I can’t believe this is happening, but I’m about to defend Madonna yet again. During the BRIT Awards, Madonna’s performance of “Living For Love” was sort of a disaster. She had some of the same awkward staging she used for her Grammys performance, only at the BRIT Awards, she added a custom-made Armani cape. The cape was tied too tightly, so when Madonna’s dancers tried to pull it off of her (revealing Madge in a bullfighter’s costume), Madonna ended up ass over tea kettle on stage. It was bad.
But here’s the thing: Madonna didn’t blame the cape. After the fall, she said the cape was tied too tightly and the staging wasn’t exactly as they rehearsed, but she even went out of her way to thank Giorgio Armani for making the cape. So, surprise, Mr. Armani threw some major shade at Madonna this week:
It was the fashion fail of the week, but don’t blame the designer. Giorgio Armani says the bull fighter’s cape that brought down Madonna during a live performance at Brit Awards was meant to be closed with an easy-to-undo hook. She wanted it tied instead.
“Madonna, as we all know, is very difficult,” Armani said with a smile and a shrug backstage after his Emporio Armani show. “That’s all there was to it.”
Madonna was yanked backward down some steps after failing to untie the flowing cape. adonna said the cape had been tied too tightly at the neck, and two dancers who were supposed to merely pull it off wound up dragging the singer down three steps. The singer told Britain’s “Jonathan Ross Show” that she hit her head and suffered whiplash.
Is this fair to Madge? Was she the one to order alterations on what Armani designed as “an easy-to-undo hook”? Is she to blame for busting her own ass? Perhaps. But still, it feels like Armani took an unnecessary swipe at her. Yes, we all know she’s “very difficult”. What does that have to do with her fall though?
Here’s Mr. Armani waving “BYE BITCH” to Madonna.
And here are some photos of Madonna outside of Raspoutine in Paris on Monday night. Yes, she had her grill in. And yes, her face looks like it’s melting. And yes, she’s still wearing those orthopedic shoes. Sigh… poor Madge.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
She looks RIDICULOUS in that outfit. If you didn’t tell me that was the real Madonna, I’d think it was someone dressed up for an 80s party at the local community centre.
That outfit was awful. I don’t know why she didn’t stick to something like what she wore in France arriving for her performance, a beautiful but unique red dress.
http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/79/590x/secondary/Madonna-259753.jpg
That is a beautiful, unusual, and sexy red dress that not only suits her, but makes her look really elegant and classy. Which means she ditched it for some attention-grabbing monstrosity made out of dental floss and Miley Cyrus castoffs as soon as she possibly could!
Eh. Shades of Courtney Love…..
I went to a school auction last weekend themed “1984”. A bunch of tired ass parents trying to get it together while wearing silly things & looking for the open bar to justify the babysitter. I could swear I saw her there in this outfit!
Yes, I just wish the same MINDSET she uses with her hands would apply to her body.
She wears gloves constantly now when in public. Her hands look like those of an 80 year old. I wish she’d just relax about aging already. It’s a losing game, Madge!
The shoes are just too stupid to comment on.
How convenient that she made similar fingerless gloves a brief fashion accessory trend in the mid-1980s.
I remember going to Ormond (mall store of long ago) while in high school and most of the accessory section was pure Madonna.
I´ve never really liked Madonna as person,
but now I actually feel sorry for her.
She must be going through all kinds of
troubles, since she obviously refuses to age
with dignity! Poor Madge!
Madonna was pretty gracious about it, not blaming the cape or anything … I sort of feel like this comment by Mr Armani wasn’t really necessary. But I suppose bitches will be bitches right?
Can we not have a lot of ageist remarks from commenters this time? Madonna is middle-aged and so what? No one comments on Bono’s age or Stephen Tyler’s age. It smacks of sexism.
We were watching American Idol one year and my mother walked in, saw Steven Tyler and went “who is she?”
