TwistedRope

Madonna was the one who dared to reveal all - even her negative side - when no one used to do it. No surprise she keeps on doing it. But now this makes her look like she is a social media influencer in search of attention but with nothing to say. Like you said, a Kardashian. Also, what she posts is so uninteresting: soccer, twins, smoking boyfriend, ugly pictures.
 
This!
She could have done this with MXT, getting close to her public. But she chose the opposite: selling polaroids, never apologizing for being late or canceling, not even saying "hi" at stage door, no improvisation at all, not even in her speeches. The "you can love me or leave me" attitude went too far. I understand she was ill, but that's not our fault.

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

This is so well said. I think it’s very naive to just assume this film will be a smash like rocketman and bohemian rhapsody. The general public doesn’t like her right now. They’re gonna have to put some work in to reinvent her again as not some eccentric, out of touch, pop star of years gone by like people think she’s become due to recent appearances. I guess it’s down to her whether she can let that happen, let her guard down a bit and be more personable. And the thing is she could! We all know how funny and infectious and poignant she can be. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to let the world see that side of her again.

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

This is so well said. I think it’s very naive to just assume this film will be a smash like rocketman and bohemian rhapsody. The general public doesn’t like her right now. They’re gonna have to put some work in to reinvent her again as not some eccentric, out of touch, pop star of years gone by like people think she’s become due to recent appearances. I guess it’s down to her whether she can let that happen, let her guard down a bit and be more personable. And the thing is she could! We all know how funny and infectious and poignant she can be. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to let the world see that side of her again.

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

This is so well said. I think it’s very naive to just assume this film will be a smash like rocketman and bohemian rhapsody. The general public doesn’t like her right now. They’re gonna have to put some work in to reinvent her again as not some eccentric, out of touch, pop star of years gone by like people think she’s become due to recent appearances. I guess it’s down to her whether she can let that happen, let her guard down a bit and be more personable. And the thing is she could! We all know how funny and infectious and poignant she can be. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to let the world see that side of her again.

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

I think this would honestly have the single biggest impact on her public image and how we all feel about her. As weird as it sounds to say as a fan of an artist, I want to see LESS of her! You’ve got stars out there like Adele and Beyoncé who post something on social media and it’s treated as important because it doesn’t happen often; we don’t often get to peak behind the curtain, so when we get a glimpse it’s special. And when creative projects arrive and get announced it’s exciting! She is literally the queen of pop and should no doubt have this respected and untouchable presence about her, like she did earlier in her career, but it’s different when she’s showing her and her whole family’s life daily like she’s a Kardashian. There’s no mystery any more.
I wish she had a proper digital marketing team handling all of her social channels putting some work into her public image, going through the archives and creating some nostalgic love for her, every now and then creating some actual content with her - Q&As, interviews etc, not just Ricardo filming her parties and witchcraft... I feel like the social era of showing everyone what you’re doing all the time is over, it’s about curation and quality over quantity now. Sorry bit of a ramble...

I think it's the bloody social media. We used to see her as the queen of cool before 2014, completely unbothered. Remember when she would occasionally pop up on Guy Oseary's twitter back in the day and everybody would freak out. I want that kind of image for her. She's probably always been the same, it's just that we have more insight now.

