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Madonna: An Intimate Biography
by J. Randy Taraborrelli
published by Sidgwick & Jackson
Pop artist Andy Warhol - who sat among the public when Madonna frolicked onstage during the first MTV
Awards ceremony - once said: "Don't read your press, weigh it.' J. Randy Taraborrelli - who
previously wrote about Frank Sinatra and Cher - certainly didn't have had any problems finding
information on his latest subject, Madonna. When the precocious Michigan native tells him she'll be
one of the biggest stars, he confesses he just couldn't believe her. It would be hard for anyone to
predict she'd still be here, two decades later. But she is. And so is 'Madonna: An intimate
Biography', the first (but certainly not the last) real biography.
You start by looking at the last pages: Playboy, USA Today, People, Rolling Stone, and the numerous
interviews the author has conducted with friends, family members, and the star herself. The list goes
on and on.
The writer takes you on a whirlwind tour. From her childhood years in Michigan via her humble
beginnings with the Patrick Hernandez Revue, breaking out with 'Like A Virgin', experiencing a
backlash with 'Sex', and then finally arriving at 'Music' and Snatch Guy. To merely focus on her
achievements, would only tell part of the story. Herein lies the problem. Taraborrelli only recounts
the facts and gossip, at times typing verbatim what so-called close friends tell him. Some stories
are humourous, some hard to believe, and others endearing. But what is clear from the first page is
that Madonna controls everything. Even the author.
Taraborrelli also aims at making Madonna human. She is, of course. But when the author mentions her
loneliness - walking barefoot in the rain... all alone - we can not empathize. She is a self-made
product, there to be consumed. There to project our desires onto. She lived out what so many girls
dreamt of. We do not care about what is inside the package. Madonna, the ultimate post-modern pop
product: sexy, fun and disposable.
Because of its tabloid style, the book is an easy read - despite the numerous typos throughout the
book. You breeze through the book, reliving the different stages in her life. It would be hard to
fail entertaining the reader, even if it has all been said before. The marriage proposal by Prince,
her makeover during the making of 'Evita', the designer clothes... it all passes the reader's eyes.
But by the time you finish the last pages, you are left unsatisfied. Never does Taraborrelli really
touch upon the other sides of Madonna - for example her astute business sense - because here she
keeps the doors firmly shut. It is clear she does not want to share this with him, nor the public.
For those who have been living under a rock for the past two decades, this is a crash course in
Madonna. For those who have seen her play 'Truth or Dare' with the public, this will all be déjà vu.
http://www.kindamuzik.net/achtergrond/709/who-s-that-girl/509/
Meer op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/709
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