Look up "re-invention" in the pop culture dictionary and you'll see a picture of Madonna. For more than two decades, she has consistently dominated the Billboard charts, from her '80s-dance-pop debut Like a Virgin to the Timbaland-produced Hard Candy (2008). But she's done more than just sing: She's acted (winning a Golden Globe for Evita), published a book (a collection of photographs called Sex, if you were wondering), become a pseudo-Brit (first she picked up the fake accent; now she actually lives there), smooched Britney Spears, built an orphanage, adopted an African baby — you get the idea.

With that in mind, it's hard to imagine anything the woman hasn't done (besides sleep). But distressingly enough, there was a gap in her entertainment industry résumé: film director. Not a problem. Sometime this year, between recording tracks for her new CD, preparing for her tour and taking her kids to Kabbalah services, Madonna made a movie without anyone knowing it. It's called Filth and Wisdom, and the trailer has just been released.

What's that you say? You don't care? Oh, but Madonna directed it, and you've seen her music videos (fun for the whole family!). You've at least got to be curious. Go on, sneak a peek. … continue reading

In 1959, a doll of anatomically impossible proportions named Barbie was introduced to the public. Although Barbie has been called an anti-feminist icon, blamed for causing eating disorders and was even called "filth" by a Christian group, there is no question that Barbie has become a cultural icon. (I suppose one hasn't arrived until one has been called "filth" by a fundamentalist Christian group, so go Barbie!)

Barbie is also about to turn 50, which means that even our mothers and some of our grandmothers used to perform amputations on her and giggle while placing her in dirty poses with Ken (or with other Barbies).

To celebrate this upcoming milestone, I have compiled some side by side comparisons of Barbie and other cultural icons who have recently turned 50. Enjoy. … continue reading

Barbie vs. Michael Jackson

Barbie	Michael Jackson
Went to the moon	Invented a dance move called the moonwalk
Has had more than 43 pets including 21 dogs, 12 horses, 3 ponies, 6 cats, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, a lion cub, a giraffe and a zebra	Ran a zoo at the Neverland Ranch
Made of plastic	Reconstructed with silicone
A plaything of little girls	I'm not going to go there

Today Us Magazine released its list of "The 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers." The list serves as further confirmation that Manhattan is now merely L.A. on the East Coast, filled with rich kids, fake tans and little originality. I can get on board with choosing little Mr. Fierce and Fabulous, Christian Siriano, but whoever chose the women on this list needs to rethink what style is all about.

Where are the trendsetting New Yorkers of yore? Who is today’s Debbie Harry, Grace Jones or Madonna? (I'm talking about vintage Madonna, with the black spangled bracelets and the fishnets and the crucifixes.) Who do the kids look to copy today?

Kelly Ripa — really?

I love Kelly to bits and I’m sure she is dressed nicely every single day of her life, but is she really one of the most stylish people in all of New York? How hard is it to put on the clothes your stylist tells you to put on? … continue reading

Yesterday Variety released their 2008 Women's Impact Report that spotlights women from all areas of entertainment who have made a lasting impression on the industry this year. The publication is featuring a new category this time around called "Defying Convention," and of the seven women who made the list, four were recording artists. From bluegrass to hip-hop to R&B, these four ladies are poster children for unorthodox success.

Alison Krauss

While she is the most Grammy-honored female recording artist in history, and her vocal work on the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack contributed to $7 million in sales, country radio still doesn't play Alison Krauss' music. She attributes her success to her live shows and word of mouth. (I would add "crazy talent" to that list.) She told Variety that Dolly Parton was her role model because "she is who she is, wherever she goes."

Her career mantra: "Go where you are inspired, toward what moves you, to that lyric that keeps you up at night."

Erykah Badu

After hovering around stardom in the late '90s, writer's block kept Erykah Badu silent for nearly a decade until she released New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) in February. Her musical stylings blew critics and producers away. The former because it did away with traditional song structure, and the latter because she recorded the whole thing with Mac's GarageBand software at her home. With the success of New Amerykah, Badu signed a two-album deal for music to be released later this year. … continue reading

It’s been a good week to be gay. It’s been a particularly good week to be gay and in California. Looking through all the pictures of happy couples getting their gay marriage on this week has been an absolute joy. No, I’m not crying. That’s something in my eye. Really, I’m not crying. Fine, who has some tissue?

