Annie Lennox is still talking! She’s promoting her album of classic songs, jazz standards, etc, and she keeps going off on these riffs about feminism, twerking, and the music industry. She seemed to throw some shade at Beyonce and Miley Cyrus a few months ago, but if you really read through her comments, she was dead-on (in my opinion). She wasn’t hating on them, she was trying to enlarge the conversation about feminism in general. However, as many have pointed out, Annie does have a race problem – go here to read.
Anyway, Annie appeared on the UK talk show Loose Women to promote her album this week. The lady hostesses asked Annie what she thought of Madonna’s Interview Magazine photoshoot. Remember, Madge went topless, perhaps in an effort to distract from her entirely new face. Well, Annie had some thoughts.
Consider Madonna called out. The Queen of Pop shocked the masses the other day when her nude photographs taken for Interview magazine hit the internet. While the 56-year-old “Express Yourself” singer looks damn good, some are questioning Madonna’s motives.
Annie Lennox appeared on Loose Women to promote her new album, Nostalgia, and while the 59-year-old singer isn’t opposed to women taking it all off, she admitted she’s a little confused as to why the “Vogue” singer dressed provocatively—if dressed at all—for the magazine.
“I did get things off occasionally, but not to that extent. I don’t think it’s down to me [to judge Madonna]…” Lennox said.
She and the panel continued to debate the reasons behind Madonna’s decision, but ultimately Lennox and panelist Janet Street-Porter agreed that the ’80s pop queen was out to make a splash.
“I think already the verdict is probably out. Would you not agree on that one?” Lennox asked. “I think the question is, ‘What is Madonna telling us? Anybody know?'”
Street-Porter interjected during Lennox’s question, saying, “I think it’s attention seeking.” But instead of letting the conversation drop, the “Walking on Broken Glass” hit maker agreed.
“I think it is,” Lennox said.
I suspect that Annie was pulling her punches a little bit, because you could write epic doctoral papers about what Madonna means (good and bad) for feminism, power, equality and superficiality and so much more. If the worst thing we can say about Madge is that she’s attention-seeking, then it’s a pretty good day to be Madge. Madge has always been attention-seeking. She’s the poster girl for demanding that everyone pay attention to her… and then she really doesn’t have anything to say. The acts of attention-seeking are everything. And personally, regarding Madge’s topless photo, I was more offended by Madonna trying out her grillz.
Photos courtesy of Interview Magazine, WENN.
Thank you, Captain Obvious. Your powers of breaking through the denseness of the situation astound!
Yeah, my first thought was “Isn’t that the name of the game?” Especially as a pop singer.
And Frankly, sis, here is some attention seeking for you:
Flapping your gums about Beyonce doing Feminism wrong (when you could have said that any other time the past however long she’s been in the business… Oh But here you rest latching your wagon to her)
Acting like Strange Fruit is about “everyone” when it is not just cause you felt like releasing a cover in your tired ass jazz album which right now im kinda hoping it goes Double Cardboard instead of Platinum
Gosh this lady annoys the shit out of me…
On another note, @QQ, your hair colour is FABULOUS! I wish I could have the same! (not commenting on the cut because I can’t really see but you look really gorgeous from so small haha)
I have as many criticisms as a lot of people, but I’m going to toss Annie a bone because that bit seemed to be taken out of context. At some point she does mention the lynching and how far removed it is from her experience and that she definitely didn’t want to put ‘everyone’ on the same plane. I think that when she was talking about that, she meant that there is a lesson there for everyone in that they have bear witness and hold respect for the history behind that song.
I’ve had some problems with her crowning herself as the elder stateswoman of feminism, though. A year ago I would’ve been entirely on board, but my relationship with feminism has changed. I’m more accepting and way more cynical than before.
Also: LOOOOOVE your hair. Love it!
Well that was the understatement of the year.
When is Anne gonna call out some men folks? She seems mighty hateful towards women in her industry. Surely the straight white men who are calling all the shots have some blame to burden??
The journalists love to make feud between the celebrities of same gender.
2/3 days ago ,it was the WSJ’s journalist in a Christian Bale interview.He asked him about DiCaprio/ Stone or McConaughey’s winning oscar and Clooney’s relation with paps.Finally all he had is a quote of Bale saying that the celebrities ( him,Clooney ,every one)would not have to whine about paps and ignore them
Annie Lennox is annoying with her constant need to comment on everybody and police everybody.
