M, the kids and Jesus at the Kabbalah centere - 06/03/09

Photos: allaboutmadonna

M to launch fashion line?

Yahoo!

Madonna has set her sights on conquering the fashion world for a second time - the pop superstar is reportedly set to launch a new line with designer Christian Audigier.

The singer created her own clothing collection - M by Madonna - with Swedish high street chain H&M in 2007.

And now the Holiday hitmaker is now said to be working on a high fashion range with Audigier, according to the Daily Mirror.

The publication reports that Audigier has offered the star a six-figure deal to design a collection for him, which will include tattoo-inspired t-shirts and diamante-encrusted T-shirts.

New show in Paris Bercy added to tour schedule

Madonna Tribe

Another Sticky & Sweet show has been added to the tou schedule. It will happen on July 9th in Paris at the Bercy Sport Palace.

The show takes place the day after the second Manchester show.

A fanclub pre-sale will happen on March 9th starting at 10 am Paris local time for legacy Icon members. Additional ticket presales will be announced as they are confirmed.

Madonna's banned advert

BBC

By John Hand

THE ADVERT: Madonna, singing Like a Prayer for Pepsi in 1989

THE SCHTICK: The cola wars in full swing, Pepsi wheeled out its big gun - the Queen of Pop - to perform her latest single

THE BREAKDOWN: It was, the TV voiceover promised us, not to be missed. The Material Girl was to put the fizz into Pepsi's campaign - for a fee of $5m.

The premiere of Madonna's Like A Prayer in a two-minute advert was notable enough to be reported on ITN's News At Ten, and ITV ran trailers advertising when it would be shown - 8.12pm on Thursday 2 March, 1989.

But within 48 hours of the much-hyped worldwide premiere, the company pulled the ad, and it was never screened again.

This was because influential church groups in the United States had threatened a mass boycott of Pepsi products, troubled by the Catholic-born star's ongoing flirtation with religious imagery.

The ad starts with Madonna watching black-and-white footage supposedly of her own eighth birthday party.

Then magically, the star and her younger self switch places. Mini-Madonna wanders around the singer's apartment, marvelling at posters of her adult self and finds the same doll she has been given as a birthday gift. The ad ends with grown-up Madonna telling her young self "go ahead, make a wish" - as they both drink Pepsi.

That slogan was intended to become as synonymous with Pepsi as "It's the real thing" is with rivals Coke. But the feelgood factor did not last long for its executives.

Within a couple of days came the second act in the drama. The video for Like A Prayer hit TV screens.

It opened with Madonna fleeing the scene of a rape. She runs into a church and prays before a statue of a saint, played by a black actor, before flashbacks reveal she witnessed the attack, carried out by a white man. But an innocent black man (the saint's double) is arrested.

There are burning crosses and Madonna suffers stigmata before heading off to put right this miscarriage of justice.

Within hours, American religious groups complained about the portrayal of Jesus Christ (as some viewers assumed the saintly character to be) as a black man being kissed by Madonna.

With MTV unlikely to ban the video, the groups tried a new tack - threaten to boycott Pepsi.

The campaign was promptly shelved. Twenty years on, a Pepsi spokesman says it was an unfortunate episode.

"While our commercial bore no resemblance to the video, many people who were offended by the video made no distinction between the two. We felt that the only appropriate step under the circumstances was to immediately stop airing the commercial."

Business decision

Ruth Mortimer, associate editor of Marketing Week, says that today there would be even more of a reaction.

"Religious groups know what they can achieve if they complain. Big companies in the States tend to be particularly sensitive in that area."

When it comes to celebrity advertising campaigns, companies buy into the star's image.

And when things go wrong for that person, it's time for a corporate rethink. Wrigley's chewing gum recently withdrew its adverts starring singer Chris Brown, who is facing assault charges.

Ms Mortimer believes Pepsi had little choice: "You have to weigh it up carefully, whether the complainants come from a group that are particularly likely to buy your brand.

"Pepsi is a very mainstream brand so it's quite difficult for them to do something edgy."

