Uncle G Ponders...Ageism

Classic Rock Radio (Dot CO Dot UK)
25 April 2015      

So I'm checking out current news headlines on the Internet, and come across a story on Daily Mail Dot Com centering around 90's musician Tori Amos, defending pop icon, Madonna. It appears Madonna's been taking it on the chin for some time now. Her latest studio album, Rebel Heart, is tanking in sales. Interest is declining while criticism increases. She's not the Madonna of decades ago. Do you think it's her politics or her personal beliefs that she pushes in her music nowadays that has some long time fans, running for the hills? It did I. 

SAY WHAT? Yes, I'll admit it. For some time, I dug Madonna. That was back in the twentieth century. I suppose the last record she came out with that I liked, was her seventh one, called Ray Of Light (1998). After that I just stopped caring. The personality become more than I cared to handle.  

Quick Test: What's Madonna's last name?

The lady is so famous you know her nowadays by just her first name. Not the only female, but it is an achievement to be able to say that. Posing nude and an insatiable desire to be self sufficient, helped her achieve her goals. I admire the success story. Is it better than someone who started working in a factory sweeping floors, and through hard work and dedication, ended up high within the ranks of the companies personal? To some Madonna did questionable things in her quest to capture the gold ring. Remember, she started off with nothing. Used her feminine charms, as well as her skills in music to get the ball rolling. The rest shall they say is history. 

Test Answer: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, on August 16, 1958, to parents Silvio "Tony" Ciccone and Madonna Fortin. 

FYI: Madonna and I share the same birthday. She's three years older.

Tori Amos I first saw in concert with my wife, when Tori's third studio album came out, Boys For Pele (1996). A super talented lady. Like Madonna over the years, I kind of lost interest. Only temporary, for one day I'll decide to play catch up on whatever latest Tori added to her music catalog that I'm unaware of. And like many other bands / musicians, I LOVE her early albums. 

Here's a Uncle G Fun Fact. My last time arrested and taken to jail, was at a Tori Amos concert. Back in the late 1990's. Charges dropped by the way (and for the record). Another story for another day. 

In the story published yesterday, Tori makes some very good points on the subject of ageism. Identified and labeled as a brand of discrimination back in the early 1970's. It's always existed. Ironic, Madonna has a song title by the reason I give; Human Nature. I believe as we age, many of us just stop personally identifying with certain other age groups. I don't presently hate eight year olds. Just don't have much in common with them.  

As a whole humans appear to be more fixated on entertainment that highlights good looking people. Plenty out there. New talented young adults always on the horizon. Not as much baggage as the older ones, and having more energy. 

Discrimination meaning to ignore, to not see, to not validate. Happens on each end of the stick; youth - elderly. Should as a whole be further looked into, and handled better. Some kind of public awareness campaign. A picture of an older person not caring what a teenager thought, and how that behavior repeats itself, the youth now a senior citizen decades later doing the same thing. Break the cycle.  

Oh, and I personally feel straight up that Tori is wrong when it comes to why people are up in arms more about Madonna in general. It's NOT just her age. The ladies own actions are responsible. Not that the woman is a total write off now. She can recover. Madonna is one of the few today who if she just put out a good song, and without the usual promo that always accompanies of strange quotes and odd pictures, that she'd sell MORE records than ever before. Make it a fun song with a cool groove and a funky beat. Upbeat lyrics. Nothing pretentious. She'd have a number one song again. Sales would be back up. She employs an army of people nowadays. Let the money continue to flow. Live and let live. And if Madonna toured, just her and a rock band playing real music, with nothing to brainwash the masses with, the Queen of Pop would more than likely sell out everywhere she played. Regain new fans as well as bring back the older ones. Hard work paid off. She has an outrageous catalog of songs behind her. And here's the thing. So many said it before me. If Madonna only would snap out of it, and just sing. Ageism for her, in this story anyway, is truly NOT a factor. 

In closing, ageism is a true thing, and in part responsible for what we see and hear via the media, and take for granted on a daily basis. That can change. Uncle G believes every age counts in what they think and believe, because every human being counts. Up until our last dying breaths. As a species, we need to believe this. Don't let Madison Avenue or anyone else tell you otherwise.

Source of Inspiration (Thanks Daily Mail Dot Com)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3053377/Tori-Amos-51-sticks-Madonna-56-discusses-ageism-music-industry.html

Gary Brown

American Correspondent for ClassicRockRadio.co.uk

Twitter @GBrown0816