We all watched the Superbowl; some for the game and the rest of us to watch Madonna’s half-time performance. I think that we all agree that it is definitely amongst the top best halftime shows ever; however, I couldn’t help to notice some similarities to other live performances from other artists and I made my comparison which I posted on facebook. To my surprise, a friend of mine whom is a relentless fan of Madonna got extremely offended and called me a ‘hater’ and even asked me to unfriend him, which is what triggered this post.
In my opinion, Madonna’s performance was over the top, flashy and entertaining as is expected for a Superbowl’s half-time show and I loved it. However, because of the lack of originality I found by comparing it with Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite tour (see below) and the similarities of Madonna’s new single with Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girls, I was slightly disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Madonna but come on!!! We are talking about Madonna, The Queen of Pop, and we always expect to be surprised and amazed with some new trend; it just didn’t do it for me this time. Although I was not surprised by Madonna’s performance, I was surprised that objectivity has been lost when it comes to her name, especially amongst my people, the gay community.
Madonna 2012
Kylie 2010-11
Apparently, we live in a super sensitive, insecure, and uptight society where one is called a "hater" for just speaking your mind and having an opinion. How dare you say X or Y musician’s latest single sucks? It seems to me that the industry and my gay community is blinded with this mindset, and if you don’t like Madonna, Katy Perry or Britney Spears’ job then you are a hater. Heaven forbid I might be speaking the truth… This whole episode made me think if I should even consider I need to shut up and not speak my mind in order to fit in on a certain circle of friends or even to simply keep a friendship.
It also made me wonder who the real hater is. Is it the person who speaks their mind and provide the facts that support his opinion, or is it the person who hates the criticism and calls you a hater for speaking your mind? It is clear to me who the “hater” is and those who criticize and have the facts and accurate arguments to support their opinion are not the “hater”. A ‘hater’ is someone that just simply criticizes without having the arguments to support their negative opinion: they Hate and can never say exactly why. But hey, this is America, the land of the free and the freedom of speech and even the real ‘haters’ have their place and must be respected even when they have their biased opinion.
Bottom line is that music is a form of art and some of us who are passionate about music have strong opinions about what happens out there in the music industry. When we listen to a new track or watch a live performance or a music video, we tend to see it as a piece of art. If we look up the definition of Art Appreciation, we’ll find out that is the ‘knowledge and understanding of the universal and timeless qualities that identify all great art’. The more you appreciate and understand about the art from different eras, cultures, movements, styles and techniques, the better you can develop, evaluate and improve your own work. If your interest in art is simply for your personal enjoyment, a greater knowledge of art history and an understanding of elements, such as composition and technique, should increase your appreciation of art and enhance the pleasure you derive from looking/listening at it.
The reason I’m somewhat disappointed of ‘my gays’ is because as homosexuals, we are fighting for a better world in which tolerance is valued and bullying is ‘eradicated’. However, within our own community, we tend to be the most intolerant people with our own diverse groups and we even bully ourselves constantly. It should not be ok for anyone to feel that you can’t speak your mind because your friends will go off on you simply because they don’t like your opinion. In this case, the fact that Madonna is “The Queen of Pop” should not be the excuse to not being objective when it comes to critic her job. If it sucks, then it suck; if it was copied, then it was copied and if it was amazing, then it was amazing. This Madonna Superobowl's performance was amazing and entertaining, but not so much original or mind blowing. And because I have an opinion about something I am passionate and something I'd say I am somewhat literate, I will give my opinion even when it does not make me popular amongst those I know. If someone can't agree to disagree or respect your opinion, then it just simply should not be your friend after all.
Fortunately, a few out there still see things objectively as proven by SNL’s writers on the skid in which Kristen Wiig impersonated Lana Del Rey. Yes, because Lana Del Rey’s performance has been negatively criticized (including me) but SNL’s skid (Watch SNL's Kristen Wiig as Lana Del Rey) reminds us how biased the industry and critics have become.
Kristen Wiig as Lana Del Rey:
“Based on the public's response, I must have clubbed a baby seal while singing the Taliban national anthem."
“no serious musician would ever change their name. Except for Sting, Cher, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, everyone else on hip hop and of course, Bob Dylan”
"The music stage on 'Saturday Night Live' is hallowed ground, and I failed to reach the high bar set by past guests like Bubba Sparxxx, The Baha Men and Shaggy."