Since 1989, Pepsi has had more big-name celebrity endorsements (Britney, Beyonce and Beckham) while Madonna has fronted campaigns for companies as varied as Max Factor, BMW, Versace and Gap.

Clare Parmenter, of the Madonnalicious fansite, says Pepsi should have realised Madonna might be a controversial choice.

"She has become more famous for shocking people since then. It seemed like it was the start of her really pushing the boundaries."

So what happened to the other central figure in the drama - the black actor who played the saint and the innocent man?

Leon (who, like Madonna, eschews his surname) went on to star in Cool Runnings, Disney's 1993 film about Jamaica's bobsleigh team.

He's also appeared in Sylvester Stallone's Cliffhanger and Ali with Will Smith, and in TV films about The Temptations, Jackie Wilson and Little Richard.

He recalls: "I didn't want to do a pop video. I saw myself as a serious actor and all I knew of Madonna was her dancing around. But I was persuaded to meet the director and hear the concept."

He did not see the storyline as controversial. "I actually thought it was great for anyone who is religious. It shows Madonna witnessing an attack and then going to a church for guidance.

"I really think that Pepsi made a hasty decision, but it was their own money they were throwing away."

Glenn Close an Madonna

InStyle via MadgeTribe

"I admire Madonna. she has so much energy and its very inspiring to watch someone like that. I have her Confessions album playing a lot in my dressing room. You know, singing and rolling my arms to Hung Up gets me in the mood to go shout at people as Patty Hewes." *laughs*

Madonna and child

The Guardian

By Hadley Freeman

Madonna's new man is not only called Jesus, he is also, whisper it, 28 years younger than her. Good for her, says Hadley Freeman.

His name is Jesus and her name, of course, is Madonna: how could they not get together? OK, maybe the original duo didn't strip off their clothes as soon as they met and then pose for a fashion shoot that took more inspiration from Emmanuelle than The Last Temptation of Christ. But hey, we live in a post-Darwin, post-Dawkins era and holy moments come shrouded in all manner of disguises.

Yet the wonderful juxtaposition of names is, impressively, one of the less attention-grabbing aspects to the relationship between Madonna and Jesus Luz, or "Jesus Light". Instead, what has really fascinated the media is that he is 22 and she is 50 or, as the Daily Mail was quick to point out, older than Luz's grandmother. In other words, when Luz was born Madonna was married to Sean Penn. Speaking of Penn, he confirmed his status as one of the more charming men in Hollywood when his ex-wife approached him at an Oscars party last week to congratulate him on his win. Penn gestured towards Luz and sneered, "Thanks. Another kid already?" I wonder if Penn ever cracks similar jokes to his good friend Jack Nicholson when he turns up with another teenager. Oh no, that's right. Older men - sexy. Older women - ewwww! Can an older woman even have sex?

Some readers might cry double standards, claiming that if a 50-year-old male popstar was going out with a 22-year-old model this article wouldn't be quite so approving. Two responses come to mind, the first one obviously is that the world has endured photos of ageing rockers pawing teenage girls for decades, so it's nice to have a little bit of payback. Last year alone, Bryan Ferry, 63, started going out with a 27-year-old who may or may not be his son Isaac's ex-girlfriend; Paul Weller, 50, ditched his girlfriend of 13 years before being photographed rolling on a pavement with a 23-year-old, and Ronnie Wood, 61, left the mother of his children for a childlike blonde. As for Madonna, heck, the woman deserves something after her bitter divorce and custody wrangles with Guy Ritchie.

True, two wrongs don't make a right. But famous women over 35, let alone 50, don't have such a nice time of it. This is not an original point, but it is one that seems to get more true with every passing year. Let's just recap, again, on events from the last year: Moira Stuart, 59, was sacked from reading the news, prompting accusations of age discrimination; Jennifer Aniston continues to be universally pitied because she is - oh the horror - 40 and unmarried; Gwyneth Paltrow, 36, was airbrushed to a comically unrecognisable degree on the cover of US Vogue.

