MADONNA has never backed down on telling it like it is. The media destroyed her accusing her of being anti American. The radio wouldnt play this song, so she was forced to put out a cleaner less graphic version. She is the ultimate human rights advocate and the world has a problem with people having a steong opinion.
Madonna pulled the original director's cut last minute for fear of retaliation and being perceived as unpatriotic as America was bracing for War, and because the Dixie Chicks were cancelled just prior. So she originally aired this video with a tame version of her singing only behind flags and pretty much all the imagery removed. She was 44 at the time. Past 40, and American radio shadow banned her regardless, her career never reached the popularity of her younger years since. She has never been one to back down from offending and sharing her point of view but this was the first time in her career she blinked. If you ever want to see another bold, music video by her, and one that was a global hit also, I suggest you check out her 1989 "Like a Prayer" music video.
She revealed that she received death threats to her family (she was married to Guy Richie and raising their 2 kids in 2003)..she didn’t want to risk their safety. If it’s just her, she’d likely not back down.
Those little kids at the end always get me emotional. Love Madonna! Her anti-war stance got her banned from U.S. radio, so you might not have heard much about her there. But she's still going strong, and we're loving her in the rest of the world! Peace! ✌
@ExplainAndSummarize We are with you on that…so many emotional moments throughout the video but the babies…😭…horrible!! We remember the Madonna of the 80s and 90s but it seems that she fell off our radar around this time and I guess now we can see why…
I'm the first runway model with the train, and grenade necklace. What an amazing gig for the queen M, except it was shelved 20 years. 😮 i remember feeling like i was in a dream. A couple of the extras told me this was going to launch my career..well turns out i havent had anything to sing about until now anyway. Listen to my RU-vid ep playlist "Chasing Your Ghost" by Samuel Güler. I wrote and recorded these 6 songs the past few months. Please comment on your favorite song. And subscribe. ❤😊
Wow, Samuel! That's an incredible journey from the first runway with Queen M to your own EP playlist. Dreams do come true. Excited to check out "Chasing Your Ghost" on RU-vid and find my favorite. Keep rocking!
I liked ur Madonna comment! This came out in 2003, from her American Life album.. You need to do more Madonna reactions! And you’ll see why she’s the Queen of Pop! The only Queen! The most imitated never duplicated! Start from the beginning of her career in 1982! With her 1983 album “Madonna”
Great reaction! If you want to explore more of Madonna's more political/social commentary music videos I'd recommend the "Like a Prayer" official video from 1989 which is a commentary on racism (mostly) and a more recent video on gun violence would be her 2019 song "God Control". Thanks for this reaction and take care.
This was so fun seeing the two of them put meaning to this song so far removed from the release date. This was right aftre 911 and during the War on Terror.
@@BruceandCarla Americans saw the photos from Abu Ghraib prison (US soldiers torturing Muslim prisoners and putting them in poses and laughing) … just a year after the video came out. Half of America shrugged. It would be no different today.
HOLLYWOOD is a beautiful pop/dance Madonna video and incredible to react In the album, 1st comes AMERICAN LIFE you guys reacted, then HOLLYWOOD She criticizes HOLLYWOOD...it would be awesome to see you guys reacting to it 🎉
Hey, thanks a ton! Madonna is a true legend, and I'm stoked you liked the reaction. You bet, more of her fantastic songs coming your way. Keep the vibes going! 🌟🎶 #Madonna #MusicMagic #StayTuned
I think she meant to comment on how US fights wars in other countries and haven’t had one their own territory. These wars are fought ‘for the greater good’ , which is just a perspective on which side you’re fighting. It’s only natural that Americans will see these wars as justified, by some glorified, even more so because many soldiers don’t return. I think Madonna is showing how she views this abstract idea of war, that she thinks Americans have, by making it a fashion show. On the other side she shows the aweful reality of what this ‘American Dream’ does to the people in those countries
You nailed it! Madonna's 'American Life' cleverly contrasts the glamorized perception of war with its harsh realities, reflecting on the complexities of the 'American Dream.' It's a thought-provoking commentary that hits home. Thank you for your thoughts.
