Madonna talks about ageism at the age of 34.

Thanks to Matt Rettenmund (He's actually met and interviewed Madonna!!!!) for posting this video and his thoughts, which inspired this blog post. Check out his blog, Boy Culture! 

She’s famously tackled sexism, racism and gay rights. Now, it seems, intentionally or not, Madonna is taking on ageism.

The 53-year-old superstar continues to push her career forward with the same, if not more, intensity she had when she burst onto the scene in 1982. It’s only February and she’s already released her second movie, recorded a new album, – MDNA, out in March – is kicking off a massive world tour and, most recently, performed a high-energy dance party during the Superbowl’s Halftime Show.

While most of the press seemed to like her halftime performance, where she was carried to stage by Roman gladiators before cartwheeling over breakdancers, shuffling with LMFAO, bumping booties with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. and taking us to church with Reverend Cee-Lo Green, she had her usual detractors.

What wasn’t usual about the harsh comments was their overarching theme. Instead of being slammed for being sacrilegious (in the 80s), or for being brazenly sexual (in the 90s), or even for knocking the American ideologies that made her a star (in the 00s), she was now being attacked for her age. “She is too old! She should just stop! She’s not in her 20s anymore!”

An odd criticism, since really, it’s not like she chose to be older.

By comparison, her musical contemporaries seem to age more gracefully, but that’s only because of the context of their music. Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger are rockers who only need guitars and stage presence to be considered successes. Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand are known for their ballads, so they can arguably just sit on a stool in a sparkling dress and still pack Las Vegas theatres.

But that’s not the nature of Madonna’s beast. She earned her fame by singing fun pop songs. Sure, she’s dabbled in somber and serious moments of artistic genius (“Live to Tell”, “Oh Father”, Ray of Light), but dance music is her bread and butter.

She could easily rest on her laurels and perform intimate concerts based solely on her impressive catalogue of hits. But, that’s the equivalent of a celebrity retirement home. I don’t want that. I admire her ambition to keep pushing herself, her desire to try new things and her refusal to just sit in the corner and be old.

What people are failing to grasp here is that we have a bona fide megawatt pop legend who is still making new music. For a celebrity who’s painted as all shades of snobbery, at least she isn’t arrogant enough to presume she can use her classics to just milk her fans for all they’re worth. She’s still supplying the demand. Sure, she might not ever write another “Vogue” or “Hung Up”, but can’t the lady have some fun trying?

What’s also surprising is how petty this criticism seems. It’s not like she’s a soccer mom who had one too many coolers at the staff party. It’s MADONNA. The woman who made a career out of making songs that play at said staff parties. So, she can shake it all she wants, and own it. I’d like to see any of today’s pop stars do that in 30-odd years without the same ridicule.

 We are all destined to get older. And, while most of us will move a little more slowly and look a little more saggy, I choose to be inspired by Madonna’s youthful attitude. I want to have the physical and mental energy at her age and beyond. I want to still be able to go out and live life and have fun with a devil-may-care attitude. After all, age is just a number, not a state of mind.

I doubt this anti-ageist stance is an intentional move on her part. She’s making a statement without realizing she is. And that’s the beauty of it all. It’s as if she’s saying “Yeah, I’m over 50. So what?”

In her last single "Smile", Avril Lavigne calls herself a crazy bitch multiple times.

In her new video for "Wish You Were Here", she proves it. She's all mopey and manic about her lover who is with her and she misses him so much that she starts crying uncontrollably and nearly drowns herself in a bathtub.

Girl! Pull yourself together!

David Guetta has released another generic dance track, "Little Bad Girl", this time with the help of Taio Cruz and Ludacris.

I knew I was going to be in for a treat when Taio's auto-tuned voice pronounced "air" and "there" "err" and "therr" in the first verse.

But, I was not expecting the hilarious scene where, as the sun starts to rise, David and his party people run outside and literally skid the world to a halt. That's right, the earth spins backwards, slipping the world back into darkness, allowing the party to continue.

First of all, usually when people are partying non-stop, that means they're on some kind of drug, which means they're in a building that likely already has the windows blacked out. So, the whole earth-stopping thing? Uneccessary. 

