Sublime: Today’s Boston Globe Ideas section contains an excellent story called “Muzzled in Moscow” by Masha Gessen on the impact of Putin’s crackdown on the independent press and other dissenters in Russia. Her story sounds very much like Solzhenitsyn’s struggles in Cancer Ward and The First Circle. She describes the dilemma of people who are faced with a choice of either collaborating with the Party to some degree through self-censorship, or of opting out altogether from civic life and pursuing only menial (meaning non-political) work and personal family concerns. It is a piece worth reading.
Ridiculous: The same Ideas section subjects readers to a second consecutive day of Op-Ed contributions by a professor of Women’s Studies. Aren’t we the lucky ones? While poor Masha Gessen writes about her grandmother’s struggles to survive under tyranny, today's Women’s Studies piece is a column entitled “Return of the goddess” which discusses the spiritual wandering of pop-diva Madonna into the mystic Kabbalah sect. Madonna has somehow become a Kabbalah follower yet without embracing the rigid sex roles that Kabbalah followers practice. Opines today’s WS prof:
“…one could say that Madonna has injected an obscure, ailing form of patriarchal Jewish mysticism with a much needed dose of woman's chutzpah.”
One could also say that by crashing her way uninvited into this Jewish sect, Madonna is simply continuing a 20-year run of flawless self-promotion; through which she has managed to keep small minds – feminist and otherwise – chattering about her; whether making records, knocking Catholicism, coupling with Dennis Rodman, or starring in and publishing a coffee table book of porn. The Kabbalah simply have the misfortune to be her current stage prop.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sandra Smallson
But for daft cynics like you Harry Forbes.... You have simply given the article it's evidence. What exact personal toll does it eaxct on you if Madonna has chosen to study Kaballah? What is your business? How small is YOUR mind, since you are now "chattering" about her? Surely, there must have been other grannies and tyrannical pieces in the Boston Globe? How did this Madonna article happen to catch your eye? LOL.
Madonna crashed her way uninvited? Is that your version? Hmm. I guess you must be a rabbi. Last time I checked, you did not have to be INVITED to study Kaballah. You simply stroll in to one of their classes. Kaballah is now her current stage prop? Ha! I am almost about to call you an idiot..but why bother?
YOU are the small minded/narrow minded idiot(damn, I did it:) to think that because Madonna is a pop star, who has dated Dennis Rodman and published a coffee table book with sexual pictures in them, she is somehow not allowed to study Kaballah. In fact, she is not allowed to do anything because anything and everything she does is seen as self promotion by little men like you who can't give credit where credit is due but rather label it as something derogatory. What are the RIGID sex roles that Kaballah followers practise? Are they not allowed to be married and sleep with the father of their child? Or is it the kiss with Brit and Xtina? I guess the Christians and Jews in the entertainment business who fornicate on screen and stage are practising the RIGID sex roles that christianity and Judaism teach. It must surely be only Madonna who is breaching the rules as usual, mustn't it?
Dear man, you will find that the Kaballah are very fortunate to have Madonna as a follower because before her, nobody gave a damn what they were up to. Now, due to her, articles galore are written about the Kaballah. More people are studying it, either to follow it or just to at least have the knowledge with which to criticise Madonna . LOL. Some people have made careers out of criticising Madonna it has become amusing. Once you see the name on the top of the article, you know what you are going to read. Even if Madonna jumped into the sea and rescued an orphan, it would be seen as self promotion in Asia by little minded unintelligent men like you. What is this self-promotion nonsense you men always come up with when talking about Madonna? LOL. Which artist does not self promote? Tell me an artist that does not self promote and I will show you a failure. From Elvis to bloody Linsay Lohan. Every artist must self-promote. Without that, they are nothing. I have called you an idiot which I didn’t want to. Don’t make me call you stupid. Is a man of your age about to tell me that it is self promotion that has kept us, yes us,(because here you are chattering about her) talking about Madonna for 20 years? Ha! If that is what you believe, then you ARE stupid.
The one thing you can not accuse people that chatter about Madonna of, is small mindedness. It is impossible to be, judging by her actions. It is people like you who see everything one way that are the small minded ones. I guess at the age of 46 she is not allowed to evolve or search or live her life and study whatever she wants to do simply because in her 20's she took nude pictures and blasted Catholicism like almost everybody who is raised Catholic often does. You are a sad person. I guess the Article in the Boston Globe was well justified if this is the reaction it gets. You are probably too small minded to see the irony of your reaction.
2 - Sandra Smallson
Correction.."what personal toll does it extract from you"
3 - Harry Forbes
Sandra,
"What is this self-promotion nonsense you men always come up with when talking about Madonna? LOL. Which artist does not self promote? Tell me an artist that does not self promote and I will show you a failure. From Elvis to bloody Linsay Lohan. Every artist must self-promote. Without that, they are nothing."
Exactly. I agree 100%. Madonna is Elvis re-incarnate.
I did not write this to criticize Madonna's ceaseless self-promotion (although she is not my cup of tea), but rather to criticize professional academics and editors who invest(?) way too much serious effort in studying someone whose major activity is self-promotion...and who are inclined to take up new things quite frequently, or at least whenever the flash bulbs start to slow down.
