Madonna tore up the Grammys with a performance of her new single “Living for Love” last night. She was slaying minotaurs all over the place. But since some folks on Twitter felt the need to, I guess, disparage the fact that she's the only 56-year-old female pop artist gunning for notoriety and getting it, some ageist criticisms have come Madonna's way. Naturally, Madonna anticipated this reaction — 23 years ago.
Check out this interview where Madonna comments on the strange way people treat women of a certain age in power.
Shirley Manson of Garbage once made a trenchant comment about Madonna. Here it is in full: “Shirley Manson: “The tabloids complain about Madonna looking old, and people laugh at her for that. Then Madonna goes and fixes her face, and they laugh at her for that. Even though they begrudgingly say she looks amazing, they”ll still laugh at her for trying to look young. Then she steps out, looking amazing, and the tabloids go and blow up a picture of her aging hand. Nobody”s doing that to George Clooney, blowing up pictures of his hands! I look at these magazines, and I want to say to them, ‘What”s your point? That she”s aged? Does that surprise you? Or is your ‘point” an attempt to undercut what she”s achieved?” I think it is, even if it”s on a subconscious level. … And you probably wouldn”t turn down those hands if they were grabbing you under the table, you f*cking idiots!”