A Response to FOX News Writer Roger Friedman's Is Madonna Being Sabotaged?

June 25, 2008

Maybe Mr. Friedman recently caught reruns of the Glenn Close Fatal Attraction movie, Lindsay Lohan's Mean Girls, or a late night showing of Sissy Spacek in Carrie on AMC.

In his June 25, 2008 column Is Madonna Being Sabotaged?, Roger Friedman argues that Warner Brothers, Madonna's record label, is involved in some kind of backroom deal to torpedo and sink Madona's latest and next-to-last album for Warner Brothers, "Hard Candy," and, he seems to posit, it's all because they take her exit, her rejection, quite personally. Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a record company scorned.

I do not believe that Mr. Friedman has stopped to consider that Warner Brothers is a business, and like all businesses, is interested in making profits. It would make no sense for Warner Brothers to sabotage "Hard Candy," because by doing so, they would be "sabotaging" themselves.

When one recalls that Warner Brothers also has a Madonna greatest hits package to be released at some point in the future, why would they wish to diminish or tarnish Madonna's reputation or celebrity, since that could possibly lower sales of the next album?

The more Hard Candy units and the more greatest hits units sold, the more money goes to Warner Brothers.

Regardless of how individual employees within Warner Brothers may feel about Madonna or Madonna's departure for Live Nation, it remains that they still work for a business that is concerned with remaining viable and in the black. I don't think they are into petty little grudge matches.

The way Friedman portrays Warner Brothers, however, one would think that this huge corporate entity is nothing more than a teenage girl throwing a juvenile hissy fit over being dumped by her pimply-faced boyfriend.

If that were true, one would think that the folks at Warner Brothers would have gone all out, full stop, and ordered their graphic designers to paint mustaches and the word "slut" in huge text on Madonna's Hard Candy album cover image.

Madonna's decline in the United States is not due to lack of marketing on Warner Brother's part.

I have known for years now, and have stated in posts to the Anti Madonna discussion board long before Madonna released Hard Candy, that she's "over" in the United States.

I have often times reminded those at the anti Madonna discussion board, that "washed up" or marginal American celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Jerry Lewis, and David Hasselhoff, have often been embraced by Europeans and the Japanese when their star fades at home. Madonna fits that pattern as well.

While her albums tend to sell a little bit better overseas, they no longer do so well among Americans.

Various Madonna fan sites have made note that large billboards and other promotional items featuring the Sticky and Sweet Tour / Hard Candy photos have appeared in cities around the world, including this billboard in Houston, Texas.

Tell me, Mr. Friedman, who do you suppose paid for that billboard? My guess would be Warner Brothers. Even if Live Nation is behind it, the point is that she and her tour and her new album are receiving ample attention.

Madonna's problems actually began before the release of Hard Candy: try her previous album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, which was not successful in the U.S.A., either.

American radio stations would not play songs from Confessions because, said the disc jockeys and program directors, younger folks didn't want to listen to disco music by a 48 year old woman in leotards (need proof, citations, or more information on those claims? Then please, click here).

Going back even earlier, Madonna's 2003 release, American Life, also did not fare well in the States. Am I to believe that a lack of marketing by Warner Brothers was the reasons for those lackluster sales too?

As a matter of fact, as noted at the Anti Madonna Discussion board, Warner Brothers spent a lot of money promoting Madonna's Confessions album, and it was also somewhat of a flop within the USA.

CONFESSIONS MARKETING:

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

March 2006

After the comparative failure of her 2003 album American Life, millions were spent promoting Madonna's latest album, Confessions on a Dancefloor, last November. Despite this, it has sold only 1.3 million copies in the US, less than a third of the sales of her 2000 album Music, released before she moved to Britain.

Media blitz to usher in Madonna's 'Confessions'

October 2005

by Rob Evans
liveDaily Editor

The promotional machine is already humming for the Nov. 15 release of "Confessions on a Dance Floor," Madonna (music)'s new album.

A clip of "Hung Up," the album's debut single, has emerged as a ring tone sold through Virgin Mobile, MTV.com and VH1.com, and the song is also featured in an advertisement for the new Motorola/iTunes cellphone.

The full "Hung Up" single is set for release on Oct. 17, according to Warner Bros. Records, and Madonna is also scheduled to make her first TV appearance in support of the album on that date, when she visits MTV's "TRL" to introduce the song's music video.

MTV will debut the new Madonna documentary "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret" on Oct. 21, and other airings are planned for MTV sister networks VH1 and Logo. According to a press release, "'Secret' tells the story of the artist's journey on and offstage during her recent 'Re-Invention' Tour and shows an artist at the peak of her creative powers while she balances the joys of work, family, friends and her spiritual journey."

