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She’s sold well over 100 million albums around the world, done TV and film work, and launched her own line of clothing. Her career has spanned more than 4 decades and she’s won multiple ASCAP Awards, Golden Globes, and Grammys.
But Madonna still can’t seem to capture satisfaction or self-respect….
In 1991, when Madonna was in the heyday of her cultural significance, she gave a now-famous interview with Vanity Fair. Across the many pages and glossy pictures of the magazine, the Queen of Pop bared her soul – and inner demons – to thousands and thousands of readers. Her words were both sobering and grim:
I have so many [regrets]…and I have none. I wish I hadn’t done a lot of things, but, on the other hand, if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be here. But, then again, nobody works the way I work. I have an iron will. And all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling of inadequacy. I’m always struggling with that fear. I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being and then I get to another stage and think I’m mediocre and uninteresting. And I find a way to get myself out of that. Again and again. My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing me, pushing me. Because even though I’ve become Somebody. I still have to prove that Somebody. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.
Madonna tried to capture wealth, fame, and influence by working long hours, making huge sacrifices, and even compromising her character and values. She was willing to do anything to be Somebody and avoid mediocrity. But that lifestyle took its toll on the singer.
To folks like Madonna, Jesus says:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Resource’s Origin:
Lynn Hirshberg. “The Misfit.” Vanity Fair, April 1991, Page 167.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Celebrities
Compromise
Culture
Fame
Fear
Influence
Mediocrity
Regret
Satisfaction
Self-Image
Success
Wealth
Will Power
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
