WTF?! Madonna is Far from . . . Reductive
We have an international crisis on our hands. While American troops are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, a new, more sinister war has been waged… between Madonna and Lady Gaga.
In an interview with ABC News, Madonna was asked by Cynthia McFadden what she thought of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” as many people have alleged Gaga heavily sampled Madonna’s 1989 hit, “Express Yourself.” Madonna responded, “It feels… reductive.” When questioned about the word “reductive,” Madonna remarked, “Look it up,” while raising her eyebrows with a devious smirk on her face and taking a sip of her tea. It was far and away the best example of shade-throwing I’ve seen in some time. “Reductive,” which means “simplified or crude,” instantly became the new “refudiate” (only the former is actually a word), GIFs were made, and the line in the sand had been drawn.
Obviously, since Gaga’s Little Monsters are like Beliebers in rabid twink form, they went on the defensive, calling Madonna played out, old, irrelevant, etc.
Here’s the reality: Madonna’s last two albums, Confessions on a Dancefloor and Hard Candy, were worldwide smashes. COAD has sold 10+ million worldwide and was the world’s sixth biggest-selling album of 2005… and it was released in fucking mid-November, meaning she accomplished that feat in a month and a half. Hard Candy, which was critically praised but personally unimpressive, went on to sell a relatively paltry four million copies worldwide, but her accompanying Sticky & Sweet Tour became the highest grossing tour by a solo artist, a record that previously belonged to… Madonna (Confessions Tour). Clearly, the argument that she’s irrelevant is a farce. The girl can still push albums and sell out arenas. Clearly, she’s still relevant, not to mention a legend, as she is the world’s best-selling female artist of all time. Let me reiterate: OF ALL TIME. To write her off as irrelevant is an ignorant farce.
What today’s gays don’t realize is that there is a gay icon hierarchy. Gaga, as a new artist, falls at the bottom of that hierarchy, after the likes of Cher, Madonna, Kylie, and Dolly. Gay icons don’t set out to become gay icons. The designation of “gay icon” comes with tenure; flashy costumes, a few hit singles, and a bit of LGBT pandering do not an icon make.
Look, Madonna’s been in this game a long time. She knows exactly what she’s doing. Girl’s got an album to sell, and it never hurts to drum up cheap publicity (and before Gaga fans say anything, Gaga is the queen of cheap publicity, so shut it). Do you think she gives a shit that overzealous Gaga fans are pissed at her? Hell no. She’s sitting back and laughing all the way to the bank. Does Gaga care? Likely not, seeing as how she’s yet to publicly respond, and spent the weekend drinking beer and watching football.
Aside from all of that, it’s just pop music, guys. Surely there are more constructive things you could be devoting your enthusiasm to.
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