THE KISS

[RUADJAI 14,909]

 

 

 

 

Back in 2003 I was confused and unimpressed with this performance. It's not a typical tour de force like previous performances on the same show like Vogue, Bye Bye Baby, and Express Yourself. The song itself is a bit weak as is. The remix isn't groundbreaking although it is danceable. It doesn't even include the entire melody of the original song, playing like a "half dub version" which is RARE, to say the least, to be performed. The choreography is impressive when she couples off with the two brides but the group choreo is simplistic and ... meh. Aside from Christina.. vocals were pretty unimpressive as well.  It seemed a bit too early for Madonna to start looking back to her first performance for inspiration. A lesbian kiss although a bit unexpected, (even though looking back now, OF COURSE! she was going to kiss her brides) was not a groundbreaking thing like it was in 1990 with Justify My Love, 13 years earlier.

So with all of that said... I think this performance was probably the most genius performance she has ever done. Her last MTV VMA's performance. You can tell how genius it is by all the audience reactions captured by cameras that almost become part of the performance itself. Mary J Blige who was not impressed the entire time, to Beyonce and Mya just happy to be there, to Justin's famous suspicious eyebrow raise to the disbelief moment right after the kiss. Snoop Dog just laughing his ass off. The Queer Eye guys shittin' themselves just because it is Madonna, right there, in real life. The entire crowd rising to their feet when she enters, her husband included. Mya's friend throwing up gangster signs as a show of approval. Vivica Fox's reaction which I take as a "yaaassssss that's how a bitch does it" type of reaction. 

I think there's many things that had to align themselves just right for this performance to happen. Her 1st single wasn't well received, her 2nd single was the first to not chart in Hot 100 in 20 years. Her spot in opening the show and probably feeling a sense of needing to be show stopping. A slightly declining relevance with the younger audience, although all the newer acts looked up to her no doubt. And a willingness of the two brides to be put on display in this fashion which however way you want to look at it makes them appear as play things or video hoes. 

The line "how could it hurt you when it looks so good" comes to life in this performance where Britney and Christina really do "look so good". Young boys and girls everywhere really DO want to be them or live like them (ie: come to Hollywood) . Madonna is actually enticing the viewer to want it even more by taking off Christina's garter belt and turning Britney around so everyone can enjoy her ass. All the while singing, subtly hinting at a possibility it could be harmful, but not ever really delving into reasons why. The music itself eludes that something is amiss as well with minor chords and a droning synth that goes up and down like an alarm. 

I think another part of the genius is that this is what music has become now. So often now, an element of shock is almost required. And although there was shocking moments before this, this performance upped the ante and took it to a whole new level. 

 

What do you guys think? Has your opinion of this performance changed since the day you saw it? Do you think it deserves to sit next to the Vogue performance or do you put it in its own category? 

[Guest DeeperDeeper]

2002 to 2004 was when it all started to change. COADF looked like everything was getting back on track, but it wasn't to be. 

 

[Nahual 599]

Unlike most other Madonna fans, I actually disliked the kiss. For starters, it seemed contrived and done for the sake of controversy rather than it being innocent and spontaneous. I don't like controversy that only gets people talking; if there's no deeper symbolism or meaning behind an action, then it just comes across as trite to me. Maybe Madonna had her own idea of what the performance was supposed to be about, but any underlying concept that she wanted to express was overshadowed the moment she kissed Britney/Xtina.

Second of all, I thought the kiss distracted from the performance itself: Hollywood desperately needed a sales and radio airplay boost in the US at the time, but the kiss made the GP forget about the song itself. Thirdly, I just hated how overrated the whole thing became since it was all over the news for weeks. There was a war happening at the time, yet a girl-on-girl kiss was getting most of the headlines? Talk about priorities. 

[Redha DBL 7,288]

Like it or not, that was a genius move. Not only it stole the show, but it also became an iconic pop history moment.  17 years after i still see it being talked about or mentionned on tv. Absolutely iconic.  

[nito84bcn 2,734]

Let's not forget that Britney and Xtina were HUGE on that time, and as always, they were called the new 'MADONNAs'. Madonna, Britney and Xtina fanbases were in peace and happy, and it was the way that Madonna said: I'm still being the queen, I can play with the newcomers as I want, I'm still here and I'm going to make my banned album / singles worldwide again. 

I agree that Hollywood suffered a little and became smaller after the kiss, but hey... they included it in her extended compilation Celebration because of this performance. 

[DanK 9,173]

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[NowRadiate 3,331]

Unimpressed to this day. Absolutely unconvinced this having been genius or groundbreaking.

It was good and provoking in terms of LBTQ marriage rights, which I support. But very very far from “genius“, in any shape or form. It looks rushed, and overburdened with features: Britney, Cristina, Missy... 

[PWCCA 2,498]

I was not impressed back in 2003, and I am even less impressed to this day. It was cheap, tacky, and wrong to use homosexuality as a tool for shock value.

[Enrico 15,788]

I am not a fan of Hollywood, especially the remix.

But I like pop music when it creates discussion, when it becomes "pop culture". Madonna used to be great in this. Books and college courses were made about her videos. Now unfortunately she's too bust selling perfumes to make controversial art.

This VMAs performance features many themes: for instance Madonna's legacy, same sex marriage. It has a lot to say, we can discuss about it for hours. It is new as the original LAV performance and will always be remembered.. more than Bye bye baby or Power of goodbye. So for me it's a YES!

