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Madonna and child-rearing.
Townhall.com ^ | September 22, 2003 | Diana West

Posted on 09/22/2003 10:53:13 AM PDT by .cnI redruM

In these times of heightened discord and possible tectonic upheaval, there's little reason to linger on a culture-blip like the publishing launch of a series of kiddie books by Madonna. No doubt there are contrasts to be drawn between the semi-retired pop queen's latest and most dubious incarnation as a tea-sipping sort of Mrs. Miniver who writes children's books, and her extremely sordid, extremely lucrative career as a pop-exhibitionist. (Said career in pop-exhibitionism includes one prior publishing lark as a porno-spread subject and author of a book called "Sex.") Still, anyone who has successfully parried the thrust of all the recent media hoopla -- equal parts pretentious and nauseating -- over Madonna and the kissing pop-tarts on MTV will understand the reflexive instinct to shield the eyes from all Madonna news.

But the pop-ostrich in me just couldn't resist something Madonna said -- a real mouthful -- to the Times of London Sunday magazine. It was about her seven-year-old daughter, Lourdes, and Madonna's long career of mass-marketing her own vulgar sexuality. Quoth Madonna (given her current and slavish pursuit of English foppishness, she's bound to do a lot of quothing): "I protect her from sex full stop. She's not aware of sex, nor should she be. You know, we've had little conversations about where babies come from, but sex is not, and should not be, part of her repertoire right now."

Full stop? Given that Madonna is one of the preeminent despoilers of youthful innocence, this, as her new compatriots might say, is a bit cheeky. It's Madonna who first shredded virginity and wedding dresses into pop mega-hits, displaying a leave-us-alone exhibitionism that wreaked havoc on girlhood. Well and good that Madonna has had "little conversations" with her daughter about where babies come from; but what about the conversations about where Mommy's riches come from? Later, Madonna says. She says she someday plans to tell Lourdes her career as a sexual provocateur was all an act, which may or may not be comforting. "I'd explain that's me putting on a show. I'm playing a character, it's not really me. I'm being an actress."

This may work for Madonna-the-delusionist. Indeed, the 45-year-old wife and mother may have moved on permanently to floral prints, matching pumps, and a kiddie book that is rooted, Madonna is quick to emphasize, in her seven-year study of Jewish mysticism. The rest of us, meanwhile, remain stuck among her true spawn -- little girls and big, Baby Britneys and Madonna-wannabes, who believe that exhibitionism is liberation, that the birds and the bees equal "hooking up," and, almost worst of all, that bra straps and navels are outerwear. Thus, has sexuality -- to borrow a phrase from the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan -- been defined down, down, down. There's little mystery in it now, let alone mysticism.

No wonder Madonna hopes to protect her wee one. Which is precisely what many of us spend our own children's early years trying to do: We resist the extent to which sexuality, particularly female sexuality, has been snatched from its traditional time and place in human development -- as a rite of passage to adulthood, to marriage, to having children -- and grafted onto girlhood. The sexualization of childhood may not have started with Madonna, but under her pop influence, and under that of her pop descendants, it became pretty irreversible.

Madonna says she has no regrets. But neither does she appear to understand her own leading role in coarsening the culture against which she now guards her daughter. She does admit that what was cast as a crusade for sexual honesty in the 1980s and 1990s was really something of a scam. "Was I really trying to liberate people?" she asks rhetorically. "Or was I just being an exhibitionist and basking in the glory of being able to do what I wanted? I think that probably was mostly what it was."

So do I. But while she exhibited and basked and did what she wanted -- and grew wealthy beyond exaggeration -- she could always take shelter in an impervious cocoon of wealth and cultural influence. (The multitudes she influenced to bare all and do all, alas, had no such protection.) Now that she has moved on a little bit, wearing specs and writing children's books, maybe she is finally trying to hide her tracks. We know for sure she is trying to hide her daughter. Not that she can, of course. Which is too bad, because the real Madonna -- the notorious global persona -- isn't too savory an influence on anybody's growing girl.