All these nuptials naturally got me thinking about wedding traditions and, more specifically, the first dance. As luck would have it, Yahoo Music just posted a list of the “Top First-Dance Songs” according to a new survey. The results can only appropriately be called schmaltztastic. I mean it, “On Bended Knee” by Boyz II Men, “I Swear” by All-4-One and Aladdin’s theme?

Really, straight people? Really?

Of course I agree with some of them. You can’t go wrong with the classics: Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong. Uh-uh-uh, not so fast Celine Dion. But I think we can still do better – much, much better. How about we make our own list? Some of the picks I share with our chapel-bound straight friends. But the rest, well, they’re just another reason it’s good to be gay.

The Top 10 Totally Gay First-Dance Songs (click each to play):

1) “At Last,” Etta James

At last, indeed. Wrap your heart up in clover, lovebirds.

2) “All You Need is Love,” The Beatles

It’s all you need, it’s all that matters.

3) “I’m Coming Out,” Diana Ross

Hey, who says a first dance can’t be disco? … continue reading

In a recent interview, Joan Jett was asked how she felt about the Britney Spears cover of her iconic rock hit, "I Love Rock 'N Roll."

"I've never even heard Britney's version," Jett said. "I mean, I've obviously heard about it, but I never understood that whole idea I mean, people usually cover a song that says something about them, but I doubt she loves rock 'n roll. Maybe she likes songs."

The woman has a point – sometimes musicians cover odd songs to be ironic (i.e. Alanis covering "My Humps"), but I'm thinking Britney (or her record company) thought the song would give her an edge (the songstress also covered the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction.") But Spears is definitely an easy target. There are tons of other artists who try their best to do a great rendition of someone else's song when it just sort of falls flat.

Hilary Duff doing "My Generation"

Duff doing The Who? Their '60s song was taken and poppified for a younger generation that doesn't appreciate what the lyrics mean whatsoever. Can't you see the tweens cooing, "Things they do look awful cold/Yeah, I hope I die before I get old."

Madonna doing "American Pie"

Sorry, Madge: I just didn't dig it. The song is a legendary folk tune and your voice doesn't do it justice. Maybe this is her revenge on artists who have covered her greatest hits. At any rate, she should stick with her originals (pre-1995, please.) … continue reading

I have to admit that I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Madonna's latest album, Hard Candy, but after downloading it on Tuesday, boy was I disappointed. The reviews have been almost across-the-board positive — or at least thoughtful, referencing Madonna's influence and stature in the pop culture world — but I found myself fast-forwarding through repetitive choruses ("get stupid get stupid get stupid" — argh! — on "Give It 2 Me") and, frankly, not quite getting the album.

Perhaps, as the Houston Chronicle noted: "As a sit-down listen (in the car, through headphones or via a computer), Hard Candy doesn't have the same immediate spark or insightful lyrics as 2005's gorgeous Confessions on a Dance Floor. ... Under the disco ball, however, Hard Candy proves a sparkling after-hours soundtrack."

Maybe my problem is that I've been listening to it while at the office rather than out at a club. If that's the case, it's gonna be a long time before I "get" this album, since my club-going days have dwindled down to, oh, a couple of times a year. I suspect that most of Madonna's die-hard fans also long ago stopped loving the night life (Madonna, after all, is turning 50 this year), and I'm not sure if those longtime fans will get this album, either.

I do like a few songs on the album, including "Dance 2night," which is way more of a disco track than a hip-hop one, and "Miles Away," a melancholy song that sounds like it belongs on Confessions on a Dance Floor. … continue reading

Madonna's on the cover of the May 2008 issue of Vanity Fair.

The article is available in its entirety online. I didn't read it, though. Maybe it's because I got to it at the end of a long day, but my brain simply resisted the first few sentences:

The world is a series of rooms, which are arranged like concentric circles, or rooms within rooms, joined by courtyards and antechambers, and in the room at the center of all those rooms Madonna sits alone, in a white dress, dreaming of Africa.

