Madonna news - Dec. 2001


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14 December - Madonna 'attacks' British workmen
Similar to the Jo Whiley interview, it's no surprise that the British press has found some offence in the MSN chat, this time in Madonna's opinion on British work men. This is from the BBC:
Pop icon Madonna says she loves the UK - but not when it comes to employing workmen. The multi-millionairess, whose hits include Material Girl and Holiday, said: "I can't believe how people don't like to work. I'm renovating a house right now and the work week starts at noon on Monday and ends at noon on Friday," Madonna, 42, told fans logging on to a webchat on msn.co.uk. "I'm a bit spoiled," she said. "I'm used to people in America working seven days a week. It's highly irritating. They leave work at five and there are bank holidays every minute here.


13 December - Madonna in Encyclopaedia Britannica
Citing a strong demand for its printed products in the midst of the digital age, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. today announced that it has published a revised printing of its famous 32-volume encyclopedia, the first revision of the printed set since 1998. The 2002 printing of the Encyclopaedia Britannica includes revisions to thousands of articles as well as hundreds of entirely new ones. Some of the new articles cover subjects and people not previously treated in the encyclopedia. For example, Doctors without Borders, Falun Gong, and Ecstasy make their first appearance in the encyclopedia, as do the rock star Madonna, author J.K. Rowling, Brazilian photojournalist Sebastiao Salgado and golfer Tiger Woods. Numerous topics - from types of cancer to the world's leading aerospace companies - are covered in multiple new entries, while other subjects - such as Monet, dinosaurs, World Heritage sites - are illustrated with new color plates. (source: Madonnamax)


13 December - First online Madonna query
A virtual treasure chest of over 700 million message postings, chronicling everything from the fall of the Berlin Wall to Pee Wee Herman jokes, has been restored on the Internet, much to the delight of Net fans. Popular Internet search service Google acquired the UseNet discussion group archive last February when it purchased the now defunct DejaNews.com. The earliest message postings had been taken down by then, triggering consternation among nostalgic Net heads. The privately held Google on Tuesday made good on its promise, bringing back an essential voice of the Internet's early years. Rants, reviews, and "new" discoveries in all their unedited glory have been restored, dating back to 1981. [...] In July, 1983, a user mentions Madonna in passing in a statement about album speeds. It was the first of over 570,000 UseNet postings on the artist. (source: Reuters)


12 December - Woops!
Time flies when you're having fun! Seems I've been posting news for almost two weeks now, saying it's November instead of December! LOL! Thanx for clearing that out for me Clare! :) ~ bARTie


12 December - Madonna chat
Madonna answered questions submitted by fans at MSN for about 45 minutes. Read the complete transcript of the chat at MSN. Also check that page for a GHV2 review and a fun Madonna game ('put Madonna back together').


11 December - Vote for Ray Of Light
Vote for Ray Of Light as essential 90's album at the survey of Rolling Stone.


11 December - Anniversary party at Sting's place
Madonna is going to hold her first wedding anniversary party at a country pile belonging to old mate Sting and his wife Trudie Styler. Invitations have already gone out to the 30 or so mates who attended last December 23's nuptials, according to the Mirror's 3am column. Stars on the guest list include Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew Vaughn, Rupert Everett, Stella McCartney, Kelly Brook and Jason Statham and nightclub boss Piers Adams. Sting and Trudie's mansion is in Wilsford-cum-Lake near Salisbury and has 41 rooms, including 10 bathrooms, 12 bedrooms and a library. (Gay.com UK)


11 December - Britney is no Madonna
Not really Madonna news, but read the Madonna-Britney comparison in this review:

[...] Madonna waited until the end of her last tour to allow it to be televised. Spears should have done the same. To pay $75 for something people had already seen is deplorable. [...] It was embarrassing. So were many of her junior-varsity Madonna moves, from mock-karate-chopping her dancers to flying over the crowd on a harness. She doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Madonna. The Spears camp is calling their client the 'next Madonna', but let's see Spears try to sing 'Evita'. (source: Boston Globe)


10 December - Blond Ambition corset
Blond Ambition corsetMadonna's corset from the Blonde Ambition tour, left, is next to a 1984 orange velvet evening dress by Jean Paul Gaultier in the exhibition "Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed," Dec. 5, 2001, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The exhibition, featuring fashion's most outrageous innovations and strategies of dress, runs through March 17. (source: AP)


10 December - Year end charts
don-t-> is at #34 on Billboard Hot 100 Year End Chart. Music album is at #49 on Billboard 200 Albums Year End Chart. In the Spin Magazine Singles of the Year section, Don't Tell Me was selected as second best.