I agree with you.
I also agree that this isn't really who she is, that she's dealing with a lot of insecurity - could be coming from Rocco, Guy, her brother, the fact that she had trouble selling out her last arena tour, and she didn't really capitalize on the critical success of MX Tour, she sabotaged it by being late or failing to cancel the tour for her own good when the time was appropriate. She's pissed off many of the people she's been able to lean on, and her reaction has been bratty or silly or immature instead of what we would expect from someone with her experience (I didn't want to say age, but I mean age .. as we're all older now too, we know what's right and wrong and we're not as punk rock as we used to be, so this doesn't come off as edgy and against the establishment, this comes off as childish, unprofessional, desperate and like she's fighting her own team or sabotaging her own fan-base for no good reason, when she should be feeding the fanbase and engaging them in a positive way).
If she can compartmentalize her family influences (6 kids telling you they do or do not like your music? Are you kidding me? We'd NEVER get JUSTIFY MY LOVE or EROTICA if kids were being asked for their fucking opinions... or one kid that thinks she's truly lame and pathetic (Rocco) and so just judges the fuck out of her to the point she's paralyzed and can't put anything out there in fear of what he'll think of her next and have his father shoulder to shoulder with him with judgement?? OMG, imagine how paralyzing that would be for ANY person? ANY mother?) and move beyond wanting to fit in with current sounds and what the teenagers are playing on the radio (radio, omg, i'm so old now ...) or STREAMING (more like it) and not worrying about filling arenas (theatre tours are fine and eventually the positive nostalgia will come back full circle and arenas will be easy to fill again (one day, obviously when it's safe to do so). 
I guess when I heard "theatre tour" I was SO excited. This is her chance.
Incredible live band Dig out a ton of songs that do not work in an arena sized stage/environment Sing at the piano Sit on the barstool Don't have 18 dancers on stage at every given moment (lame now anyway, it's so over-done -- I mostly hate all tours by anyone young now because they've copied this format to a "T" and it's fucking predictable. 4 songs, video interlude, repeat, a gimmick, a cat-walk, 18 dancers, confetti, over. Lame.) Don't worry about a gimmick (standing on your head, jumping rope like a 12-year old, performing and balancing on a line, pole dancing) A trio of beautifully talented back-up singers to enhance your own beautiful voice (nothing pre-recorded) or 6, 3 male, 3 female - like George Michael would have done -- and lastly,  JUST FOCUS ON BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE ... if you can't dance and sing then I say, JUST SING. We've seen you dance - we know what you are capable, you do not need to prove that anymore. BEAUTIFUL costumes. Some edgy - sure - but some just very feminine and flattering costumes and make-up.  No eye patch. No grills. Because ... all the reasons.   
But instead, I think we got an arena tour crammed into a theatre tour and some of it worked well and some of it did not.
Fine. We move on.
But I'd like my version next.  

Elton has the Cher affect. He's just who he is and always has been. There's a familiarity in their outspoken and kooky behaviour that's reassuring. Madonna unfortunately has made a rod for her own back with her reinvention tactics. The public are not dumb, they know that a new image in a video is not necessarily just a new look for her. She morphs and changes and that often includes her partners, her physical appearance, her religion, the country she lives in, her voice, her style of music, her alignments and the people she surrounds herself in. People have a favourite version of Madonna as a result and I just think that current Madonna is nobodys favourite.
She's also almost famously recognised who someone who doesn't really acknowledge her back catalogue, treats her fans with contempt and is rude and belligerent and out of touch. MJ was out of touch and odd but he was intensely private so the air of mystery gave him some cache. Something Beyonce and Britney have both learned to adopt in many ways. They're still untouchable to people and sooo loved despite their obvious marital and personal problems.
In the eyes of the general public Madonna is top of her game and has it all, has always had it all and seemingly still wants more. In todays political climate her thirst for yet more fame, power and notoriety and adulation comes off as slightly Trumpian in tone. An ungrateful Queen. I would call misogyny too in some respects but when even her most ardent supporters, (such as I and many on here), who still want her to be number one and top of her game, feel that maybe she's somehow become disconnected from the one thing that people could still connect with despite being such a huge star as her. Her ability to tune into the energy of now and see through the perils of fame other stars seemed to. She somehow managed to seem very relatable and lovable...and funny. You wanted to be part of he team and around her infectious energy...and that laugh.
It's largely her interviews and the way she used to interact with the regular folk she'd meet on shows or even other celebrities. That seems to have evaporated and now she has ...the mirror. And she seemingly dislikes what it shows her. She just seems bloody unhappy, miserable, annoyed and grumpy a lot of the time...oh and terribly unfunny.
I'm a mega fan I promise but I like to think a lot of us have always been able to see through some of the guises she's worn. Now I'm not 100% sure I know her. I don't think you even need to be a stan like us to see that. I think the public see it. She's sort of disappeared into an image of herself. It's either that or her press and team guided and managed her output so meticulously in the first 30 years that we were always shielded from things.
People change. I still love her more than anything x

I honestly think this needs to take a different approach. The public’s affection for her is not at a high like Eltons and Freddies. A soundtrack won’t be a success off the back of a film because a film won’t be a smash success without her team putting a lot of work into rectifying her public image. I just don’t think people will go and see a Madonna biopic considering her public appearances and antics over the last few years. She’s not likeable enough even in an eccentric way like Elton is. Elton is funny in his odd little way. Madonna turns people off which is a shame because she’s brilliant but this rather odd version of herself she’s created in the last few years is not a good look. I don’t believe it’s who she really is either. 
For us fans this will amazing but I don’t see a more general appeal to be honest. 
She needs a major public persona overhaul to shift the units. More than post Erotica or American Life. People aren’t angry at her. They’ve just switched off... which is worse. 
The film could be a mega flop. 