True story.
hahahhahaah
This is she: http://cheezburger.com/4880284672
Her determination to look and dress like a twenty year old regardless of the amount of plastic surgery it takes says a lot about her, none of it good. You can’t expect people not to notice. No one cares that she’s middle aged. They care she’s so obviously desperate to be something other than she is.
Thank you GNAT! I don’t have any issue with anyone’s age, but I do have an issue with someone trying to act/dress/style herself or himself as if they were twenty or thirty years younger. It looks desperate, it makes you look insecure, I assume it is embarrassing for your children, and what exactly does it say about your values in general?? That you – and the rest of humanity – are only as good as your visible age/slimness / lack of wrinkles? My goodness, what happened to gaining wisdom, becoming kinder, sharing something with the world – money or time or efforts if you can spare any of it? And what happened to look good in a classy way? I always point to Helen Mirren as someone I’d like to be when I am older. God, what a class act.
You know those articles in magazine that tell you what to wear at age 20, 30, 40 and 50? Those always seemed so arbitrary to me. And my mom was offended because after 60 apparently you’re invisible, dead or just irrelevant. Vogue’s age issue always has at least one ridiculous element to it. Perhaps Madonna’s final contribution will be to make people reexamine the boxes we put people in based on age. Maybe she likes the way she looks, and that’s good enough?
GNAT:
How does she dress like a 20 yo? Have you ever seen her casual style because it’s godawful. She goes for comfortable stuff. The only risqué casual outfits she wore were during her Sex era and it was tamer than what Miley wears today.
When she goes out for dinner, she wears nice ‘normal’ clothes (still don’t like it though). When she had her posh country side girl moment with Guy, people said it was fake and she can never hide being a wh*re.
As for her public outings, she has an album to sell and she knows when to turn her celebrity ‘on’. That’s what celebs do and she’s the best at it (even though she doesn’t sell that well anymore). She’s not running around in these outfits when she goes for her workout, when she attends a meeting, when she’s rehearsing for a show. That’s real Madonna. In stark contrast, people like Gaga and Dita ALWAYS dress for their image regardless of the situation. Well Gaga toned it down but still…
She cannot win anyway so she might as well be herself.
On a personal note: I’ve seen many older people (elderly even) who rock pink hair or whatever is considered to be a young person’s prerogative. It’s not my life and if they’re happy then why not? All that negativity towards other people’s lifestyle choices makes me afraid for my future because anything that I do or wear that isn’t the norm for my age group will be seen as ‘desperate’ or stuck trying to be young. How can we know that’s the thought behind such behaviour though? People don’t even know their own friends sometimes but all of sudden we know what strangers are thinking or feeling? Ok then…
Or how do we know that older people who wear ‘age appropriate’ clothing are happy with their style choices? I know I often tried to get my grandmother to buy a new (sexy I suppose) dress to go out and have some fun but ‘no it’s for younger people’. She didn’t say it’s ugly though. Or a woman (also elderly) who rocked skinny jeans and I commented on how cool she looked and she was happy as her grandchild gave it to her but she wasn’t comfortable as ‘that’s not what old people usually wear’ but she liked it! It’s so sad that somebody is afraid to wear a piece of clothing because other’s don’t agree.
I think a lot of people suppress themselves just to fit in at any age and it shouldn’t be that way. People talked here about maturing in terms of accepting and being open-minded when they are close-minded as hell when they talk about what one should or should not do when you age. How silly and unnecessary.
@Artemis How does she dress like a 20 yo? The grillz. I don’t care about what she wears ,but the grillz are ridiculous.
Artemis- I didn’t see your post until I posted, but exactly!