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Madonna writing children's book is equivalent to the Dickens character Mr. Faggin running an orphanage. We are a society that wants it's youth to fail.
1 posted on 09/22/2003 10:53:14 AM PDT by .cnI redruM
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To: .cnI redruM
Amazon's website says that people who purchased Modonna's "English Roses" also bought her "Madonna Nude" book. Nice.
2 posted on 09/22/2003 11:11:09 AM PDT by geaux
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To: geaux
'English Roses' lacked adequate cover art.
3 posted on 09/22/2003 11:21:42 AM PDT by .cnI redruM (Success will not come to you. You go to success.)
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To: .cnI redruM
Then why the h*ll would Madonna dress her child up like a strumpet with a "Boy Toy" belt and parade her in front of the world on MTV?

Madonna and the children - Michelle Malkin's column

4 posted on 09/22/2003 12:32:29 PM PDT by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
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To: .cnI redruM
The sexualization of childhood may not have started with Madonna, but under her pop influence, and under that of her pop descendants, it became pretty irreversible.

I'm sorry, but this is just blame-shifting. The problem "reverses" the minute a majority of parents decides to grow up. They can turn of the TV, refuse to buy the CD's, not patronize the films, not buy the trashy clothes ... and until they do, they are much more responsible for their children's corruption than any "entertainer."

It's easy to badmouth Madonna - and no reason not to - but what about real life? What about when your daughter wants to wear the navel-baring shirts? Or your sons want to see the push-the-limit movies or the Britney Spears video? Or your neighbor is wearing shorts that say "JUICY" on the butt? Are you going to be as honest with someone who can hear you?

5 posted on 09/22/2003 1:36:17 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Did I say that?)
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To: Tax-chick
You're absolutely right. Parents should grow up and act like adults, and they should be in total control of what their minor children see, do, and experience (parents in the 50's were in control for the most part. We all know happened in the 60's).

Another thing -- they should tell their children's schools that they have certain expectations for their children in regard to academic and moral education and they expect the schools to reflect their that.

6 posted on 09/22/2003 5:16:08 PM PDT by ladylib
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To: Tax-chick
Those sweats and shorts are annoying--not just the juicy ones, but the ones with anything written on the tush. And you are right the parents need to grow up because it is 30 and 40 something mothers I see wearing that crap. You've got an environment where teenage girls are having to compete with their mothers because their mothers are having trouble accepting the fact that they aren't teens anymore.

I agree the matter is multi-faceted.
7 posted on 09/22/2003 8:05:54 PM PDT by glory
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To: geaux
What's funny is if you go to the full range of authors under the also bought section you will either find Madonna fans and other various perverts or books bought by women you have no doubt are glued to the TV when Oprah comes on in the afternoon. PATHETIC!
8 posted on 09/22/2003 8:12:57 PM PDT by glory
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To: glory
nah..... whats really really funny is how much judgement is on this board..............

p.s. I couldn't even get through half the article without getting nauseated.....
9 posted on 11/12/2003 8:34:50 PM PST by maverickman (right and wrong is awfully simple .. life does not know the meaning of simple)
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To: maverickman
I protect her from sex full stop. She's not aware of sex, nor should she be

Too bad the kids who come home from school, unattended, and turn on MTV aren't give the same courtesy.

Ms. Madonna is the worst kind of fake, she promotes one thing (sex = $$$$$$$), and then dismisses it when it comes to her personal life.

She disgusts me.

10 posted on 11/12/2003 8:43:19 PM PST by LisaMalia (Buckeye Fan since birth!!)
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To: LisaMalia

and to bad the mr. and mrs. are the ones in charge of their own lil ones not having the time to monitor them...
another thing..its awfully sad and upsetting that they are sooo full of judgement and hate.. and oh yeah.. I'm sure repression..

people like you disqust me.......
11 posted on 11/13/2003 10:39:15 AM PST by maverickman (please do get over yourselves.......... hahaha......)
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To: maverickman
people like you disqust me.......

Gee, your manners, or should I say lack of them, rival Madonnas.

My children were lucky enough to have me to monitor their tv viewing habits during their formative years, without being "repressive". Some children aren't that fortunate.

12 posted on 11/13/2003 12:37:20 PM PST by LisaMalia (Buckeye Fan since birth!!)
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To: LisaMalia
if you read it correctly it says like people LIKE you .. not you.. cause I don't know YOU personally .. but YOU not knowing Mrs. Ritchie personally and attacking her.. well how should I say this... ... who's the one who doesnt have any manners...?
13 posted on 11/13/2003 12:45:53 PM PST by maverickman (word................)
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