Secondly, I like how the people who were waking up, ready to start their day, see the sun go back down and just shrug their shoulders. Talk about unrealistic! In this day and age of earthquakes, hurricanes and raptures, I'd run for the hills! Not go back to bed!

Ugh.

The world has been imploring Justin Timberlake to make new music. He stubbornly refuses, to focus on his acting career. 

But, we have some good news! He has signed a pop/soul group FreeSol to his label and he's featured heavily on their first single "Hoodies On, Hats Low"! YES! Let's take a listen.

.........

What the hell? THAT'S what you're going to unleash on us after a musical silence of 6 years??? 

I mean, it got off to a very promising start. It sounded like trademark Timberlake. Until the horrible opening line. And the realization that the first verse rhymes the word "myself" with itself 4 times in a row. It's then, I realize, that this song is horrible. Even Justin's half-rapping vocals aren't good.

Justin, if this is all you can give us, fine, go act.

All right, when this whole Rebecca Black "Friday" thing exploded, I vowed not to post about her because I didn't want to legitimize her attempt at a music career and I didn't want to be mean to a then-13-year-old.

But, she's back. With a new song called "My Moment" and the gloves have to come off.

First of all, this song is bad. Where "Friday" at least had a cheesy, it's so bad it's good, ironic kinda vibe, this song is horrible. It's not catchy. Her voice is amazingly flat. And the production is subpar.

Secondly, the lyrics have this sense of entitlement that I can't stand when it's sung by someone who hasn't earned our respect. She talks about how all the haters are going to be laughing now cuz she's making paper and she's now having her moment. Really??? Last time I checked, your 15 minutes were up. And only extended to 16 minutes because of Katy Perry. 

And, finally, the video is so overblown with her own ego, it's sickening. The shots of her hard at work in the studio, learning a dance routine and walking a red carpet? Is she really that delusional to think we buy any of this garbage?

Rebecca Black, you need to fade into the Internet Meme Hall of Fame and just stop trying. Or, at least take some vocal lessons first.

So, what happens when you release a tired, clichéd song as a lead single for your upcoming album?

You make a tired, clichéd video that rips off visual ideas that have been done before by cooler, younger bands - including yourself when you were younger and cooler.

Check out "Strawberry Swing" "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" by Coldplay.

Justin Bieber has a new womens frangrance called "Someday". As in, "Someday, puberty will finally hit me."

What makes even less sense than a 17-year-old boy releasing a scent for women is the commercial, where it seems that on spritz will conjure the spirit of a creeper Bieber before you go on some kind of flying hallucination.

Seriously, he's channeling the main character from on of my fave movies Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Taylor Swift's latest video "Mean" just makes me wanna gag.

I just don't buy her innocent act, so to see her prancing around in another frilly dress, talking back to all the people who ever bullied her, is just nauseating. 

Especially, when halfway through the song, she calls her detractors a liar, pathetic and alone in life. Whatever happened with turning the other cheek? Now T-Swizzle is all about an eye for an eye?

That's just mean.

Listen, Jordan. Just because NKOTB is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, doesn't mean you can go and revitalize your solo career.

I mean, it's a bad sign when in your video "Let's Go Higher", they don't show your dance moves and that your voice is Auto-Tuned, but only for the high notes. It means you should leave this game to Usher, Shawn Desman and Taio Cruz.

Just collect your tour money and go live on an island! That's what I would do!

To say that today's pop music scene lacks originality is an understatment. Songs sound likeother songs all the time, either intentionally or not. And it doesn't help that the same handful of producers are behind all the biggest hits.

So, I find it funny when people get up in arms when one song's similarity to another is so blatant, you can't ignore it. 

The latest example: Cascada's "San Francisco" which bares a very striking musical likeness to Katy Perry's "California Gurls". While the vocal line is different, the music is pretty much identical. 

And, while it's very ridiculous and obvious, at this point, I have to just shrug my shoulders and ask myself "What's the point of getting upset?" It's disposable pop music that one one will remember in 5 years, so just enjoy it.