To reach her, you must wait for a sign. When it comes, if you are pure of heart, you begin to move toward Madonna, and move fast.

Huh? A bit precious for me. Here's a photo from the issue to clear your mind:

This article may be a beautifully written character study, but all I know is, when it comes to Madonna, I'm a purist. I want to see her perform. So here's the video for her latest single, "4 Minutes": … continue reading

Madonna wants to remake Casablanca. Maybe. OK, fine, this is just a fairly unsubstantiated rumor. But still, the mere thought of remaking such a Hollywood classic gives cinephiles everywhere the vapors.

The Daily Mail (so put a whole rim of salt around that margarita of a rumor) claims that Madge is interested in remaking and modernizing the iconic war-time romance. According to the paper, the Material Girl wants to set the story in Iraq and star in the Ingrid Bergman role. Their anonymous source said: “She wants to update the story and maybe set it in a modern war zone such as Iraq. There is no script yet. Madonna and her people are testing the waters to see if this is the right vehicle for her and if a major studio will get behind the project.”

The paper goes on to say that studios have been lukewarm to the idea. Lukewarm? I'm downright icy at the idea. Not that I have anything against Madonna. On the contrary, I love her. But her movies? No so much. Swept Away, anyone? No, I didn't think so. … continue reading

You know that saying you can pick your friends but not your family? Well, what's true for us common folk is true for those folks running for the highest office in the land, too. You see, even presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama can't escape the curse/blessing of unexpected relatives.

Earlier this week the New England Historic Genealogical Society uncovered distant relatives for all the major presidential contenders. Turns out if you're a Democrat, no matter how you vote, you're voting for the Brangelina Ticket. Those clever genealogists discovered that Obama is related to Brad Pitt and Clinton to Angelina Jolie. Talk about your dream ticket.

On the other side of the aisle, turns out Republican nominee John McCain is related to First Lady Laura Bush. But, yawn, enough about that old codger. Let's act like all the major media outlets and obsess about Hillary and Barack some more. As luck would have it, Brangelina isn't the two Democratic hopefuls' only interesting familial bonds.

Let's start with the senator from Illinois. It was discovered earlier in the campaign that he was cousins with Vice President Dick Cheney, but it appears his roots stretch even higher into the executive branch, or should we say shrub. You see, Obama is related to both Cheney and President George W. Bush.

Poor Barack, he does not seem to be taking this news well. But then, would you? Also on Obama's distant relative list are presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison as well as British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

Over in Camp Clinton, they're singing a happier tune. Besides Angelina, Hillary is related to singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette. You know, I can see the family resemblance -- these are all strong women who aren't afraid to speak their mind and know what to do with a microphone.

Heck, Hill and daughter Chelsea looks so tickled about this news, you'd think they just won the lottery or -- you know -- the presidency. But then, like I said, wouldn't you?

So, anyone you wish you were related to? Any surprises in your family tree? That is, other than your crazy uncle Wally. … continue reading

It’s that time of year again. Now celebrating its 22nd birthday, the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival will screen at the British Film Institute on London’s South Bank from March 27 to April 10, offering queer-themed shorts, documentaries, and feature films from around the world.

The Chinese Botanist's Daughter

You can view a complete list of the films on offer here. Among the ones reviewed or mentioned by AfterEllen.com are the romantic tragedy The Chinese Botanist’s Daughter (pictured above), the American TV pilot Don’t Go featuring Guinevere Turner, and the Oscar-winning short documentary Freeheld, about the fight of dying lesbian policewoman Laurel Hester to see her pension go to her partner Stacie Andree.

There’s also the Taiwanese romance Spider Lilies, the German drama Vivere, the French coming-of-age film Water Lilies, and the South African period romance The World Unseen.

The World Unseen

There’s the 1996 American documentary It’s Elementary — Talking About Gay Issues in School, and its 2007 follow-up, It’s STILL Elementary — The Movie and the Movement. And there’s the HBO film Life Support, starring Queen Latifah as an HIV-positive charity worker (although unfortunately her character isn’t a lesbian).

