Birthday Flowers For An Ally: “Take a Bow, Madonna” Gets it Right. PLUS: A Humble Proposal to Bring People Together. It Would Be So Nice.

Yesterday was Madonna's birthday. Her music, for some of us, serves as a timeline or soundtrack to our lives. You've heard it all before…

But realize it or not, we all live in a world she's impacted as much as almost anyone. Many artists are generous and mount productive efforts for causes, political movements, social justice, but few entertainers — heck, very few long-time politicians, activists, “thought leaders,” “influencers,” “theologians” — have had anywhere near the positive, progressive, democratic impact.

Mary Gabriel wrote yesterday in “Take a Bow, Madonna” in the NY Times (gifted article for her) that Madonna never stayed in her lane, never considered her career done, does what she pleases.   (And she should know as the author of the forthcoming “Madonna: A Rebel Life” ) She's done it with brave empathy and a clear, if not evolving, vision.

Madonna's refrains don't celebrate about exceptionalism, as exceptional as she is. Her sexual conquests, her chosen families and causes, her experiments and explorations are “on brand,” but aren't the point. They are a message, and serve as the proof of her passion.

What it feels like for a girl.

Remarkably consistent, Madonna isn't afforded the almost daily media commentary gravitas of the moguls quoted daily, consistent proof that they lack insight, are blind to privilege, and “don't see color,” nor for that matter hypocrisy. And that's just entertainment and tech CEOs. New-age apologists and jet-set megachurch preachers bless the mess.

Gabriel clarifies that  the “Accusations about ‘sex' and ‘outrage'” that defined Madonna for many, are off by many degrees.  “Not sex but power. Not outrage but courage,” she corrects

“She has changed the world.”

It's hard to choose just a few quotes, so go read it.

• Madonna's confronted “the music industry, Hollywood, the Taliban, the Putin regime and the Vatican, to name just a few of her adversaries, over sexism, misogyny, racism, homophobia and hypocrisy.”
• Madonna's New York “was a discrimination-free zone where gender, race and sexual diversity weren't debated; they were celebrated.”
• “Girls  believed her, and a new generation of feminists was born.” 
• “As an advocate for people with H.I.V./AIDS, she spread safe sex messages and raised money for AIDS organizations. As an artist, she used her work to celebrate gay life at a time when the dominant narrative involved death.”
• Her unforgettable statements featuring beautiful, talented gay and bisexual men:  “Cherish”, “Vogue”, “Blond Ambition”. With “…her dancers, dressed as Marie Antoinette and her courtiers, stormed that Bastille of macho heterosexuality with a full camp version of “Vogue” at an MTV awards show.

Don't Go For Second Best

 Madonna “forced mainstream society — globally — to see gay men as she did, with admiration, not scorn. Madonna also helped gay men view themselves differently, with pride.”

It's not possible to overstate her influence. On MTV there would have been no decades of Real World modeling how uncool it is to hate the gay roommate. Here candid documentary and press made way for the video diary format and all of the reality TV.

Quite simply, every one of these women have cited her as changing the game, as serving as a  major, if not singular inspiration and model: Katie Perry, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Duh Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, Adele and many more. And it took a team of  New York Times writers and editors to write up  60 Times Madonna Changed Our Culture.

The birthday note ends: “Madonna isn't finished. The battle against bigotry that she has fought throughout her career is far from over, and she has something to say about it.”

And it could go something like this…

 Reagan ran the world when Madonna hit New York. Today's material world is Reagan times on  steroids.  Extreme wealth gaps, global warming, authoritarian tendencies, privilege blindness. Teh myth of individual genius is not going to do it. AI presents the reality that what passes for individual originality is in fact a process of iteration and contributions of many.

We're going to need to keep people together to accomplish what the future demands. And we need everybody. 

Though she goes it alone, it's not what she's about. It's about everybody. It's “come join the party”. Don't tell me to stop. Life is a mystery. Everyone must stand alone, but it's still. together.  Express yourself. Take up cheerleading in middle age and find mainstream fans. And it started with her first top 10 song, Holiday

I was deep in the process of trying to figure out what to do with the the already deep scars growing up, and just turned 21… and the music offered a lightness, a promise. A few years later I was living in the east village, joined ACT UP, writing weekly and monthly for Outweek and Paper, and finally found my people. 

My humble suggestion is thus originalist, a literal reading of the sacred texts of a movement foretold. With social media it's not hard to see a movement, a global happening reflecting, driven by, inspired by and celebrating all those threads discussed this  Madonna birthday…

If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice

A global day of service and celebration. Causes and concerts in ev-er-y nation. Big countries pair up with smaller ones. Grassroots supported by branded messages… to release the pressure. 

It's time for the good times
Forget about the bad times, oh yeah
One day to come together to release the pressure
We need a holiday

Global. Local.  A Holiday foundation with the mission of a massive global celebration, a day out of life. Maybe once. Maybe again, with a legacy of asserting the fundamental humanity, creativity, service, and empathy. 

You can turn this world around
And bring back all of those happy days
Put your troubles down
It's time to celebrate
Let love shine
And we will find
A way to come together, can make things better
We need a holiday

It would be so nice. Come join the party. Every nation. Turn this world around. Let love shine. Get into the groove. Music, makes the people come together. Music, mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel. It's all there., Telegram if need be can include rebel voices and others who will celebrate and make 

Madonna doesn't need my thoughts on what to do next. Her lyrics, life, and a few lucky times I've spend some time around her made that absolutely clear. She's not going to stop, has  4D chess skills, a great drive and humor.  (and as a gay man I can die complete). This celebration in every nation is something I'd love to help with.

And, if that's not for you, let's look for Marlo Thomas' Birthday and can discuss the imminent need for an updated “Free to Be, You and Me”. While not as universal, if your mother attended “libby” meetings in the 70s, sometimes in full length Mumu's you likely know this album and what we need right now.. 

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The heavily quoted NY Times piece has an author. To quote again: “Mary Gabriel is the author of “Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler, Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art” and the forthcoming ”Madonna: A Rebel Life.”