Madonna, on the other hand, walked out of a marriage and into the arms of a 22-year-old male model. Overly exercised she may be but the woman looks pretty good in the W magazine photoshoot of her and Luz rolling around on a bed together and, more importantly, like she's having a damn good time.

There have been a few (very few) high-profile older woman, younger man couplings before. Emma Thompson (49) married Greg Wise (42), and Greg, endearingly, seemed to go grey as soon as they left the church, as if to even things out. Susan Sarandon (62) and Tim Robbins (50) are probably the best known, although my favourite has long been Joan Collins and Percy Gibson, whose 32-year age gap makes Madonna and Jesus's 28 years look like a mere sneeze. When Joan was asked about the age gap she delightfully replied, "If he dies, he dies." I love Joan.

To see an older woman with a clearly very sexy younger man is the most marvellous pop in the eye to Ronnie, Paul, Bryan et al. The fact that she is not just a mother, but the most famous mother in the world - she is the Madonna, after all - makes the whole thing even better. And I didn't make one joke about the second coming.

*******

There's another article from today about a May-December romances, coming from the Daily-Mail.

American Icons - La Lohan as M

Glamour

You can do anything! That’s the message of the seven decades of female risk takers, rule breakers and style makers here. We celebrate them with the help of some very-2009 young talents.

In 1984 Madonna told American Bandstand host Dick Clark that her dream was to “rule the world.” Months later she was on her way—her album Like a Virgin skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard charts. She’s been a pop-culture powerhouse ever since, and last year, Sticky & Sweet was the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist ever.

“When I was little, every day after school I would come home and put in her The Immaculate Collection disc and karaoke to it around the whole house.”—Lindsay Lohan, 22, of the upcoming film Labor Pains, re-creating Madonna’s 1984 MTV Video Music Awards performance of “Like a Virgin”.

Additional photos: MadonnaTribe

Madonna and Jesus out and about this Monday - at the Ritz gay bar

Perez Hilton

Spotted: Madonna and her Brazilian model boyfriend, Jesus Luz, at NYC gay bar The Ritz on Monday night.

The homos went wild!

HX

BREAKING NEWS, BITCHES! As we type our celly is blowin’ up with calls from people wantin’ to make sure we know that Madonna herself was at The Ritz Monday night for her personal trainer, Tracy Anderson’s birthday. Relax, queens, we know! We were there! And we’ve got the scoop: The Big M kept it quiet and cute, sipping cosmos upstairs at the private party with her new Brazilian boy toy from that W Magazine spread in tow. The hottie apparently brought along a mix CD for the occasion and insisted that DJ Xavier play the whole thing.

NY Magazine

A tipster is in a tizzy after spotting Queen Madge and her boy toy Jesus Luz last night. We're told the Material Girl attended her trainer Tracy Anderson’s birthday at the Ritz’s upstairs lounge and, sometime around midnight, came downstairs to join the hoi polloi in watching drag queen Bianca Del Rio’s show. “It was insanity — in the best most awesome way!!” says our source. “The boys went wild … There was no paparazzi or anything, no crazy security. So fun.” Not bad for a Monday.

Madonna Honored At RIAJ Gold Disc Awards

Billboard

By Rob Schwartz, Tokyo

Japanese pop act Exile and Madonna were among the winners at the 23rd edition of the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) Gold Disc Awards at Tokyo International Forum in the Yurakucho district of Tokyo. The awards, held March 2, celebrate the artists that have sold the most in sales categories that range from singles and downloads to albums and total sales.

The 14-member boy band Exile from Avex Group won the Japan Gold Disc award for artist of the year, the category that is based on combined sales across all platforms. Madonna, on the strength of her "Hard Candy" (Warner Bros) album and digital download single "Miles Away," got the Japan Gold Disc award for international artist of the year. She also won the mastertone of the year award for the same track.

Pop singer Thelma Aoyama featuring SoulJa won the single track of the year (mobile) for "Sobaniirune."