4 - spiderleaf
Oh whatever.
I will publish at least as damning indictment of the Bush admin tomorrow.
Yes, the world is f*'d up, but the US pulls so many more strings than anyone else that your analysis is laughable.
And in terms of women and their relevance in the movement to reafirm the feminine values in life, if you think that is mistaken then I truly pity you.
5 - Sandra Smallson
I don't know what world you are living in Harry Forbes, if you felt that the Flash Bulbs were slowing down so Madonna took up Kaballah. Madonna took up Kaballah as far back as 1993. It was the tabloid press who were too late to catch on. They were busy writing about her romances and sex books and so on. When the woman matured as we all must, and stopped with the failed romances and was not as outrageous as before, they decided to start on the Kaballah. She was wearing that red band in 1993. Which is why she is always amused when reporters ask her about her "new faith".
Bear in mind that through all this mayhem, the PROPER music press were still writing about her music whether good reviews or bad reviews and she was still shifting records and doing her thing. As Madonna herself would say "You see what you want to see. You read and listen to what you want to listen to". So, if you happen to only be seeing things that made you think self promotion..self promotion..that's your palava. Don't blame it on Madonna. You need to broaden your horizons because not even a 5 year old kid today would say that Madonna's major activity is self promotion. Just like my little cousin saw my Music Album and asked, "isn't this that woman who writes childrens books we read in school" She knew her as a children's book author. Of course when I played Holiday, she knew the song but didn't know it was the same Madonna who wrote her English Roses book, that sang Holiday.
Your brain is too slow to keep up. We are still on planet earth. The flashbulbs have never slowed down for Madonna. Her latest Album has sold more than 5million copies wotrldwide and it is considered a flop, yet any other Artist who sells that amount is considered a raving success. That is the sort of daft double standard she has had to deal with her entire career. That is why she is/was brazen and bitchy. That is why Feminists write Articles about her because she is an inspirational figure to women whether you want to accept it or not. She left Detroit with barely any money in the 70's, worked at dunkin donuts, cinemas etc, played drums in a band, toured seedy clubs with her band singing, and muscled a record contract out of the Sire records boss on his sick bed in the early 80's when the world thought women were totty. She played up to that totty image you all wanted but if you had any sense you could see this was one talented smart cookie.
Today, she is the most famous woman in the world and the most successful female Artist of all time. Self promotion or not, it is not self promotion people are smiling and dancing to, when Borderline or Crazy For You or Like a prayer come on almost 20 years after they were released, it is the quality and timeless nature of the music. So, the likes of you, Mr Forbes, can keep on talking that shit. History has proved you guys wrong because you all thought she'd be done and dusted the minute she started, and it will continue to prove you wrong because ten years from now, people will still be rocking to Papa don't Preach and Express yourself and the message in those songs would still have a place in society. You only need to listen to some of her lyrics to see why some women find her inspiring. However, keep on talking shit!
6 - Mark Saleski
also ridiculous: jeff jacoby's recent screed-o-matic about how liberals lead the way when it comes to "hate speech".
i tell ya, that guy's a self-parody.
7 - Shark
[Forbes meant] "...to criticize professional academics and editors who invest way too much serious effort in studying someone whose major activity is self-promotion..."
What we need is someone to criticize bloggers who constantly use an incredibly marginalized newspaper like the Boston Globe as a launching pad to criticize incredibly marginalized academics and editors who 'study' incredibly marginalized has-been pop stars and other meaningless, marginalized 'social' phenomena...
xxoo,
Shark (who, coincidentally, is currently working on a pornographic children's Kaballah book!)
8 - Eric Olsen
I will reenter the water very gingerly: ability at self-promotion is probably the single most important tool a person can have in the 21st century - there is nothing marginal about it
9 - Sandra Smallson
So speaks the marginalized nobody called Shark from his increasingly brain which in itself is marginalized from anything remotely resembling sense. Where will it all end?! This global marginalization!
10 - Sandra Smallson
Meant to say "vacant brain"..but it's Shark. So, once you see brain, you know the word before must be "vacant" or at the very least, empty.
11 - Eric Olsen
one man's meat is another man's margin, or something
12 - JR
ability at self-promotion is probably the single most important tool a person can have in the 21st century - there is nothing marginal about it
Well, at this point in the 21st century that's true. It might turn out that in the second half of the century the single most important tool a person can have will be the ability to forage.
13 - Aaman
Is globalization a crunching of global marginalization? What, then, of marginalia - that essential element of criticism?
14 - Eric Olsen
JR, are you unaware of the convention of remaining optimistic for at least the first week of the new year?
Aaman, I see globablization as more inclusive than exclusive, but one does have to choose to opt in
15 - Sandra Smallson
Eric, I see you've turned into a comedian since the last time we crossed paths. LOL. Love the "I will reenter the water very gingerly"...Worry not, old one:)...
and the "one mans meat is another man's margin or something". Good. Very good.
