***Update: Read the FULL STORY here <-!
Photos Herb Ritts took of Madonna and Rosanna Arquette during a publicity shoot for their hit film Desperately Seeking Susan were initially deemed too "lesbian," according to veteran publicist Reid Rosefelt on My Life as a Blog.
Rosefelt, who was working as a publicist on the 1985 mistaken identity comedy, recalls the day he first told Madonna that Ritts would be photographing her and costar Arquette for publicity photos and, possibly, the film's poster.
“Is he gay?” Madonna asked. “Gay men take good pictures of me.”
Rosefelt recalls that during the meeting for the film's ad campaign an agency was pitching a campaign that traded on the film's disillusioned housewife plot, with Arquette’s face on a toaster and Madonna’s face on a piece of toast. Thinking the images were terrible, Rosefelt pulled out photos from the Ritts session, causing a hush in the room.
"Some people at Orion thought that the image would make people think it was a lesbian movie," Roseflet writes. "Thankfully the film’s producers, Midge Sanford and Sarah Pillsbury, were able to make their case."
The late photographer would go on to capture some of the most famous images of the music icon, including the cover of her 1986 album True Blue, as well as direct the video for her single "Cherish."
Rosefelt writes about having spent a lot of time alone with pre-superstardom Madonna during the shoot, where she even asked his opinion of one of her unreleased songs. Years later he ran into Madonna at an art shop and re-introduced himself, saying that he worked with her on Susan.
“A lot of people worked on Desperately Seeking Susan,” she said, as she walked past him.
Rosefelt, who was working as a publicist on the 1985 mistaken identity comedy, recalls the day he first told Madonna that Ritts would be photographing her and costar Arquette for publicity photos and, possibly, the film's poster.
“Is he gay?” Madonna asked. “Gay men take good pictures of me.”
Rosefelt recalls that during the meeting for the film's ad campaign an agency was pitching a campaign that traded on the film's disillusioned housewife plot, with Arquette’s face on a toaster and Madonna’s face on a piece of toast. Thinking the images were terrible, Rosefelt pulled out photos from the Ritts session, causing a hush in the room.
"Some people at Orion thought that the image would make people think it was a lesbian movie," Roseflet writes. "Thankfully the film’s producers, Midge Sanford and Sarah Pillsbury, were able to make their case."
The late photographer would go on to capture some of the most famous images of the music icon, including the cover of her 1986 album True Blue, as well as direct the video for her single "Cherish."
Rosefelt writes about having spent a lot of time alone with pre-superstardom Madonna during the shoot, where she even asked his opinion of one of her unreleased songs. Years later he ran into Madonna at an art shop and re-introduced himself, saying that he worked with her on Susan.
“A lot of people worked on Desperately Seeking Susan,” she said, as she walked past him.
From The Advocate
love susan,the original girl power poster child.thanks 4 da back story.very cool.please pud if ya could post whos that girl movie/nikki finn facts n stuff in the future xxx
ReplyDeleteGreat story, as usual advertising agencies KNOW SHIT about what people will like or not, that is why they are the cancer of capitalist society in every way.
ReplyDeletePublicity and the people that work in it, now that's a different medium and it's a different story, that's where this type of things that are magical like Madonna's iconography take place.
And so good to see Kabbalah has done wonders for Madonna's empathy and respect towards lesser individuals!!! You keep buying that K Water gurl!!!!
Wow, what a stinger! Wonder why she speaks to people like that, she could just say, "oh, great, how are you?" or something. It's the one side of her i really dislike: her rudeness.
ReplyDeleterl81 maybe she didn't mean to be rude. i guess she was (and she still is i think) quite
ReplyDeletesuspicious due to her extremely huge fame and maybe sometimes this suspiciousness is misunderstood as rudeness. just saying.. :/
It's like when she met the guy who wrote 'Like A Virgin'. He said 'I've always wanted to meet you!' and she replied 'Yeah, well now you've met me.' and walked off. It's the one side of her I detest, it doesn't matter how famous, rich or popular you are. Bad manners are bad manners. No excuse.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it Madonna used to be a cunt sometimes! Wow what a shocker! It came with the territory. When your breaking down all of those barriers and blazing that trail sometimes you MUST feel like a bitch! Whatever! I do that from time to tme and I am no superstar! LOL! Iove hearing everything about DSS! The one thing I would hate to hear "Remaking Desperatly Seeking Susan" They better never touch that gem!
ReplyDeleteBTW - That type of attitude made me fall for Madonna in the first place!
ReplyDeleteDo you guy really believe someone can be that rude? I don't know, I don't see anyone dismissing someone like that. But, I have heard/read a lot of stories like this so it may be true. I really hope not.
ReplyDeleteShe has changed. She does a lot for charity now and is always pleasant during interviews. I guess we all grow up at one point in out lives. Maybe it has to do something with the fact that she is a mun now.
Anyone remember Truth or Dare? LOL that was pure shits an giggles…she was so over the top. Loved it.
http://themadestycollection.blogspot.com/
XO
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ReplyDeleteThere's a longer version of this story at the original blog ...
ReplyDeleteFascinating stuff, keep up the good work Pud x
http://my-life-as-a-blog.com/post/2011/02/20/The-e2809cDesperately-Seeking-Susane2809d-Poster-The-Day-Madonna-Met-Herb-Ritts.aspx
herb totally captured the spirit of the film with this poster.. although Rosanna NEVER looked nearly that cool in the movie. the whole toaster/toast concept sounds shiteous. I always wonder what things would have been like if DSS had never happened for M. Into The Groove had been written for another singer.... hmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteIf a man behaves in the way she has done it, nobody seems to have a problem, but it's quite particular the case with Madonna. When she does something "negative", it's like heaven turns to hell. At least she is honest, she doesn't pretend to be the good girl next door. Besides, nobody would be talking about that guy if he weren´t writing about MADONNA.;)
ReplyDeleteGender's got nothing to do with it, I just expect more from her.
ReplyDeletelet your expectations go, youll be a much happier and more fulfilled person.
ReplyDelete