10 December - Madonna fears Birds book
Madonna looks set to have further secrets about her personal life revealed, this time at the hand of her former boyfriend Andy Bird. The music video director, 30, has revealed that he is writing a book about their two-year stormy relationship, the first time a former lover of hers has done so. Madge has already had to contend with two recent unauthorised biographies, by Andrew Morton and Barbara Victor. She may well be more nervous of Bird's planned book as he was obviously closer to her and claims to have kept revealing letters and answer-machine messages sent by the singer. Bird, who claims breaking up with Madonna led to him having a nervous breakdown, had a well-publicised bust-up with Guy Ritchie in the Met Bar last year, and is expected to give the reason in his book. (source: PeopleNews)


09 December - Turner Award presented
Madonna presents the Turner AwardTonight Madonna presented the Turner Award at the London Tate Gallery. She held a short speech about how award ceremonies don't really say much about the value of an artist and his work. She joked about GHV2 and ended her thing with a 'motherf***ers'. Read the transcript at Madonnarama. More pix at Yahoo.


09 December - Madonna and Guy move in
Pop diva Madonna has finally moved in to her £6million London house in the heart of the West End. Madge, 43, and her film director husband Guy Richie, 32, bought the five story Georgian house a year ago. Since then she has been living in hotels, whilst it was being decorated to her specifications. She is said to have spent at least £1 million on it. Madonna, forever the control freak, has actually been supervising furniture deliveries at the property over the last few days. Since March this year Madonna, Guy and family have been living in a hotel. (source: Gay.com UK)

08 December - Official chat announcement
MSN, the most popular Internet destination has teamed up with Madonna, the world's number one pop star, to offer its 270 million global users the unique chance to chat directly with the star. Translated simultaneously into multiple languages, fans can log on to catch pop queen Madonna answering questions from fans all over the world in real time on Wednesday 12th December, 2001 12 PM noon Eastern Time, at MSN. Fans can join the chat live or send in their questions in advance by email by visiting the site where there are full instructions on how to take part. Along with this great opportunity to chat with Madonna, Microsoft's Windowsmedia.com has a special promotion available that allows fans to download one exclusive GHV2 Madonna video direct onto their wireless device through WindowsMedia. Also watch for upcoming appearances on The Today Show and Dateline. More details soon! (source: MadonnaMusic)


08 December - GHV2 videos

Watch all the videos from the GHV2 songs at GetMusic.


07 December - Madonna upsets Animal Rights
Madonna wearing a fur hatMadonna has upset animal rights groups by wearing a £1,000 fox fur hat in London. The star had the hat especially designed for her by Philip Treacy and would have used pelts of at least five foxes. Dawn Carr, spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Madonna's decision to wear the hat was "disgusting". "Frankly, she looks ridiculous. It just turns my stomach", Carr told the Daily Mail. A spokesperson for the star was unavailable for comment. It is a well known fact that Madonna's husband, Guy Ritchie, loves hunting and shooting. (source: Gay.com UK)


06 December - Madonna special on ICQ
Check ICQ.com for a Madonna special with GHV2 news and downloads, streaming videos, pictures, chat & forum, and Madonna friends.


05 December - Madonna chat confirmed
According to fansite Madonnarama it is confirmed that Madonna will chat on MSN on December 12th at 6pm GMT. Fans are requested to send their advance questions to madonnaliveonline@hotmail.com.