Aaman, you have just confused the hell out of me...lol.
Sorry, Shark, couldn't pass this one up..it is because of people like you that Madonna fans think her critics are either chauvinistic pigs, jealous unsuccessful women, or the delusional. A "has been popstar" you say? Wow. This so called "Has been" in 2004 completed a sold out 56 date tour where she played to over 750,000 fans worldwide and she charged 300dollars top price ticket and 75 dollars for the cheapest tickets. She still managed to pack the house.
This, is the has been pop star you speak of. Why can't you Madonna haters ever come with some sense of reality? Who are the hot stars of today? Usher? he can barely tour on his own, and dare he sell a ticket for 300 dollars, he would not need backing singers, the echo of his own voice will suffice as the Arenas would be half empty if not completely..same for Beyonce(who had to tour with Missy et al), same for whoever else you wanna name. Plus, when they get over to Europe...they better be reducing that ticket fee because not many are going to pay more than 40 pounds to see any of them and the 40 pounds would be paid with anger and we would be hoping for lots of supporting Acts and guest stars.
Madonna toured alone and we did not want any supporting Acts. We paid for a Madonna concert not an ensemble cast.
Look, there's lots to criticise Madonna about. This Kaballah thing I think has her brainwashed. I can't stand it when she goes off on a tangent trying to convert the world at large and I am a huge Madonna fan. I love her recent dance music but can she throw in some of traditional Madonna every now and then? We haven't had traditional Madonna since "Power of goodbye" on the Ray of Light Album...I mean, according to your tastes, you can pick stuff out. Her movies, whatever!. You might just hate her. that's good as well.
What irritates me and makes you or people like you come across delusional, is when you say things that are clearly untrue. A "Has been" would not pack stadiums and Arenas with expensive ticket prices. A "has been" would still not be selling millions of records. It is one thing to say you don't like her recent dance music trend, it is quite another to say she is a "has been". That's the sort of thing an empty vessel like you sharky, would say. A person who has only had one thought in his life and the thought died of loneliness.
That's all I've gotta say on that. Keep talking shit!
16 - Sandra Smallson
Just one more thing..the "has -been" had the top grossing concert of 2004. Not bad for a "has-been". I guess it's better to be a "has been" than a "never was" and the latter is where you, dear boy, fall in.
17 - Eric Olsen
thanks Sandra, this actually brings up an important point: what defines "marginal"? Is it concert ticket sales? Record sales? Media mentionws? Or more abstract measures like "cutting edge" or current relevance, and who measures or declares those things?
18 - Shark
Sandra, re. Madonna:
Ummm... I've got an 'empty brain' --- and you rant for 2000 words just to say Madonna sold a lot of tickets to a bunch of deluded, nostalgic, has-been teenagers like yerself?
Over and over?
But you get Extra Points for using the articulate expression so common to your species: "Whatever."
Whatever, babe.
19 - JR
JR, are you unaware of the convention of remaining optimistic for at least the first week of the new year?
For me that was optimism; self-promotion is really not my forte.
20 - Temple Stark
Sandra's screed actually reminded me why i like Madonna and why she is still a sensation (though that GAP commercial and kissing Britney - well, could have done without both).
Thanks.
21 - Temple Stark
the second sandra screed that is :-)
22 - Sandra Smallson
Was it 2000 words? Thanks for counting. I must do better next time. Shark, you truly are a complete waste of space. I am sure not only deluded, nostalgic has been teenagers made up the 750,000 fans that saw the show..but hey..whatever gets you through the night. At least it wasn't one of your events with 750,000 demented and/or suicidal crack heads/drug addicts who have a penchant for hallucinogenic drugs and that's no doubt why they have these hallucinations of people being "has been(s)" or marginalized. Dear boy, keep talking that shit.
23 - Aaman
Sandra, your original point was well-put, if a bit long-winded. Your reactions now seem small-minded, to borrow a phrase.
Apropos of the first item in the original post - is it any surprise that Vladimir Putin's Russia would be as overbearing and restrictive as the old Russia - old boss same as the new boss et al.
24 - Sandra Smallson
...but it's a screed?! Therefore, it's one long monotonous comment. So, how can my reactions now seem small minded? If your opinion is that they are small minded, then they must have appeared to you small minded from the start and never "well put"...or do you see the difference in both posts, Heaven forfend!
Okay. I get the old boss, same as new boss thing. Therefore, do you mean global marginalization is the same as marginalization and the term global needn't be there?. What about marginalia? Clearly, I am still confused:) Perhaps, it would be best that you stick to explaining that side of the story. Don't worry your pretty little head about my reactions to Shark. It's the only reaction I have for his kind.
25 - Harry Forbes
Aaman,
"Apropos of the first item in the original post - is it any surprise that Vladimir Putin's Russia would be as overbearing and restrictive as the old Russia - old boss same as the new boss et al."
First, Russia today is not nearly as restrictive or overbearing as the Soviet Union...yet. Second, it is a disappointment given that much of the former Soviet block (including the Baltic republics) has made progress toward market-based economies and democracy since the Soviet collapse. The linked article is worth a read.