GNAT- I am in my early 20s, and to be honest, I don’t feel comfortable with women (regardless of age) judging Madonna (and other women more generally) for “dressing inappropriately” for their age. If she was dressed like this to meet the President or give a speech to the UN or something, that would be a reasonable thing to attack… But she’s out at a fun (rowdy!) club in Paris AND I really think that she feels young, she looks great, it’s her body and her choices to dress how she wants. I don’t want to turn around and appear to be criticizing any posters (because I read your comments everyday and enjoy your banter and insight), but if you’re attacking her for refusing to accept her age (whatever that means) and dressing/acting like she’s 20-something, this 20-something’s opinion is good for you Madonna, you go girl. She obviously is very disciplined and hella privileged, and she’s able to put a lot of care into her body and whether she chooses to get lots of cosmetic procedures, whatever.. I know she’s like 50 or something, but she looks great regardless of her age in my opinion. I obviously don’t think she’s trying to be my age or that she is succeeding, but I don’t think she looks “bad”. It’s her body, it’s her money, she can do as she pleases.
@FingerBinger
She has her own unique, kooky, eccentric, hot mess look that has nothing to do with age, and I JUDGE HER FOR THAT. Because her ‘style’ is totally a mess. Like, what exactly are those shoes. I have never met a single person who has ever been like, ‘I really feel like popping in my grill will really bring out this outfit tonight!’
I agree- but not just the dress. Tweeting the N word about her son, showing him w/ vodka bottles as a teen, saying that her kids can use drugs (teens), etc. It doesn’t show an adult who decided to grow up- it shows an immature woman trying to still be “youthful, fun, hip” but instead just looking dumb & irresponsible. When I hear of a 16 yr old saying something like that (N word) I think….dumb ass but maybe they’ll grow up & learn about white privilege, history of the word. When a 60+ woman tweets it……she just looks like a silly woman who parents her kids Will Smith style.
@Fingerbinger,
What 20 yo wears grillz exactly? I’m 24, never in my life have I seen people with grillz. It’s mostly famous male rappers and the few young popstars that did wear them, only did so for a very short period when it was ‘trendy’. But it didn’t stick at all. Madonna also wore grillz in the 90s when it wasn’t ‘trendy’. That’s more of a rich thing to do, follow fashion trends. Not really about age tbh. The only reason why she sticks with it is because of the attention. And she always wanted attention, at any age.
@MC2
Yup, she’s problematic but it has nothing to do with age. She said racist stuff 2 decades ago and many white people are weird about the n-word. Young and old. She advised her daughter on drugs because she knows she cannot physically stop them from doing it anyway. I thought that was quite smart actually. Many things she does is because she’s Madonna and addicted to attention.
She’s 56 btw.
I agree with what Artemis said. I do think there’s both ageism and sexism involved in some of the criticism, and it seems like no matter how old a woman is, people will always find a reason why it’s not ok for her to dress however she wants in her personal life or in her life as an enertainer and point to a modestly-dressed elegant woman her age as an example of how she’s ‘supposed’ to be dressing. (And why should entertainers even need to look ‘classy’ and elegant all the time at ANY age? That would be boring. What’s the fun of being a pop star if you can’t wear things that the average person doesn’t wear every day or things that would make people not want to hire you if you were looking for work as an attorney? That’s half the fun!:) ) If the woman is 22 or younger, or has a young face, they’ll say her decision to wear revealing or sexy clothes is automatically ‘exploitation’ and creepy and ask why she can’t dress more like Emma Watson or some other conservatively dressed young woman. If the woman is middle-aged or older, people will say that her decision to wear revealing or sexy clothing means she’s desperate to be young and that she shouldn’t be dressing that way because of her age, and ask why she doesn’t cover up like Cate Blanchett or Hellen Mirren. Even J.Lo. gets crap for daring to wear sexy stuff just because she’s 46, and she looks great and actually younger than she is.
There’s no need to put women, younger or older, into such a narrow little box. It’s fine that Hellen Mirren prefers to cover up more than Madonna, but can we acknowledge that Madonna is not Hellen Mirren and that not every older woman has to be Hellen Mirren? That J.Lo. is not Cate Blanchett and might not even want to be like her in style? And that not every young woman wants to dress like Emma Watson, and that experimenting by doing the opposite doesn’t make them ‘exploited little victims’ devoid of agency? Not every woman wants to be an Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. There’s no need to put women in a box at any age. People always automatically talk about less modest clothing in terms of desperation for youth (for older women) or exploitation (for younger women), but how do we know that some women who cover up do so just because it’s what’s expected of them or because they fear people will talk all kinds of crap about them if they don’t? That’s why there shouldn’t be one idealized image for women.
