Madonna's Anti-War Anthem E! Entertainment Television
by Lia Haberman Feb 11, 2003
'The old broad has still got it.' Madonna, now a 44-year-old mother of two, is back to the controversy-causing ways of her youth, thanks to an anti-war video for her new single, "American Life." Ever-morphing Madge hopes music lovers will think twice about a possible war with Iraq after viewing the music video, which depicts the "catastrophic repercussions and horror of war," said the singer's publicist Liz Rosenberg. On Sunday, the Drudge Report ran a description of the video, claiming it was "the most shocking anti-war, anti-Bush statement yet to come from the show-business industry," complete with a "mad frenzy" of bloody babies, Iraqi children and limb-less victims.
But on Monday, Rosenberg downplayed Drudge's story, telling the Associated Press, "It is an anti-war video, but the purpose of the video, as with a lot of Madonna's work, is to be thought-provoking," adding that it was not "specifically anti-Bush at all." She denied reports of Iraqi children or bloody images but conceded that could change in postproduction.
Instead, the video is "a panoramic view of our culture and looming war through the view of a female superhero portrayed by Madonna," said Rosenberg. "It is many other things as well" as anti-war, she added. According to a description released by the rep on Monday, the video, directed by Jonas Akerlund, starts with "a runway show of couture army fatigues," before escalating into a violent statement against the horrors of war. Some reports have the musically minded thespian lobbing a grenade at the catwalk.
A casting call, which reportedly went out before the February 3 Los Angeles-based shoot, asked for four beautiful models, 10 long-haired soldier types who would be willing to shave their locks for the video, two Iraqi children and an African-American male, among others. The single and video of "American Life" are scheduled for an early March release, with the CD of the same name hitting stores April 22. Madonna's last studio album, Music, was released in 2000.
by Lia Haberman Feb 11, 2003
'The old broad has still got it.' Madonna, now a 44-year-old mother of two, is back to the controversy-causing ways of her youth, thanks to an anti-war video for her new single, "American Life." Ever-morphing Madge hopes music lovers will think twice about a possible war with Iraq after viewing the music video, which depicts the "catastrophic repercussions and horror of war," said the singer's publicist Liz Rosenberg. On Sunday, the Drudge Report ran a description of the video, claiming it was "the most shocking anti-war, anti-Bush statement yet to come from the show-business industry," complete with a "mad frenzy" of bloody babies, Iraqi children and limb-less victims.
But on Monday, Rosenberg downplayed Drudge's story, telling the Associated Press, "It is an anti-war video, but the purpose of the video, as with a lot of Madonna's work, is to be thought-provoking," adding that it was not "specifically anti-Bush at all." She denied reports of Iraqi children or bloody images but conceded that could change in postproduction.
Instead, the video is "a panoramic view of our culture and looming war through the view of a female superhero portrayed by Madonna," said Rosenberg. "It is many other things as well" as anti-war, she added. According to a description released by the rep on Monday, the video, directed by Jonas Akerlund, starts with "a runway show of couture army fatigues," before escalating into a violent statement against the horrors of war. Some reports have the musically minded thespian lobbing a grenade at the catwalk.
A casting call, which reportedly went out before the February 3 Los Angeles-based shoot, asked for four beautiful models, 10 long-haired soldier types who would be willing to shave their locks for the video, two Iraqi children and an African-American male, among others. The single and video of "American Life" are scheduled for an early March release, with the CD of the same name hitting stores April 22. Madonna's last studio album, Music, was released in 2000.
Comment