post!?
ReplyDeleteHow far they fall....
I remember loving the bohemian camp of that movie when I saw it in 1985. that was another life.
ReplyDeleteMost celebs of Madonna's status are pills with a lot of idiosyncrasies. They have enough money to get away with just about anything they want to do. Probably some sour grapes on the part of her brother.
ReplyDeleteI have always been impressed with the humanitarian side of Madonna, her latest effort being the sustainable Malawi Academy for Girls. I don't much care about her quirks if she has this much love of humanity.
So, a public pee isn't better than gunfire? We had some gunfire there, too, but all I remember, being very small at the time, is hiding beneath my bed and my mother's instructions to stay away from the window...(Yes, Panama)
ReplyDeleteAs for Madonna, she is certainly business-wise. I hope her efforts in Malawi are treated with more kindness now. The celeb media certainly was nasty about her adoption of a baby from there, as I recall.
I like A League of Their Own.
An actress she is not. But she is a force of nature, definitely. I loved that movie.
ReplyDeletePlease, I bought that book at full price the moment it came out. A guilty pleasure. I love Madge even if she is a pill. I am totally happy being a fan and not a family member or friend. I doubt that she would be someone I'd like on a personal level. I think that is probably true for most of the stars out there - except of course Linda. She and I would get along famously!
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