What ”M” in MTV really stands for
There’s an interesting article about this year’s VMAs on
The reigning queen of MTV added another notch to her boy-toy belt of greatest VMA performances. The first, of course, was her performance of “Like A Virgin” at the inaugural ceremony 20 years ago, and the second was an elaborate interpretation of her hit “Vogue” in 1990. Not only did “Vogue” find Madonna at one of her many creative peaks, but it raised the bar for VMA stage performances and for pop music performance in general.
The same can be said for her opening performance at this year’s VMAs. Like Madonna’s very first VMA performance in 1984, a bride emerged from a giant wedding cake singing “Like A Virgin.” Judging by the first few squeaky notes, it could very well have been Madonna circa 1984, but after a few not-so-innocent (and not-so-sexy) bars, the bride lifted her veil, revealing a well-publicized non-virgin, Britney Spears. Soon a dirrtier bride, a dark-haired Christina Aguilera, began to warble through the song’s chorus. The pair rolled around the stage in vintage Madonna style, which in and of itself was a sight to behold. Of course, the “groom” would soon take the cake (for those who hadn’t been tipped off already, both Beyoncé and Jay-Z spilled the beans during the VMA pre-show). Dressed in a black top hat and tuxedo, Madonna began to sing “Hollywood“, the second single from her latest album, American Life. The trio strutted the stage arm-in-arm before bringing the spectacle to a climax with two open mouth kisses. (Cue shot of Justin Timberlake, not sure what to make of his famous ex and his current touring partner swapping spit with the most famous woman in the world.)
Madonna rarely shares the stage with other stars, and for it to be Britney and Christina – who have been compared to and who cite Madonna as a primary influence – was nothing short of surreal. (Rumors abound that J. Lo was to have originally appeared in Christina’s place, in which case Madonna would have been the best singer on the stage that night.) Add to that an appearance by Madonna’s new Gap pal, Missy Elliott, who has been pegged as one of the greatest video artists since the Material Girl herself, and you’ve got a PR coup of diva proportions.
It begs the question: who thought this shit up? According to Fight the Good Fight Ministries, Satan did. A post on the non-profit Christian organization’s website chided MTV for “leading millions of impressionable youth down the greased pole to hell.” The group claims that Satan is using a “legion of demonic beings” (Madonna, Britney and Christina, no doubt) to “promote musical terrorism” (read: lesbianism). Of course, like terrorism itself, what would a Christian website be without a little propaganda and fear? The group exhorts: “God’s word warns that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God but will be sentenced to the lake of fire.” Quite honestly, I would much rather be in the lake of fire with Madonna and Christina Aguilera than up in Heaven with these nut-jobs.
It’s been close to a decade since a public appearance by Madonna has caused such a firestorm of controversy. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution apologized to its readers for printing a thumbnail-sized image of Madonna kissing Britney on their front page after a slew of complaints. The newspaper compared the “mistake” to the paper’s printing of violent images from the war in Iraq several months ago. Of course, Madonna’s message is always about more than just sex. The performance ended with the four women defiantly shouting the musical bridge from “Hollywood”: “Music stations always play the same songs, we’re bored with the concept of right and wrong!” It’s difficult not to view the lyric–along with Madonna’s sneering “Flip the station, change the channel!”–as a timely indictment of both radio and MTV itself, who have virtually ignored Madonna’s single and video.Still, the performance proves once and for all what the M in MTV really stands for.
Source: Slant magazine