Madonna has always been Madonna- her message has never been about trying hard to be seen as ‘tasteful and elegant’ and avoiding pushing boundaries, and that’s okay.
Her use of the n word to try to fit in with ‘the cool kids’, on the other hand, is not okay and is an entirely different story.
She looks like an ass. She looks ridiculous. I’m not saying if you’re 40 wear this, if you’re 50 wear that, or trying to put people in boxes. But she looks like she hates herself. I don’t know what else to tell you. If you can’t see it, you can’t. Maybe I’m seeing things that aren’t there. It’s just my opinion.
Lots of comments on Bono’s age during the whole ‘forced iTunes download’ episode. A lot of people said Bono and U2 were old and out of touch. Eminem is younger than Madonna, and he’s generally considered to be old and out of touch.
I don’t buy the ‘it smacks of sexism’ argument. It reminds me of the people who get upset when anyone mentions Hilary Clinton’s age – if she’s elected U.S. President, she’ll be 69 when she takes office, 77 by the end of two terms. I think that’s a fair enough issue. When he was running in 2008, John McCain was considered by many to be too old to be president, and Ronald Reagan (also 69 when he took office) really was too old to be president.
Haha, please! People make ageist remarks towards middle aged men just like they do with Madonna and other middle aged women.
It is not an age problem. It is her constant lack of acceptance that she is not a twenty-something anymore what makes people look at her with amusement/sadness
You can be a “young spirit” without making a fool of yourself, and yes, I comment and give the side-eye to middle-aged men acting like her (Johnny Depp and the rest of hollyweird crew who dates/marry women half their ages)
Thanks Sugar. Agree 100%. Tired of the contempt for middle-aged women here and everywhere. Who gets to decide what is ‘dignified’ for a women at any age? Not too long ago it wasn’t considered dignified for women to work.
We actually do comment about Steve Tyler and his obvious plastic surgery and speedos. Bono doesn’t dress like a 21 year old punk so he gets a pass. Madonna is making herself ridiculous BY herself, we just comment on the aftermath of her endless plastic surgeries, ill-informed rants and outlandish fashion choices, not to mention bum-flashes. She’s now gotten to the point where she’s become a caricature of her much younger self and it’s not cute anymore. Her music has become repetitive drivel, and in her relentless mania to remain relevant to a 30 year younger crowd, she’s only spotlighting the fact that she is terrified of aging. She can’t bring herself to embrace a new life that is rich with potential, it’s as if she’s embarrassed about it. Well aging happens and if you embrace it it’s wonderful – if you refute it, you will look pathetic and pitiable.
Amen!! ++++++++++++1
You call it ageism, I call it disappointment, I expected so much more from Madonna given the trail she blazed in her heyday. She looks no different than legions of other women her age with too much money, she has had too much work done. There is nothing eccentric or self-confident in her behavior, she is like every other insecure woman out there, spending too much time looking in the mirror and wasting money on probably poisonous beauty treatments.
Another version of this story is that she was supposed to untie the cape first, then dancer was to pull it off – but she did not untie it on time / fast enough. Hope no one was fired!
I’m sure Mr. Armani isn’t ‘difficult’ at all… Talk about pot calling the kettle.
I just had this vision of the Celebrity Senior Center. It will be fabulous! Crafts projects including design your own grill and how to bedazzle your orthopedic kicks. Maybe classes on how to camouflage aging hands and necks with gloves and capes. Botox specials! Lectures on how to use youthful jargon on social media and attract a much younger companion. Plus bingo!