I have to agree. At first I thought she had some good things to say, but now it’s just annoying.
Annie clearly comes from that school of feminism that wastes valuable time and resources beating down women who arent toeing some imaginary line. Go home Annie
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I agree. It’s interesting, when this all started happening, a lot of people took exception to my reticence when she brought up her Beyonce concerns. I don’t think people had a problem with it because Beyonce is overexposed and very deliberate about her persona, so when she came out as a feminist, people weren’t pleased. The thing is this: I don’t want personal dislike to completely blind me to the fact that one woman’s feminism doesn’t have to be mine and we’re all at different parts of our journey. I’m sure part of it is mercenary and though she bugs me, she has hired an all-female backup line-up and she does contribute to girl-centric charities. I just don’t want to throw baby out with the bathwater. I have bigger issues with Miley C.’s approach to race than her sensationalism.
Once she goes after Madonna though, she might get some wrath.
She has every right to express herself, but she’s not exactly reinventing the wheel. I don’t know what is to be gained, here. She sounds like she’s ‘standing athwart history’, and if I’m I quoting William F. Buckley is isn’t a compliment.
And her observations are extremely basic and tired. One might even say….. L-I-T-E lite observations. Oh noes, pop stars are expressing/exploiting sexuality! Her feminism does not seem to have a lot of depth or insight, for all that she calls out other artists for appropriating the movement.
WORD.
I think Annie Lennox never liked Madonna
Annie and I have something in common!
Sup with Annie lately? I mean, personally I don’t mind people who talk smack about others if their arguments are reasonable, but her recent activity (or at least the broadcasting of it) is…. strange? Did she stop giving a damn?
That said, I have the same question: why, Madge? Because that photoshoot and interview was desperate even for Madge.
Kaiser, you’re my girl! Calling out Madonna for attention-seeking then having nothing to say. Spot on! And so funny.
Well duh??
Madonna ‘ s whole.career is predicated on attention seeking.
Try harder Annie.
And this from a woman who shot to fame rocking shot cropped violently red hair and a fierce androgynous look.
Im.not saying…I’m just saying…
Aaaand?
Madonna seeking attention?
Next week’s discussion:
Is water wet?
If I were Annie (and I wish I were when I’m trying to belt out some of her earlier songs – what a voice!!), I would have opined more strongly on her photo shoot. I.E. “as a 56 year old with an incredible discography, wouldn’t you think she’d want to concentrate on discussing her music, her career, what she foresees for herself and music in general instead of flashing her tits and new face?”
At the end of the day, Madonna’s schtick is so tiresome. Seems like it’s all she has to rely on these days. How shallow and desperate.
I love that pic of Madonna. Gorgeous.
all photo-shoots and covers are attention seeking, otherwise celebs wouldn’t do them. sigh.
I mean this is a bit of a manufactured headline trying to paint Annie as calling Madonna out.
She asked what Madonna might be trying to accomplish with her photo shoot and agreed with someone else that it might be attention seeking. Who doesn’t agree?
Yeah really, the headline should be “Annie Lennox (and everyone) agree Madonna is attention seeking”.
LOL. You said it perfectly.
While interviewing with a talk show (basically attention seeking herself), she calls out someone else for attention seeking? Ahh, irony, you cold callous b!t*h you, you strike yet again. I love Annie, always have, and loved madonna in her (and my own) earlier years, but just because Annie is criticizing someone for a different kind of attention seeking than her own doesn’t make hers any better. Just different.
no sh-t Sherlock….
Were those actually Madonna’s boobs though? To me, they look like a built-in part of her top. I mean, the nipples are so pointy and purple(?!?!) that I really hope that they not her actual breasts and are just made of fabric.
I think that saying Annie has a “race problem” is a bit disingenuous. She is British and British artists have a long history of not really being able to connect to the pain and anguish of the African-American musical traditions they borrow heavily from if not totally steal. Look at Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin. They could not have made themselves so perversely rich of of the Blues music they ripped off if they had grown up with the legacy of slavery and segregation hanging over their heads.