Annie Lennox, who's been a bit of a scold lately (what with dressing down Beyoncé for not dressing enough), has now cast aspersions on Madonna's latest topless poses, agreeing that they're for attention.
GASP! A popstar doing something for attention? (Like when Annie had Madonna perform on her song “Sing”?)
I think when Annie said we should ask why Madonna is doing this, it would have been worth answering that a little more thoughtfully. Everything public that a public figure does is for attention, either strictly for ego or, more often, to plug a product or endorse a way of thinking.
Why is it that Madonna's topless shots are so easily reduced to being only about attention, when Lennox's own use of racy clothing and even nudity were not? Why can't Madonna be—along with thinking that she'll grab lots of eyes by doing this—that there should be nothing wrong with seeing a woman's nipples (a sentiment she expressed when the Internet was broken over Kim Kardashian's naked butt, though the media deliberately misread it as shade)? Or that women past a certain age should feel free to express themselves both sexually and artistically? Or maybe it's not about age, maybe it's just about creating an interesting scene in the images. Or maybe it is a purely sexual expression—that's the least likely considering all the preparation and thought, but that's okay, too.
Madonna for Versace—no tits
As a reader pointed out, Annie gave songs to Demi Moore's movie Striptease (1996), which wasn't exactly not for attention...
Annie's smart, a great artist and welcome to her opinion. I just find her comment pointless in this case.
