mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) (08/01/85)
First I should lay my prejudices on the line and say that I think Madonna's music is pure trash that exists because of an aberration in the alignment of the stars and that will disappear as soon as the cosmic repair beings have had a chance to get their wings in to the problem...... On her image as a public figure. Maybe I'm confused, but I thought the entire point was for women to be recognized and accepted on the basis of their merits, *without* consideration of sexuality? On this net and elsewhere (yes Virginia, there is a world of people who are not on the net) her fans comment on her music with offhand, almost throwaway comments. One may like her social presence, the fact that "she needs no one" (more on that later), but few, if any, are willing to go on a limb and give praise to the intrinsic qualities of her music. I surmise that this is because her music has no intrinsic qualities. So her image is the sum total of this woman's public being. I just don't find that admirable. I am more inclined to admire women who *do* something (there are lots of those, from Maggie Thatcher and jane Kirkpatrick to Sally Ride and Mother Theresa) rather than women who *look* some way or other. Madonna fans have made much of her independence. Well, most of what I have read (the TIME articles, mostly; I can't take PEOPLE and its ilk) about her states or implies that the is just the visible part of a massive PR campaign and that she has little to do with creating her songs and deciding what they will sound like. That has been the case for many female singers and bands (remember the Go-Gos?) and more than a few males, but why suddenly trot these claims of independence? I am not really interested in arguing the relative merits of Madonna's music (see the prejusices listed above), but judging from previous articles, I see little backing for the various claims of Madonna as a positive influence. She is probably not a negative influence, but that's as far as it goes. Well enough rambling. Marcel Simon
jbuck@epicen.UUCP (Joe Buck) (08/04/85)
Since this is turning into a music discussion, followups to this message will go to net.music only. > From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON) > Date: 31 Jul 85 23:19:19 GMT > > First I should lay my prejudices on the line and say that I think Madonna's > music is pure trash ... Agreed. > Madonna fans have made much of her independence. Well, most of what I have read > (the TIME articles, mostly; I can't take PEOPLE and its ilk) about her > states or implies that the is just the visible part of a massive PR > campaign and that she has little to do with creating her songs and deciding > what they will sound like. That has been the case for many female > singers and bands (remember the Go-Gos?) and more than a few males, > but why suddenly trot these claims of independence? Please! While the Go-Go's were not one of my favorite bands, they were hardly the creation of the American music industry. In fact, they had to go to England to record a single with Stiff Records, a small punk/new wave label (Devo had to take the same route). After seeing how popular that single was on the college radios and new wave clubs ("We Got the Beat"), an American record company signed them. They played their own instruments and wrote their own songs (neither of which Madonna does). They were for real. Madonna isn't. A previous poster complained that Tina Turner also uses her sexuality, and I as well as other people had said good things about her and bad things about Madonna. I'm not some prude that turns purple because Madonna's act might arouse someone's prurient interest. I just don't like her act and am a little bothered by her young female admirers. My true favorite is Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. But if video had been big a couple of years earlier than it was, I don't know; maybe the Pretenders would have had trouble getting a major record contract. Life is rough for female rock musicians these days that don't have MTV bodies (though I find Chrissie Hynde sexy -- mainly for her voice and the personality she projects on her records -- MTV executives probably don't). -- Joe Buck | Entropic Processing, Inc. UUCP: {ucbvax,ihnp4}!dual!epicen!jbuck | 10011 N. Foothill Blvd. ARPA: dual!epicen!jbuck@BERKELEY.ARPA | Cupertino, CA 95014
ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank) (08/08/85)
> First I should lay my prejudices on the line and say that I think Madonna's > music is pure trash that exists because of an aberration in the alignment > of the stars and that will disappear as soon as the cosmic repair beings > have had a chance to get their wings in to the problem...... > Bravo bravo bravo, you took the words right out of my mouth. Usually when I see a nice looking car being driven foolishly I begin to wonder about the driver's sanity and forget about the car. This is how I look on most of the outrageous rock performers. They're all playing with one brick short of a full load.
tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL) (08/14/85)
> > [Unknown] > > First I should lay my prejudices on the line and say that I think Madonna's > > music is pure trash that exists because of an aberration in the alignment > > of the stars and that will disappear as soon as the cosmic repair beings > > have had a chance to get their wings in to the problem...... ---------------- > [Ray Frank] > Bravo bravo bravo, you took the words right out of my mouth. > > Usually when I see a nice looking car being driven foolishly I begin to wonder > about the driver's sanity and forget about the car. > This is how I look on most of the outrageous rock performers. They're all > playing with one brick short of a full load. ---------------- Ray, you've got it backwards. Most of these performers are either extremely shrewd judges of mass taste, or they have managers who are. It's their FANS who are short a few bricks. -- Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL ihnp4!ihlpg!tan