Thursday, January 19, 2012

I Love Liz

Liz Smith has a few words about Madonna on Lady Gaga, Elton "Farckle" John and what a disgrace he is, and more. She's fabulous!

“IT’S REDUCTIVE.”

Those two words, uttered by Madonna, in response to ABC-TV’s Cynthia McFadden’s question about a Lady Gaga song, has “gone viral,” as they say.

Even better, when McFadden, who certainly knows what the word means, asked Madonna to define it, M coyly said, “Look it up!”

Apparently, a lot of people have. Now, I keep hearing the word, generally accompanied with a laugh and a reference to the pop icon. Madonna has taught us much over the years, now she’s revived a word rarely used. (Well, I’ve always said if Madonna hadn’t gone into music, she would have stayed in Michigan and become Miss Ciccone, the stern English teacher.)

It was this benign answer about Gaga that became part of the Elton John/ David Furnish’s attack on Madonna, after she won a Golden Globe for best original song on Sunday night. The song is titled “Masterpiece” from her coming film, “W.E.” (Elton’s effort was “Hello, Hello” from the flop animated movie “Gnomeo and Juliet.”) Aside from ripping Madonna’s song, the pair declared — on Twitter and Facebook — that Madonna’s “attack” on Gaga “shows how desperate she is.”

Goodness, I didn’t get that at all. Madonna has no inclination to trash Gaga. But she is certainly within her rights to imply, gently, that Lady G. has appropriated some aspects of her image, sound and message. Music critics were the first, in fact, to point out the similarities between Gaga’s “Born This Way” and M’s “Express Yourself.”

Elton John, who has been a star since 1970, feels he has earned the right to be perennially cranky and opinionated. Fine. And he does wonderful charity work.

But I think Madonna, who has been a star since 1983, has earned the right to answer a question honestly, from her point of view. Or to accept an award, if she wins one.

Elton has had a bee in his bonnet about Madonna for years. At various times he has criticized her singing, dancing, her right to be a star, even. She has rarely responded.

In this case, however, it is Elton who appears to be “desperate.” Back in the day, Madonna could be ungracious and careless in her remarks, but I never recall her attacking another performer in this manner, or publicly declaring she should have won an award instead of somebody else. (Perhaps she learned her lesson when, in the midst of a wave of positive reviews and publicity for “Evita” — and a Golden Globe win — she said she thought she deserved to be nominated for an Oscar, too. The Academy was not amused.)

The truth is, most of the public has never heard either Elton or Madonna’s song. Why carry on so?

Oh, “reductive?” It means something is the same, only less.

Liz Smith

14 comments:

  1. I am loving the backlash against trollga.

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  2. All those attacking little monsters who never got to see the power of MADONNA in action. In one word she had all those little monsters and fat ones like elton and david whos panties in a twist. They still dont know what them.

    I LOVE IT!

    ONE WORD REDUCTIVE. MONSTERS SLAYED!

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  3. Gotta love LIZ SMITH..i know i do, always have. She has always followed MADONNA'S career and has an informed & intelligent point of view. Was thinking the other night..the one main thing ( there are very very many) that 'GAG' will never be is a 'sex symbol' the way M was & is still. I mean oozing sex & sexuality that captivates millions. So she can keep all her 'social networking' drones, that don't mean jack-shit when it comes to record sales...obviously! M filled 'soccer stadiums' even at the begining of her career, most of the biggest acts in the world can't even manage that at ANY point. So when 'gag' can fill stadiums, captivate the world with her music, leave people 'gasping for air' with her controversy,30yrs+ of ball-busting SEXUAL energy & drive, OMG..i could go ON & ON with this list...THEN and only then MIGHT i consider her worthy of the crown that sits on the head of the 'FUCKIN UNDISPUTED QUEEN OF MUSIC'.

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  4. Well written!
    Liz is very smart woman, I guess.

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  5. Smith spoke the truth. Music critics and people (not madonna fans only) who are listening to music like all of us started this "born this way / express yourself" issue.
    By the way, "it's reductive" are actually three words :p

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  6. Well said Liz, why aren't there more journalists like her these days? Bravo Liz!

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  7. Liz, you are spot on...I purposely rewatched all the video clips with an open mind, specifically looking for when she was an egomaniac, or snotty in her remarks. She was, in a word, Madonna - coy, flirtatious, self effacing yet proud of her work at the same time, playful, and gave an honest answer to an honest question. Bravo from me as well Liz! Xo

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  8. Liz Smith is absolutely right, again. I watched the interview and the footage and tried to see it from the perspective of a non-fan. As EL says above, she was charming. She won the award and thanked her producers and co-writers. She has praised Gaga but responded to the Express Yourself controversy in a measured way. A very classy response.

    I'm so glad somebody out there is speaking up for Madonna.

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  9. It's scary that what Liz says here doesn't seem to naturally occur to most people.

    Many individuals and organizations have been against Madonna from the very beginning of her career and I suppose the battle continues to be fact and common sense versus people with agendas and their weak-minded followers.

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