“Bingo” Qu’est-ce que c’est “bingo”? F&^* That. Strip poker.
I’ve always thought Armani was more of gentleman than that. Disappointing.
Go on Madonna!!!! I guess Armani never met a difficult Supermodel before.
Eh, she probably demanded he change the design for her, and now his product is associated with her fall, which isn’t the kind of PR a major fashion designer wants or needs. I’d be annoyed too, and Armani’s way past needing to hold his tongue and pander to celebrities.
Exactly, she asked for this change. And some Italian Websites and magazines did blame the designer. He was asked to comment on that.
Precisely. If she hadn’t changed his design (against his advice), the whole affair never would’ve happened. So her being difficult (okay, demanding) IS directly associated with this particular incident
Exactly! Madonna didn’t really ‘thank him’ it was more name dropping and deflecting IMO, under the guise of thanking. She said ‘Armani hooked me up’-yes, we are impressed madonna that your cape is armani.
B/C how would anyone ever know otherwise, or care? The focus went from her fall to the fact that she was also wearing an Armani cape. So the PR for him isn’t the best-or is it? lol.
These two divas know what they are doing. Faux feud, though the bitchy is genuine. More attention for both of them. Madonna looks ecstatic in these pics-she wants attention more than she wants to push the envelope and I guess she never was the unique strong woman I though as a teenager. Still, she definitely opened many doors for women in music and contributed/shifted the cultural landscape. Many today don’t realize the impact she had. While she is nowhere near as talented as someone like MJ, she definitely impacted society and culture [not just pop culture] as much as he did.
For whatever reason, it was her persona, charisma, ambition, work, etc that had that effect and staying power, even if she ‘stole’ her images and trends from others of the past and present around her. Her concert was a thing to behold-something that is the ‘norm’ now for women performers, was monumental in her time.
You know when your lauph turns into an un controllable cackle? Thank you!
She should know, you don’t mess with an Italian granny. They will cut you!
A hook would never have worked. How is she supposed to be holding a mic and with one hand trying to unhook it? She said because the show changed it and had her walk farther than originally planned so didn’t really rehearse that, and whomever tied it tied it a little tighter to stay on for the long walk since it was so heavy. So instead of pulling and it came undone, like the shorter cape she used at the Grammys, it didn’t easily, and then what happened happened.
She never blamed anybody and thanked Armani for hooking her up with such a beautiful cape.
‘Madonna, as we all know, is very difficult’ – stated Giorgio Armani, thus setting a new world record for understatement.
Not sure if Armani wanted that remark to sound as bitchy as it does, he may have just quickly answered a throwaway question while focused on his own show (he was asked backstage, right?)
Hmm, I wonder if, even though Madonna didn’t blame the cape, Armani was still worried about any backlash to his designs, maybe lose business?
He could/should have just said the original design was for a hook, and left it at that. The “difficult” part makes me think more went on behind the scenes than the official version released to the press.
I’m pretty sure Armani is used to bullying, dismissing and criticizing women and has done so his entire life as a fashion designer. Not surprised that a CLIENT who’d ask for what she wants is being considered “difficult”. Douchebagetti.
I’m with you Ann. This seems really small of him. And I have always disliked Madonna, and I still think this is below the belt/
Exactly.
Gosh, she really looks ridiculous in that outfit.
Agreed!
Those throwback goth kids shoes. Can’t be I had a pair back in the day.
And thank-you captain obvious regarding Madonna being “difficult”!
If only your capes were as obvious to remove; perhaps people wouldn’t have gravity issues.
Madonna should go back to Gaultier designing her costumes.
Did anyone else think that was Gwen Stefani in that top pic with the sunglasses? Had to look twice.
I thinking Armani added insult to injury with his petty remarks. As for Madonna and the fall, “never complain, never explain” comes to mind.
Nah, not fair to her in this case. She was decent about the whole thing and didn’t blame the cape. On the other hand, I don’t think his comments were meant to be “shade” anyway. I don’t think either of them are taking it very seriously.