A program titled "The Face of Another: Imagining Lesbian Desire" offers a chance to see Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring fall in love in Mulholland Dr. It also includes films that explore female relationships but are not so overtly lesbian-themed, like Ingmar Bergman’s Persona and the Madonna–Rosanna Arquette flick Desperately Seeking Susan. … continue reading

Despite the fact that my father refers to them as “chewing-gum for the eyes,” I admit I love watching music videos. A good video can make me like a song I wasn’t that keen on when I heard it on the radio; a really bad one can put me off a song I thought I liked. But they have to be bad indeed in order to get me to switch off altogether.

Despite all that, I’m aware of a pervasive lack in the majority of music videos. Where — amidst all the heterosexual bumping and grinding and declarations of love — are the lesbians? It’s not like there is a lack of successful out lesbian singers. Melissa and k.d. and Tegan and Sara — they’re all out there. But when it comes to being “out there” in their videos — not so much. Possibly under pressure from their record companies, these singers tend to compensate for their openly gay status in life by keeping their songs and videos carefully gender neutral. In the video for their song "Speak Slow," Tegan and Sara even appear in bed with men — although to be fair, it’s made pretty clear that they are friends rather than love interests.

So where does that leave lesbian visibility in music videos? Every so often, a lesbian couple or two will appear briefly in the video of a (presumably) straight singer who wants to demonstrate his or her gay-friendliness. Vanessa Carlton has them in her video for "Hands on Me." Katie Melua has them in her video for "Call Off the Search." Ex-Spice Girl Emma Bunton has one in her video for "I’ll Be There." British singer Tom Baxter has one in his video for "Better." If you’ve ever seen the video for the Nicole Kidman/Robbie Williams duet "Somethin’ Stupid," you’ll know that Nicole has a split-second moment where she looks like she might switch teams. But by and large, that’s what these appearances are: split-second.

Of course, you can always find the occasional straight male singer who uses “lesbian” imagery or suggestiveness in his videos in a clearly voyeuristic way. Fifty Cent’s video for "Candy Shop" springs to mind. As does Robbie Williams’ threesome in "Come Undone." The video for U.K. dance band Ultrabeat’s "Pretty Green Eyes" basically consists of three exotic dancers “performing” lesbianism for the benefit of the fat, ugly male singer who sits and watches them. Justin Timberlake’s video for "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" has guest star Scarlett Johansson exclaiming — with boring predictability as well as without much conviction — “I like girls.”

In the past 25 years, though, there have been a few music videos that not only feature lesbianish relationships prominently, but also do so in a way that makes it feel like they’re not designed (exclusively) for the benefit of straight male viewers. Here are six of my favorites:

1. Prince, "1999" (1983)

What saves the two ambiguously gay women in this video from being just the usual straight male window-dressing is that a) the camera cuts to them repeatedly, b) they are actually involved in the song, with the brunette apparently playing the keyboard and both women singing, and c) neither of them gets involved with men at any point in the video. The fact that Prince is such a sexually ambiguous creature himself helps — I’m willing to believe that he put them in the video as a nod to sexual diversity, and not just to build up his own reputation as a stud. And I’ll admit it — I can’t resist a blonde in a military cap. … continue reading

What is rock 'n' roll? Wait, that question probably requires too much thought for a Monday. Instead, ponder this: is Madonna a rocker?

My first response to the question is, "does it matter?" But since the announcement of Madonna's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the blogosphere has been rife with complaints that the pop star does not deserve the honor. The controversy is not about her contributions to musical culture, but whether her music actually is rock 'n' roll.

You know, my response still is "does it matter?" Return with me, if you will, to Madonna: The Early Years — 1984, to be exact.

I know much of AfterEllen.com's readership is too young to remember 1984. But trust me, "Like a Virgin" was scandalous. As was Madonna. … continue reading

Sometimes a website comes along that reminds me what the internet is for. That happened this week when a friend sent me a link to Sleeveface.com. The site defines Sleeveface as "one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s), causing an illusion."

They should have said "causing an illusion and awesomeness." Because it's so, so good. Here are some of my favorites so far (there are still so many I haven't seen!):

Janis Joplin, by MathiasSchweppes

Peaches, by sophiekingo

Tina Turner (Private Dancer), by See Gee

  … continue reading