05 December - Gaultier proposed to Madonna
Fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier has revealed that he proposed to Madonna three times. The French fashionista – who created Madge's famous conical golden bra – says that Mrs R is the only woman he would ever have slept with. 'She refused every time I asked her - but she always did it in a polite way,' he said. 'Madonna was the only woman I would ever have married. But I knew that she would say no - that it could not have been done. If she had said yes, I would have loved it. I would have had sex with her - a lot of gay men would.' (source: PeopleNews)


05 December - Fear of burglars
Madonna is reportedly spending thousands on personal security because she is scared of being burgled. The star has placed a 24-hour guard outside her bedroom and set up temporary digs at the Home House hotel. One guard sits outside her suite and another is kept in the lift while a £500,000 security system is installed in her West London pad, according to the Daily Star. Madonna, 43, has been burgled twice in one year. In June and December 2000 her rented home in Notting Hill was raided. Her £6m home is now having a complete security overhaul, including bars put on all the bedroom windows. (source: Sky)


04 December - Madonna in power list
What do "Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts and "Material Girl" Madonna have in common besides wealth, fame and beauty? They are the two lone superstars to grace this year's Hollywood Reporter list of the 50 most influential women in show business, a ranking started 10 years ago to shine the spotlight on the women doing great work behind the scenes. Roberts and Madonna, who ranked No. 3 and 42 respectively on the list, however, were just too powerful to ignore, said officials at the Hollywood Reporter. "We try to make room for the women who have superseded the celebrity aspect of their jobs," said Christy Grosz, managing editor of special issues for Hollywood Reporter. Madonna returns to the list at No. 42 after ranking No. 28 in 1998. "Madonna made the list again by force of her personality and her sold-out 'Drowned World Tour' this year," Grosz said. "She's had a huge resurgence this year after being on the sidelines for a while," said Grosz, noting Madonna also heads her own production company and record label. (source: Reuters)


04 December - Immaculate Election 2001
Cast your vote at the First Annual Immaculate Election, the first large-scale Madonna awards voted by Madonnafans.


03 December - VH1 specials
Next tuesday December 11th, VH1 will broadcast following Madonna specials between 1 and 6pm: Madonna Video Collection: The Virgin Years ('83-'86); Blond Ambition ('86-'89); The Girlie Show ('90-'94); Ray of Light ('94-'98); Never Gonna Stop ('98). (source: MadonnaMusic)


03 December - Sp!ns single o/t year
In the Spin Magazine Singles of the Year section, Don't Tell Me was selected as second best with the following write-up: It may be that nobody has ever had a hit this great this long after their first masterpiece. It may be the emotionally richest pop throwaway since the Supremes and the most off-kilter guitar part to hit the Top 5 since Bill met Board. Not bad for the American Kylie Minogue. (source: MadonnaMusic)
~ I assume that last comment was meant as a joke ?


03 December - Madonna *second* greatest rock & pop artist ?
British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey is the greatest female rock and pop artist of all time, according to a music magazine poll. Harvey, the daughter of a sheep farmer in rural Somerset, west England, beat Madonna into second place and Kate Bush into third in Q Magazine's survey of 200,000 readers. "She (Harvey) makes music of substance and our readers respond to that," Q Magazine's editor Danny Eccleston told the Times newspaper on Monday. "Whereas we know everything about Madonna, there is a real mystique about Polly." (source: Reuters)


01 December - Maverick cuts back
The music's fading for Madonna's record label Maverick. Maverick, co-owned by the Material Girl and AOL Time Warner, is being scaled back - part of a broader effort by the media giant to pump up its music business. Warner Bros. Records, one of AOL Time Warner's three big labels, will assume promotion and possibly other responsibilities for Maverick, whose artists include mega-seller Alanis Morissette. Madonna founded Maverick in 1992, but records her own music for Warner. At a time when the music majors have soured on "vanity labels" run by stars, Maverick appeared to be to the one successful standout. But according to music website Hitsdailydouble.com, Maverick will ultimately become a small division of Warner Bros. that simply finds and develops artists. (source: NY Daily News)


01 December - Wanted: people to appear alongside Madonna
Two extra parts in Guy Ritchie's new film are being auctioned online. One female and one male walk-on part are up for grabs. The successful bidders will get the chance to meet Ritchie and the cast, which includes Madonna, on the set of Love, Sex, Drugs and Money. They will also get their name in the credits and an invitation to the premiere. The auction on fsauctions is open until December 10th. (source: Ananova)

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