Liz Smith: Madonna – She Won’t Beg for Your Lov

People only think they know about Madonna. Exposing her body never meant exposing her soul – and she hasn’t.
Madonna has actually remained singularly private about her private life. She tells exactly what she wants and how she wants to tell it. She won’t beg the media or her audience for love and understanding. Take her or leave her. This resistance to public vulnerability works against Madonna sometimes – she was truly stunned when she adopted little David Banda from Malawi and her charity efforts were questioned. But her strength, her refusal to cop a plea is what the fans love. And hate!

As to this situation with Guy Ritchie; they both tried hard. But I think Madonna tried harder – really! Still, she’s not going to adopt a victim pose, even if she feels she’s been done wrong. The press wants to see her brought low, have some emotional breakdown. Because that’s what the press wants from all celebrities – they give, they take, they “forgive” and give back, expecting gratitude. Madonna is not like other celebrities! (Go shove your forgiveness.)

For all Madonna’s reputation as a media manipulator, it always struck me that she kept her wedding private. No press. She didn’t sell photos, not even for charity. She took those vows seriously, as she did when she married Sean Penn. Divorce is a big thing to her; that vestige of childhood Catholicism. She is not sanguine about the end of her marriage. There was no pre-nup. She was really sure this was it – her soul mate!

The future? She’s only 50 – in her prime. She won’t be singing the old torch song, “I’m Through With Love.” And she won’t care if we don’t approve of who she loves next.

Check out the rest of this story at WoWoWoW.com. Thanks to John