One thing to remember is that Madonna had just gotten involved in what was going on in Malawi around this time (she would go on to launch her Malawain charity a few years later.) People in the press were of course saying that she didn't really care and was using the situation there for press, which is a really disgusting thing to say about a human being who is speaking out about her own privilege and desperately trying to use that privilege to make life better for others. The "American Life" album was a response to those accusations in many ways, as well as the rejection of materialism and the fallacy of American life being perfect and something to aspire to. The song "Mother and Father" is, in my humblest of opinions, one of her masterpieces. Most people understand that Madonna chased fame and fortune primarily after her losing her mother to cancer when she was a child. That song is all about realizing that you can't go through your life trying to find substitutes for grief, trauma and pain. There's no music video for it but you should definitely check it out.
Absolutely spot-on. Madonna's involvement in Malawi and her charity work reflects a genuine commitment to using her privilege for positive change. It's disheartening when media spins it differently. We will be checking out "Mother and Father" eventually. Thanks for the suggestion.
She’s talking about wars and shallow people not about trans people but you only catch the boy girl thing transphobic for sure but Madonna is so open minded and free spirit we love her forever ❤
She also adopted four kids from Malawi in Africa after this. She wasn’t happy with the activities and messages being sent in American in the 80s. She also lived in London for a while with her previous husband.
I love this reaction. Madonna always expressed how are videos , and videos are like canvas for the audience to interpret. Everything Madonna does its artistic .
American Life is, for me, Madonna's best album in terms of its bold mix of instrumentals and lyrics. Mixing Folk (melancholic) with an EDM that was not fully used in 2002/2003 and that encouraged other artists to mix. I believe that Kesha or Lady Gaga and even Britney's Blackout have influences on Madonna's album. It is pure philosophy and poetry. Madonna uses Dialectic and Materialism in the lyrics and rhythms, mixing dualities such as light and shadow, exposing the contradictions and trying to deal with them. It's an album that sounds much more intimate, transparent and confessional than any previous or subsequent one. Madonna won me over at that time because if there's one thing I love, it's EDM and Philosophy/Critical Science. She did something that no one would have imagined would be done: an American criticizing the dominant ideology of his own country and system. Hollywood is not as explicit as the song of the same name, but it is surprising precisely because it leaves the mystery in the air regarding the reality behind the scenes. Nothing Fails is an ode to what love means (respect, gratitude, bonding, security, etc.). Mother and Father outlines sad lyrics about her life in childhood and adolescence through ballad synthesizers. Die Another Day is a thinking consciousness that seeks to survive after every awakening Madonna launches several phrases that reference authors and themes from philosophy and science. Bold phrases. Madonna embodies the proletarianized worker who tries to subsist in the system. No artist of Madonna's level and position would dare to leave her comfort zone, take such a risk on society (and that part of it already hates her) and produce another album so outside of the Matrix. And she paid the price like she paid with Erotica. This album deserved a Grammy and deserves to be recognized among the best of the best for its courage and consistency in quality and concept. In pop, for me, it's an academic manual on how to be honestly great in techniques. But it's that thing, it requires talent and love for what you do. Unfortunately, few people have the sensitivity, perception, imagination, intelligence, knowledge, experience and wisdom to be able to taste and feel all the complexity and depth of this album. It is necessary to understand the political and social context from 2001 to 2003 to further understand the album and recognize Madonna's greatness.
I remember when this came out. People were pissed. Hated that she pulled it last minute but the damage was already done. America was at war and they were not happy with her stance. This is also a commentary on how the consumerist economy of the US (drinking a soy latte/I get a double shotte) is what also drives instability in other countries. You also didn't watch the REAL version where a look alike of George W. Bush grabs the grenade and it's actually a lighter that he uses to light a cigar and shares it with Saddam Hussien look alike. Madonna has never shied away from speaking her truth and she's punished for it. I wish more artists were like this today but they're all 'safe' and worried about getting cancelled. I loved Carla's reaction at the end. 'Oh, my God!' is right!
