The Military Girl - Stand

The Military Girl - Stand aside, Cheryl Crow. Move over, Matthews.

Madonna's on the scene.

The mercurial diva, whose latest efforts at reinvention haven't exactly kept her on the front page of "Variety" or the top of the charts (anyone remember "Swept Away"? Anyone out there who can name any of her last three albums? Me either), seems to see the upcoming war as her latest vehicle:

"She's taking it all the way this time," one source said over the weekend, "pushing all of the buttons... It is a sweeping political commentary on the modern 'American Dream' and how 'nothing is what is seems.'"

I love that. "Nothing is as it seems" - in other words, everything you know is wrong. You need to be a star, you see. Then, everything is as it seems. Got that?

Dressed in commando fatigues, Madonna throws grenades as the disco beat pounds, claims a source. Limb-less men and women are reportedly shown, with bloody babies.

One disturbing clip features Iraqi children.

I'm going to take a guess and assume they're not the children of murdered dissidents...

Fashion models are mixed with soldiers; sex, violence and war in new century sentiment.

Here's what I'm looking forward to; I once knew a Ukrainian guy who came to the US during the eighties. I remember his reaction to some of the anti-Reagan, anti-Western music and videos that were current at the time - stuff that ragged on Reagan and Thatcher, and pretended the Cold War was an evil sham. In particular, he reacted to the old Depeche Mode song "People are People", including it's video. There's a line in there, "Different people have different needs", which is meant to imply that some peoples around the world need dictatorships, and it's really not our job to change that. Sasha - a deeply philosophical person - heard this, and swore under his breath: "Eeez Booosheet. Noooboddy chooses Deeektaytor!. Zeez people? Dey fool of sheet!"

Ask the man who's been there, I guess. At any rate, I can hardly wait to see how Iraqis react, someday when they're free enough to see all the tripe that's being produced "on their behalf" by our perpetually concerned artistic community.

Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg did not return repeated calls seeking comment.

"AMERICAN LIFE is about freedom of speech," claims and insider. "It examines not only war, greed and ego, but it's self-reflective also. Madonna rejects her 'Material Girl' image once and for all, and warns of life in a material world."

Or at least carefully selected parts of it.

Posted by Mitch at February 9, 2003 02:53 PM