Jerry Penacoli had a convivial chat with Madonna backstage at the Billboard Music Awards for Extra in which she reacted to Elton John's claim that they'd made up and spoke at length about parenting...

What a warm and relaxed Madonna who gave this bathroom (!) interview to Brazilian journalist Huck, even allowing Rocco to horn in on the situation. This was after she had stormed through a second Miami show and done vocal cool-downs, so it had to be around 2 or 3 in the morning.

In a nutshell, she still uses a tape recorder, likes her kids to work hard but be clean, has raised over $75K for Sandy relief, had geat fun with PSY, might have a surprise in store for Brazil (a country whose music she loves), has shout-outs for her Triangle Bitches/friends, doesn't recommend dancing in high heels, treats her face to eucalyptus and her knees to ice post-show, wants Brazil's president to see MDNA, has not had a single alcoholic drink since her tour began and fetishizes sleep, massages and family meals.

Choice quote is that she is most proud of:

"...giving a lot of people the strength and confidence to believe in themselves, especially marginalized groups, whether it's the gay community or women to feel that they have the freedom, the power, the voice—to give them a voice to speak their mind, to express themselves and say, 'Yeah. Fuck, yeah! I deserve this. And I'm going to go for this.' And I wanna do more."

One of her best, most effortlessly gracious interviews.

Billy Eichner has finally met up with "Madonnnnnna! Madonnnnna! Madonnnnna!" on Conan...

Ellen leads Madonna through a dunking game with her son Rocco, Madonna leads Ellen through the proper care and maintenance of cone-encrusted boobs and it's free MDNA CDs for all...

A Q&A with Madonna in People (May 14, 2012) reveals some things you may not have known about her, such as her assertion that she is "shy." WTF? Or that her favorite food is French fries. Is this 1985? I want to see a picture of Madonna '12 eating fries!

Just playing catch-up here! Above and below are my videos of Madonna from inside her private Material Girl party at Macy's. The first one catches her coming in, party atmosphere and her entire opening remarks. Below, you'll see reaction shots of Taylor Momsen and mainly Madonna and Lola as a troupe dances to a Madonna medley. Rocco break-dances in there, too!

You didn't expect me to actually watch the performance, did you?

After the jump is a bonus video of close-up footage showing (Madonna's manager Guy Oseary,) Madonna and Lola on the carpet, including some close enough to hear the designing duo answering some intelligent questions for a change...

MORE VIDEOS GOING UP LATER, INCLUDING INSIDE THE PARTY!

My first memory of really being into Madonna would be from around September 1983. I was driving home from playing Dungeons & Dragons at my cousin's in Swartz Creek, listening to Top 40 radio at full blast, and rocking (more like popping) out to Shannon's "Let the Music Play" when "Holiday" came on. My reaction to it was immediate—this was like aural sex, a true popgasm.

Exactly 27 years later, my dream to meet Madonna finally materialized last night at, of all places, Macy's.

Four great chicks: Liz, Nadia (her assistant), Lola & Madonna

Admittedly, the desire to meet an idol is fraught with risk. No less a personage than former recording star and current recording exec Tommy Page has cautioned me about doing such a thing (I told him I'd been a member of his fan club 'cuz I thought he was cute but meeting him was lovely so why not push it?). And it's also a shallow, silly kind of goal in life—or would be, if it were my only one. But nonetheless, it has been a goal and it's now in my rearview and I'm happy to say it went off without a hitch.

According to Life & Style (May 3, 2010), this is what Rocco Ritchie will look like at age 29. Kinda like Matthew Lawrence by way of the local pub. 

I think Madonna allowing Rocco and Lourdes onstage for her final Sticky & Sweet shows in Tel Aviv was brilliant and adorable and nothing more or less than familial glee and support.

Rocco danced enthusiastically during the DJ set pre-show as well as during the "Music" number:

...while big sis Lourdes danced to "Give It 2 Me" during rehearsals and the performance and credibly tickled the ivories during "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You":

Disgustingly (and hypocritically), the Daily Mail has a long, long, long piece decrying that Madonna is using Lourdes for publicity (via these and Lourdes's appearances in both "Celebration" videos), even going so far as to suggest Lourdes has been somehow inappropriately dressed for a pre-teen (not for long) girl. The "Like a Virgin" costume should hardly raise an eyebrow—it's not like she's all dolled up as Dita, asking to be your mistress tonight.

Then, the piece asserts that Madonna is/will be competitive with her daughter for attention, using old and tacky quotes from Madonna's old and tacky turncoat brother Christopher to bolster the claim even though li'l Christopher was once the all-too-eager beneficiary of the spill-overs of Madonna's fame, too.

Relax, it's all in good fun.