That new post of her and Malik makes me so sad, her face looks the strangest yet. I’m really hoping it’s just an unflattering one and not how she really looks. Her eyes are disappearing and her cheekbones are getting wider and wider. I’m so worried she’s going to end up looking unrecognisable like Pete Burns and be a laughing stock when she next comes back in the public eye. Sorry for being negative, just had to get it out. 

A Netflix special concert is the perfect route for her. Casuals checking her concert out on demand is way more important at this point than a blue Ray dvd. Like it or not streaming is the future and even the uptake in streaming in older fanbases is substantial. Why wouldn’t you want everything at the touch of a button as well as physical. It’s a no brainier. Legends don’t stay legends by keeping thier works locked in a cupboard. They keep it alive by introducing it to new generations and that means utility new mediums.
She’s done it throughout her whole career. From MTV to video singles to the internet and DVD singles etc. But suddenly there’s a hesitancy to keep the dogs turning. Its...Un-Madonna to hoard the goodies. She’s behind the times. 

I can't believe some people thought that that short video was an official trailer. I still think that the video won't come out this year, which is absolutely ridiculous. 
To be honest, I've been rather frustrated this week seeing how much effort someone like Kylie Minogue puts into her album releases. Not only that, but she seems to have a team committed to making her go number 1 in the UK, at the least. And then she actually PERFORMS (thus, promotes) the music during the album release week. Then, she also successfully delivers an online concert (heavily edited and all!). It just makes me think the little effort, creativity and overall thought there was behind everything related to Madame X. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the album and the tour, but I was always on edge — few AND bad interviews, never-ending problems during the tour, bad press, bad attitude etc — and it just seemed she was in a bad and confrontational mood (more than usual!) all along. Now this DVD/video release (whatever ends up being) has been in the works for ages with no sign of release at all... Honestly, unless there's a big release for this (which I doubt), whatever momentum there was, is gone. So many wasted opportunities throughout this era. Gone are the days of exciting Madonna releases every year or so. Sometimes I feel Madonna enjoys the brattiness and attention that being "Madonna" affords her, but she's really not interested in the work, success, or fame anymore. I respect her desire to probably focus on her family life more — she's earned it! — but it's frustrating and at times, sad how we've arrived to the present. Her albums come and go rather quickly nowadays and I suspect this live release will be a "fans only" thing in terms of its impact. 
Anyone else feeling the same? Sorry for the rant! 

What an odd thing to release. Apart from the tour recording the MX era has been long dead...
The most offensive thing is the bottle though! So basic, and just that brand’s standard bottle with a MX logo slapped on. I wouldn’t be against a MX perfume if it felt creative, a cool X shaped bottle etc. Weird.

Hooooly crap this is stunning. Such a good job. Makes me sad though! Wish we would get stuff like this.
Every time I see ABBA’s repackaged/expanded/deluxe album reissues it makes me think of all the brilliant M things we could have if her people would put some effort in! 

Yeah I agree this is how my brain expects her to look!
 
And those photos of her with the fan (resting bitch face) were only from a few days ago and she looked bizarre and not herself there. So I’m pretty sure whenever we see her looking odd like that it’s because of Ricardo’s bad editing... Because these new photos she looks like herself again, not all stretched and distorted. 

To me, she actually looks like Madonna atm

Found this edit of the Levitating video on twitter using the Crave video to include Madonna, works pretty well! 
Wonder if we’ll ever find out what happened with the video, the plan obviously must have been to include her.

I’ve thought this a few times recently (like with the photo with her boobs out etc) but seeing these yesterday posted at the same time she posted the video (singing levitating) I think what’s mostly to blame is Ricardo’s photo editing.
Because in the video she looks normal and like herself, but these photos taken at the exact same time she looks warped and bizarre and not herself. So it’s pretty clear to me now that he just goes too far editing his photos of her and that’s what looks weird.
Which is pretty annoying because then everyone just thinks she’s had more and more work done and ruined her face when she hasn’t. I wish he’d just tone it down a bit, she looks absolutely fine in the videos with no retouching! 

I’ve thought this a few times recently (like with the photo with her boobs out etc) but seeing these yesterday posted at the same time she posted the video (singing levitating) I think what’s mostly to blame is Ricardo’s photo editing.
Because in the video she looks normal and like herself, but these photos taken at the exact same time she looks warped and bizarre and not herself. So it’s pretty clear to me now that he just goes too far editing his photos of her and that’s what looks weird.
Which is pretty annoying because then everyone just thinks she’s had more and more work done and ruined her face when she hasn’t. I wish he’d just tone it down a bit, she looks absolutely fine in the videos with no retouching!