[Guest Nobody Knows Me]

I like the performance. She included the kiss because she knew it would send America crazy, and she was right. It’s no more shocking than her Bye Bye Baby performance, which I also love.

[Voguerista 11,742]

Great post!! I loved the performance the first time I saw it and now too! I loved how she broke barriers with the kiss and people having a right to be who they are and to love who they want too. I'll never forget the look of Justin Timberlake's face at the time. The thing is....a kiss is about a lot of things and it's suppose to represent love and appreciation no matter what as well. I love how Madonna made people think about it all at the time and it's one of the reasons I love her so much. 

[Redha DBL 7,288]

Also she knew she didn't have a strong hit in her hands and that her album was kinda flopping (according to her standards) so the only way for her to steal the show was to make a controversial stuff. She's a smart business woman. She probably couldn't imagine it would became so iconic in pop history. I mean "The Madonna & Britney kiss" is part of pop history now.

[RUADJAI 14,909]

It's interesting, looking back.... girls kissing girls was sort of a trend running up to this performance. You had T.A.T.U. and their smash hit All the Things She Said that basically exploited lesbianism for profit and P!nk licking a female backup dancer   (obviously choreographed as it happened a few times) performing Feel Good Time. Both were performed at the MTV Movie Awards a few months earlier. The T.A.T.U. girls didn't kiss during this performance but left that for two back up dancers perfectly placed in between them as an ending pose. So, I would imagine this may have influenced M to incorporate this somehow but kick it up a few notches. Obviously only one performance is really memorable. 

[stevemic 266]

I think the performance is actually taking a swipe at those nutty fringe churches that permit the practice of polygamy. Madonna - the obvious patriarchal figure - is celebrating marrying two wives. The audeince is a seething pulsating mass of lost condemned souls floating around in purgatory awaiting anxiously for either the hour of damnation or salvation.  Mr Timberlake is Lord Beelzebub signalling his condonation of such ungodly unions and practices. And just when you think it can't get any worse... Missy Ellot turns up.

But really, I love this Like A Virgin/Hollywood mashup. I suppose you can say - immitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And Hollywood is a very very underrated single. It would have been a perfect performance if M had left the 3 ladies at home though.

[Juan Moncada 166]

Although it is not one of my favorite performances, I admit it was a very good performance, much better than that horrendous performance he did at the 1998 VMAs (only the Shanti / Ashtangi performance was good), and I could say that it is part of their Legendary performances at those awards alongside Like A Virgin, Express Yourself, and Vogue. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the inclusion of Like A Virgin, that is, how was Madonna going to sing a big hit along with the biggest failure of her promotional album ???? I have seen many television reports talking about that performance and they always mentioned that the kiss happened during the Like A Virgin performance, and I said: what ????, since obviously the kiss was in Hollywood, and that of course was not going to help a lot to the sales of American Life or the single that Madonna sang. Anyway I give it 7.5 / 10✌✌

[Roland Barthes 5,825]

I prefer the Stuart Price remix to the repetitive and boring album version, though i wish it had the full lyrics. The fact that it made such a huge fuss around the world proved that people were not totally at ease with same sex kissing, that it sparkled debats and all is a statement in itself. The more people see same sex kisses and relationships on screen, the more it will become boring and a regular thing meaning the job is done. I remember Eminem saying at the time that Madonna made Britney & Xtina her puppets which is true.

[into the erotico 972]

On 11/18/2020 at 2:07 PM, PWCCA said:

I was not impressed back in 2003, and I am even less impressed to this day. It was cheap, tacky, and wrong to use homosexuality as a tool for shock value.

 It was cheap, tacky, and wrong to use homosexuality as a tool for shock value.

i agree with this one

[wtg1987 10,151]

Let’s face it 2003 wasn’t a great year for M - AL album and singles flopped in the US and by September she needed some publicity but whether it worked is another story and the less said about the awful duet and video with Britney the better ?

[into the erotico 972]

On 11/18/2020 at 9:06 AM, Nahual said:

Unlike most other Madonna fans, I actually disliked the kiss. For starters, it seemed contrived and done for the sake of controversy rather than it being innocent and spontaneous. I don't like controversy that only gets people talking; if there's no deeper symbolism or meaning behind an action, then it just comes across as trite to me. Maybe Madonna had her own idea of what the performance was supposed to be about, but any underlying concept that she wanted to express was overshadowed the moment she kissed Britney/Xtina.

Second of all, I thought the kiss distracted from the performance itself: Hollywood desperately needed a sales and radio airplay boost in the US at the time, but the kiss made the GP forget about the song itself. Thirdly, I just hated how overrated the whole thing became since it was all over the news for weeks. There was a war happening at the time, yet a girl-on-girl kiss was getting most of the headlines? Talk about priorities. 

for years i had the same thoughts as you and especially the last sentence. But slowly i began to see it as something that revamped her image and gave teas to this system of gossip and speculation. The choreography seemed a bit tight. Madonna always seemed to me that by taking of Aguilera's garter belt, took her 'virginity' as an established pop entertainer she was while Britney was 'chosen' by her. That, and the their hot 'rivary' back then. An unforgettable pop moment.

[WopaelWopael 722]

And the kiss sure wasnt spontenious