Madonna's label is billing "Confessions on a Dancefloor" as a return to her club roots, and the artist said in a press release that the album is "about having a good time straight through and non-stop. I want people to jump out of their seats." Madonna recorded the album, which she co-produced and co-wrote with Stuart Price, earlier this year in London. Price served as the musical director on Madonna's 2001 "Drowned World" and 2003 "Re-Invention" tours.

"This is music that just comes naturally to her," Price said in a press release. "The songs flowed very quickly. Madonna was interested in capturing the moment because, when all is said and done, it's that instinctive joy of rhythm and movement that comes across best on the dance floor."

According to Warner Bros., all of the tracks on "Confessions on a Dancefloor" seamlessly flow together "in a classic dance club format."

From fan site Madonna Tribe:

October 2005

Another article about the innovative campaign created by Warner Music France and France Telecom to promote Madonna's new album is featured today on the economics pages of daily newspaper Les Echos.

...."Madonna doesn't need marketing communication - she is communication herself", Paul-René Albertin, PDG of Warner International tells the newspaper. "She is the most mediatised and media-friendly artist in the world"

From Madonna Tribe:

MTV Networks MusicLogo Group's television, online, broadband and wireless platforms will be the exclusive outlets to preview all things Madonna celebrating her eagerly awaited new album, Confessions On A Dance Floor.

Madonna's very first appearance in support of the new album is scheduled on MTV's "Total Request Live" Monday, October 17th, offering fans a first-listen to the hotly anticipated single "Hung Up" simultaneous to the single's release at radio....

From Madonna Tribe:

Get into the groove - the newest addition to the iPod family is expected to be a pink nano loaded with all of Madonna's hits.

Apple plans to unveil the new vanity version of its razor-thin music player today in San Jose, Calif., according to industry insiders.

The pink music player would be the first artist-backed iPod since U2 lent its name and music to a jet-black special edition last year.

From Madonna Tribe:

Madonna's marketing team is going all out with fun promotions for the new album.
A new telephone line has been activated for the US and Canada.
Ring 1-888-2-2663377 (it spells CONFESS) and hear Madonna and leave a confession!

From Madonna Tribe:

October 2005

'Street Promotion' For Confessions.

LIVE IN NEW YORK

Today is Madonna Day, expecially in New York City. A lot of flyers with the 1 888 2 Confess number are being given away these hours in Soho, New York City. Plus a lot of posters all over the walls and the street. People passing the flyers around, are dressed with black t-shirts that said 1 800 2 confess on the back and Madonna in front.

See Also:

TRL to Support Confessions Album; TRL To Air Video from Confessions; NRJ to Promote Confessions

Further, it is not as though Madonna's Hard Candy album had not received large amounts of marketing.

Whether or not Warner Brothers is behind these following stunts, I do not know, but if Madonna's Hard Candy has failed, goodness knows it's not due to lack of marketing:

HARD CANDY MARKETING:

Madonna lets Unilever market her music

March 14, 2008 11:00pm

MADONNA will be in everyone's face next week when Unilever unveils its new Sunsilk campaign featuring the material girl's new song.

....The deal will catapault the Material Girl on to television screens and billboards everywhere around the world next week, to soften up the market for her new album, Hard Candy, when it is released on April 29

For Madonna Fans, the Wait Is Worth It

May 2008

....There is something almost quaint about an overnight line for concert tickets in an era of Internet pre-sales and ordering by text message.

But Madonna’s show, to promote her new album, “Hard Candy,” was also part of a technologically sophisticated, 21st-century product rollout that involved multiple media tie-ins. It was broadcast live on the Internet by MSN and on cell phones worldwide by Verizon and Vodafone.

In addition to the 750 spots given to fans on the line — that’s on a line, not online — about 1,000 were given to radio contest winners, and 200 to members of Madonna’s fan club, which now has a social-networking component.

Smart List - LA Times

April 2008

Pop culture talking points for the week of April 27.
By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

You will talk about: Madonna. Uh, oh folks! Early buzz on Madonna’s album is less than awesome.

A Madonna-loving co-worker says he hears only three jams on “Hard Candy” due out this week, and he is of firm opinion that it takes at least five jams for a record to be considered a hit.

Madonna does seem to be working overtime marketing this one — that weird, sort of depressing video message to Perez Hilton? Not a good look.

C'mon Mr. Friedman, get back to criticizing Madonna.

Since the 1980s, Madonna has had more than enough media sycophants defend her (or more accurately, make excuses for her indefensible behavior and her waning popularity and sales) and she certainly does not need one more.