Madonna has a song called God Control from her 2019 album Madame X and the music video has the same director as American Life. The video has an important message about gun control and was very controversial too.
Nice, I didn't know that! Madonna always brings a lot to the table. I'll make sure to check out 'God Control' and see what the buzz is about. It's cool that she's tackling important stuff like gun control. Thanks for the heads up!
Like a prayer and so many more video's where Madonna had strong and important messages. Madonna is all about expressing herself and being controversial, because no one did it like that, even in the '80's!
8:53 , yes, a lot of Madonna's work have to be taken in the context of the time, otherwise a lot of meaning will be lost as a lot of people still have the perspective that she shock and outrage people to get attention.
@PungiFungi Yeah, totally get what you mean! Madonna's stuff is like a time capsule - you gotta remember what was happening back then to really get it. People might think she was just trying to shock everyone, but there's usually more to it. It's like a snapshot of the times.
Notice how the audience is laughing the entire time but once the grenade is thrown at them, they gasp. They're entertained by it but once it's thrown at them is when they're horrified. Someone in another video mentioned this and it added a whole other layer.
This was in 2003 and she was protesting George W Bush’s war in Iraq (after the start of the Afghanistan war). The ending of the video showed a GW Bush lookalike sitting near the runway, pick up the grenade who flipped it open to reveal a lighter and he lit up a cigar with it in a celebratory demeanor. It turned out her criticism of those wars maybe ill-timed but the results of those wars in the over 20 years since: trillions of US taxpayers money spent, thousands of US/NATO military, civilians killed/wounded, destruction, suffering-Shia Muslims took over power in Iraq which is now leaning towards Shia Iran; the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan-the whole region remains unstable.
The video wasn’t made to bring attention to herself rather the way she was feeling and continues to feel, ever wondered why president Bush and Trump supporters dislike her so much, she’s very anti war and more about peaceful resolution. You should also react to Like A Prayer, Express Yourself, Vogue, Justify My Love, Erotica, Human Nature, Nothing Really Matters, Music, Don’t Tell Me, Bedtime Story, Bitch I’m Madonna, God Control, there’s so many great videos, some with great messages. Maybe choose something more vocal based, Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Frozen, I Want You, Sooner or Later Live.
Madonna's videos are like her personal diary, expressing how she feels about things. You've nailed it - she's all about peace, not war. No wonder some folks in politics don't vibe with her. Real talk, right? 🕊️🎶
There is still a alternate ending to the video. The grenade she throws at the end was caught by a George Bush look alike and then used the grenade to light his cigar.
Ah, got it! Sounds like Madonna never shies away from speaking her mind. The "American Life" video taking on the Iraq war is a gutsy move, and that seems to be her style - always unapologetic and true to herself.
@@BruceandCarla yes the video was banned and so cut that in the end all you saw was Madonna singing and only flags of different countries flashing behind her that’s it that’s the only version played on MTV 🤷🏽♂️
Yes, this is Madonna shows us how we get involved in this “system dope” called politics-war-economy etc… the system keeps us watching this kind of horrors, but telling us this is “good for us”…
I think there were 4 versions of this video. The one you watched. One with a George W Bush look-a-like kissing Saddam Hussein look-a-like at the end. One with the grenade turning into a lighter and George W Bush lighting a cigar with it. And the tame one of Madonna in front of flags the whole way through.
@@BruceandCarla I mean the cut in your video at 5:50. The frame from “Sophia Loreen” to the frame from Madonna at the end of the rap part. A bit strange that some reactors manage to upload videos without copyright problems and others not?!🤨🤷🏻♂
American Life is one of the main manifestos in the history of pop music, and YOU are just now learning about it?! 😲Apparently, you don’t know anything except Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.....)) You don't even know that because of this song and this video, Madonna was banned in the USA. This is such a “democratic” country you have)
Awful. Her worst album besides MX. The only really good track on AL is Easy Ride..a great song. Everything else is bad. Nobody Knows Me is okay... but this should never be a starting point for anyone looking to get into Madonna and explore her legacy. American Life, the song, is a mess. That being said, she still looks like herself here. Now, though....lolol 🤦♂️