Haha. It kills me that she has been in the business for over 30 years, and there’s no one who can say a kind word about her. Some of that has to be sexism, yeah, but let’s not ignore the fact that a woman can be called difficult for reasons other than that.
She was good in her early years. Now, I personally think she is nothing but a huge embarrassment! She’s trying way too hard. People need to learn when enough is enough. Has nothing to do with sexism. I also think it’s time for Steven Tyler to hang up his microphone, and I’m a huge fan of his.
He threw shade. Seems unnecessary. She looks like Marilyn Manson here.
Excuse meeee ! That lipstick suits him wayyyy better !^^
LOL. That’s true.
Good for him. He’s Armani, who cares if he threw shade. Plus, he said it with a smile and a shrug…. Madonna certainly knows she’s difficult. I’m sure there was no big surprise there.
The thing is ,in her quest for eternal youth (triggered by her fear of Death), she manages to look uglier. Despite her money….despite her diet….despite her fitness regimen ….
I remember her during the Ray Of Light period…she was so nice looking then (being brunette suits her better).
Amazing to see that a “glam squad” was involved whatsoever !
Once again, money can’t buy class.
Madonna is very difficult. Isn’t that what’s been said for decades? I don’t think it was a major shade for Armani to say that.
I can see why he would comment on his cape since Madonna’s failed use of it is not the image one would want for one’s product. He probably doesn’t want his consumers to think that anybody can step on the cape and make the wearer fall over. He probably doesn’t want the public to think that he isn’t smart enough to think of the contingencies in which his cape can come off easily if need be.
Madonna showed what a true performer she really is by getting right back up and continuing on like nothing happened. I really resent people critisizing her for what or how she dresses. It’s her business. Should she get a poodle cut and start wearing flowered polyester dresses people would give her flack for that too. I think the shoes look ridiculous and wouldn’t be caught dead in them but then I’m not her.
Crap. For a moment I thought Marilyn Manson had gone blond. Same ghost white skin, red lips and big sun glasses
In France, after singing Living for Love, she performed her new ballad, Ghosttown. It’s the most beautiful ballad she’s done in ages. There’s a lot of ballads on her new album and I love them all (listened to the leak LOL), but this is the only one she put autotune in in places. It’s still beautiful though, and she sounds great live. Not feeling the hair she keeps wearing, but I loved the costume.
I guess I’m caving and going to this tour because I love the ballads and some of the dance songs on the new album. She is scaling it back, still theatrical, but not stadiums. More intimate she said. It will be more like the Confessions Tour, which is my favorite, I hope.
Madonna will sell out this tour in minutes. Somebody still loves her. LOL
Ghosttown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ChLlvkr44
I don’t know if Armani intended to dis Madge. It sounds like someone asked him about the cape. Im not in fashion design, but I design. And if someone asked me if I created something that malfunctioned, I’d be concerned about losing credibility with other customers. I’d want people to know that Im a professional and I know my business. And that’s how I interpret his comment. It sounds like he’s saying, I know how to design for this kind of performance. I advised the client to use one kind of fastener because I knew how the product would be used and I anticipated the potential problems. But the client insisted on using a different fastener because she assumed she knew better. And that’s why she landed on her keister.
I’m not sure why people here cry sexism and ageism when people discuss Madonna’s clothes in a negative light here, but whenever anyone else’s style is critiqued here it rarely, if ever, devolves into a discussion about ageism and sexism. This is a celebrity snark site, people are going to snark on celebrities and I think people here are pretty polite with their criticism for the most part.
Incidentally, no white person should ever wear a grill regardless of sex or age.
Madge tries wayyyy too hard to appeal to the youngins. JUST BE NORMAL!
I am constantly amazed at the total lack of taste you people who write this stuff are able to operate with…and still live with yourselves….but whats very disturbing is the fact that you actually have an audience of people willing to read this trash! Misery loves company I know….but how low can you people go? TRASH!!!!