There's been a lot of uproar about Madonna in the past. Either she was too obscene, too religious, too bad in acting -or in singing? And now? Now the Material Girl is 40. Sice August 16th, 1998. An age which should not be disregarded. Just think of this: Elvis Presley did not even make it much further, at 40 he was more like his own shade than anything else. This did nort only concern his career but also ecverything else. Madonna so does not. Apart from countless changings of her imagethere are still new ideas rising up in her head, however coloured it may be at the moment. Now she actually turns up with motherhood and occultisms, and she's practising Yoga on the beach with her little daughter Lourdes Maria

As for spirituality she already followed religion and catholicism before. Just take a look at the video she made to go with Like A Prayer. There is a sequence when she is making a statue of a saint come to life by kissing his feet (!) and is dancing in front of burning crosses later on - As always Madonna had an explanation for those things. To sell parentship has never been a good idea in former times. John Lennon, for instance, had to make a secret out of his son Julian's birth back in 1963 because this was seen as being harmful for the Beatles' image. Nowadays we are more mature - Are we? Regarding that Michael Jackson's fathership was made public by his second (ex-?) wife only short before his son was born we can see that even in these days there seems to be a little bit of shyness from public as far as stars as parents are concerned. Madonna is able to make some business out of it though. On the other hand, what is left for her?

You can dream when you're 17..but at 40? Madonna has now reached an age in which many people are touched by issues like midlife crisis or climateric years. Hot sex, striptease in front of a camera or jumping around in bikinis on stage are more like things to be left for the next generation. Obviously Madonna is not only getting herself a new image but as well tearing down her sex image which has become significant for her. For what would be the impression of a Material Grandma in Tina Turner's age doing striptease on stage? Imagine almost-grandpas in the first row with foam coming out of their mouths, seemingly turning into werewolves and starting to howl as if the moon was full, as they do in the well known Mordillo cartoon. Or are sex symbols just out? Samantha Fox surely is for years already, Demi Moore, Heather Locklear, Kim Basinger and Sharon Stone through their parts they now embody more of ambition or greed for success than sex appeal. Nevertheless sex as a topicis never out, it is only the stars who retire. Jennifer Aniston for example could still have a great future, so this can't be it.

For many stars glory is over, as soon as their best years fade away and once the juvenile touch is lost and the lines in their faces cannot be hidden anymore by make up, the are completely out.
- Whatever happened to Twiggy?
- She reads from books at memorial services.
- Oh..
Madonna is transformable though. Her game is far from being over. So we will be able to count on her at the start of the next millenium and she will come come up with things we would never expect from her. May this be on a slightly different level than before. And - just think about it once: Doesn't Madonna 40 still sound much better than Madonna '98?



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