“I love Liz Smith because she has big balls, like me!”
Those were practically the very first words I ever heard, personally, out of Madonna’s mouth.
I was at the 1990 New York premiere of Madonna’s highly entertaining documentary, Truth of Dare. I wasn’t covering it, exactly. I was there being interviewed by ABC’s “Primetime Live.” They were doing a segment on me. So, this event was an example of one of my “glamorous nights out.” And of course I was being pressed to speak to Madonna. I’d been writing about her exhaustively since 1984, so everybody assumed we were friends. In fact, I’d never clapped eyes on her. I told the ABC people, “Look, this is her premiere, I don’t think she wants to be part of my publicity!”
Somehow Madonna was corralled into a corner where I stood with the film crew. We exchanged hellos. Then the producer asked Madonna what she thought of me. She answered with the quote above, and we parted, laughing. (It couldn’t really be used on the air.)
So I had finally met this already legendary creature of music, video, and controversy. She was in a brunette phase, and looked gorgeous under a heavy coat of makeup. She was wearing a glittering Versace bodysuit, legs bare, bosom up and out. Yet in the brief moments I spent with her, I
sensed her less a sexual provocateur and more like a little girl dressed up outrageously in Mama’s finery. She seemed nothing at all like her sometimes vulgar, deliberately inyour-face image. As the years went by, and I got to know her better, I found her a much more serious and far more vulnerable person than she ever lets on. But she has been determined, right from the start, to never beg her audience
(or the media) for sympathy.
Download Article in PDF here or read it at wowowow.com. Published in Quest Magazine.
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I love LIZ….but I fell Madonna must be careful with all her close friend like Ingrid Casarez…I think she’s dangerous…and Jesus Luz…nice guy..but is he just using her wealth?
I would love to feel the pulse of what Madonna’s real inner struggle is…I say major insecurity….any thoughts/ideas?
I would it say it began with losing her Mom then hers Dads love to the housekeeper, it made her very aggressive, and now its hard to turn back, other than that I think shes a genuine talent one of a kind, I dont think shes insecure
I wish fans would comment on the site where the article is at. Just a bunch of haters making comments.
Hi Cal,
I tried, but I had to have a password. I don’t post a comment when I have to go through too many steps and provide too many personal details to get a password.
I hope Liz reads this site. Liz is a broad thinking art and culture journalist. She is way more than what some people label as gossip columnist. She sees and analyses Madonna exactly how some of us fans have seen Madonna for years.
We love to liz. Let Celebrate queen Madonna together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbwUroDaP3c
its pathetic when even her own fans have to promtoe her new disappointing CD
we dont mind we will always promote Madonna, you cant beat us
you said dissapointing cd a greatest hits collection? its NOT a studio album! its a best of album with some of the best songs in music history. get used to it.
I find it pathetic that you don’t know fans’(customers’)word of mouth is the best promotion of them all. We got the message dance and sing get up and do your thing” long before the main stream did
Long before Warner Brothers spent any money on promotion of Madonna records, we listeners, club public and dance DJ’s embraced Madonna’s music and attitude and crowned her as the queen of universe. She worked hard and earned that from us time and time again. There is a club everywhere on this planet and even in places where they don’t have a club, there is always a party with the latest as well as classic Madonna releases on the menus(play lists). How many people remember Mariah’s last hot 100 number 1??? Not that many.
But Madonna’s club number ones are all known and played everywhere around the world even in the US regardless of lack of airplay on the main stream rap or conservative dominated radio.
Traditionally Madonna fans are not into mainstream. Never have been. So we gladly promote every Madonna release because we know rules the universe not by adhering to mainstream but by being proudly a subculture ICON.
WELL SAID LIZ !!!!!!! LITTLE NONNY HAS THE BIGGEST BALLS IN THE SHOWBUSSINES . AND WE KNOW THAT SHE HASN´T SHOWN HER REAL SOFTER SIDE YET. A TRUE LIVING LEGEND, A REAL SURVIVOR , THE QUEEN WHO RULES THE WORLD. HATS OFF TO THE GODDESS OF THE UNIVERSE !!!!!!!!!!
Madonna Queen of universe.
As far the balls are concerned, I agree with Madonna 100%.
Madonna has the biggest balls in the show business and Liz in the media business.
Madonna’s lyrics and words and Liz’s pen and writing style have always been cutting edge.
They have made and still make the world a far more sexier and interesting place to live in. It is great to have women like that on this planet.
Can you imagine the show business without Madonna or media without Liz? I can’t. I dont even live in the US but from far away I have been hooked on Liz’s Sharp and humorous writing. I think Liz has a very analytical eye and writing style when it comes to the subjects she finds interesting enough to write about in art and show business.