Exile also picked up album of the year for their collection "Ballad Best." In the international category Coldplay snatched album of the year for "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends" (EMI).

Jesus dumped Krishna for Madonna

Jesus' ex sold her story to a Brazilian magazine "Quem". She says she talks to Jesus, after she got over the breakup. Well, guess they won't be talking anymore, after she talked to the magazine.

"Krishna Siqueira had been dating Jesus Luz, 22, for five months before he got pally with the Queen of Pop on a magazine photoshoot in December.

'Later on, his relationship with her became more serious.'

Krishna said that Jesus had told her Madonna was "a wonderful person".

She added: "I honestly didn't want to ask for many details. Maybe because I am jealous. He says he is in a great phase of his life."

'He is very focused and intelligent. He was always giving me advice. He's 22, but he is very mature for his age.'

She was speaking after her ex and Madge were pictured out for a meal in snowy New York at the weekend.

Asked if she thought Jesus was only knocking around with Madonna for the publicity, Krishna replied: 'No. He's not that kind of person.'"

Pre-sale for Bucharest sells out in record time

Madonna Tribe

After the first pre-sale day for the August 26 concert in Bucharest the allocated tickets for the Pitch A area completely sold-out. The management approved then an extra allotment of tickets to be made available on pre-sale for the same area, which was available on myticket.ro on February 24. Another dedicated pre-sale for Vodafone Romania customers end yesterday and today, March 3, the general public will finally be able to purchase tickets from myticket.ro and in Diverta stores.

Myticket.ro programs to serve up to 25 000 visitors per hour this morning, with special arrangements to prevent server crashes similar to those that happened to the websites selling tickets for the Wechter and Sofia a few days ago. In only 12 hours the other day, more that 70 000 unique users have accessed myticket.ro to get information or to buy tickets to the Madonna show.

Madonna & Jesus Luz Keep Winter Warm

Just Jared

Madonna and rumored boyfriend Jesus Luz enjoy dinner and take a romantic walk in the snow in New York City on Sunday (March 1).

The pair had some alone time as Jesus walked with his hand firmly on Madge’s back.

Jesus, 22, spent some family time with Madonna, 50, and her brood as they stopped by The Kabbalah Center in New York City for Saturday service.

Madonna talks to Liz Smith about her Oscar after-Party

The Women of The Web

By Liz Smith

Madonna’s Oscar-night fete at the home of her manager, Guy Oseary, co-hosted with Demi Moore, was a big success. When I asked her for the ingredient that makes hosting duties fun, Madonna said, “We were trying to have a real dance party, not a corporate affair!” (Darlings, Madonna has never had a “corporate” affair. It’s always very personal.)

La Ciccone elaborated: “Great music is the secret — and an open bar! By the end of the night, most of the ladies in couture were dancing barefoot.” Well, I saw Madonna dance on a tabletop in four-inch heels the night she won her first Grammy. Barefoot carousing ain’t so much. When I reminded Madonna of this, she said, rather primly, “I was very happy that night, Liz.”

There were no cameras at M and Mrs. Kutcher’s Oscar party, no barricaded press walls, just Demi and her hubby, Ashton, “twittering.” I guess they were alerting fans — we’re here, and you’re not! Madonna doesn’t twitter her fans. She knows they know she thinks they should live their own lives, and not be so concerned with her. (Until she tours again.)

I’m glad Madonna had fun; she always does when she dances. But I’d like to have seen her onstage at the Kodak Theater Oscar night. Why not? She has had more successful movies than her legend of flops would suggest, and twice performed memorably on the telecast. (Many fans consider her 1990 Oscar-night rendition of Sondheim’s “Sooner or Later” to be her best live television performance and her peak moment of glamour.



Madonna made more money in concert last year than anybody else, male or female. She’s a star. Once upon a time — about 25 years ago — I questioned this. I came to see the error of my skepticism. Oscar could have used a shot of Ciccone.

Madonna, the kids and Jesus walk

...out together of the NY Kabbalah centere this Saturday:





Photos: Just Jared, X17, WENN