Madonna Breaks Silence on Gaga ‘Born This Way’ Controversy; ’20/20′ Exclusive Tonight

Pot calling the kettle black.

I don’t care for either one of them. Their lyrics are so shallow. Madonna needs to get off her high horse…YOU’RE NOT BRITISH!! And talk about crude, her attitude toward “common” people is disgusting.

HA! This coming from the woman who was sued over stealing parts of another song for Ray of Light. She should tread lightly. This brat may have been Queen for decades, but in today’s culture, this “above the people” persona doesn’t work anymore. I mean, hello Madonna, you don’t even have a Twitter account to interact with your fans. You don’t think you need to. Gaga doesn’t NEED to tweet or interact with fans anymore, but she does, and that’s what helps her garner so much influence. You could learn a thing or two instead of being so “untouchable.” You seem to only do interviews or interact with your fans when it benefits you directly and you need something (ex: her plea for help for Malawi. It had a fabricated feel to it and wasn’t very successful). Try engaging more, Madge, maybe we’ll love you again.

Madonna has influenced Lady Gaga, but Madonna has copied other’s as well. It was Mae West who wrote, directed, acted, and was arrested for opening a play called “Sex.” Hence title of Madonna Sex book. It was Marilyn who Madonna was influenced by for “Material Girl.” And in 20 years, there will artist influenced by Lady Gaga. It’s just a generational influence. I do not see any similarity with Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” to Madonna’s “Express Yourself.” Madonna in Express Yourself, to me was speaking to women of the 90′s. Lady Gaga is speaking to anyone “who feels less then, or feels their part of the subculture, is attempting to raise their self esteem, and saying it’s ok to be you, because literally, you were born this way.” Madonna never had the Balls to address Gay Rights in a more forward way, as she was more concerned about record sales, and in that time, a song about gays or a subculture society wouldn’t have sold.

Why does Madonna talk with a British accent? She is from a ghetto in Michigan. Another reason for the Brits to laugh at us.

Madonna is the QUEEN, the original. People are already getting tired of Gaga. The monsters are in here FUMING as I knew they would.

Get over it, you all stan for a carbon copy. We love the ORIGINAL.

Madonna is a legend, period! Lady gaga is just some new kid in the industry..

True Meaning:

5. a simplified form, such as an orchestral score arranged for piano

4. a form of an original resulting from a reducing process, such as a copy on a smaller scale

1. the act or process or an instance of reducing
2. the state or condition of being reduced

All these meaning all points to the definition of Plagiarism:
” the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work, as by not crediting the author: It is said that he plagiarized Thoreau’s plagiarism of a line written by Montaigne. Synonyms: appropriation, infringement, piracy, counterfeiting; theft, borrowing, cribbing, passing off”…

so Ms.G ‘passed offed’ Ms. M’s work as her own, without ‘owning up’ to it.

Sue her a$$ Ms. M!

Lady Who?

I don’t care for either of them. They are who they are and if people are “into” either one of them good for them. They are just not the kind of “artists” I care to listen to.

Madonna has copied so many…women (Marilyn Monroe, Mae West), men (Michael Jackson). She has marginal talent and great PR. Where does her superiority come from? Good question.

Madonna is a Bowie rippoff , As if she were ever original….

You would think people would be more alarmed by how Gaga totally lied regarding Madonna’s opinion about the song. Putting words into the Queen of Pop’s mouth for damage control. Tsk tsk tsk.

Simply time to pass the torch. 30 years from now Gaga will be sitting there, possibly with some strange accent, talking about the latest, young singer with a hit song with that familiar beat.

Imitation is the best form of flattery. What is Madonna worried about.

Oh come on people! Madonna was, is and will be the only Queen of Pop! GaGa is pretty talented but we should all admit is kind of a copy of her. I’m 20 and i used to love GaGa but i started listening to Madonna’s discography (from “Madonna” to “Hard Candy”) and i found an obvious similarity which made me change my opinion about GaGa. Some of the comments i’ve read here are sad and stupid like “Why is she talking like a british woman?” WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH 30 YEARS OF SUCCESS AND DOMINATION IN THE WORLD OF POP NOT ONLY IN THE US BUT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD? Face the truth little sad monsters.

Lady Ga Ga should pay Madonna 50 percent royalties. A total rip off.

Also Lady G does great music hooks but can she shorten her songs 50 percent. Way too long.

@Fred: Gaga obviously thinks Madonna has talent since she’s had to emulate her whole career into her act!

@Carole: Does Madonna look or sound worried to you? She is just stating the obvious. She DID compliment Gaga.

@thatwasobvious: really? You sound more like you grew up starting yesterday. Don’t lie, 15 y/o. Madonna said she was flattered. What more do you want. You’ll see just how dried up she is when MDNA sells millions and her tour probably breaks yet another record, which she currently holds.

Anyone with one name MUST be more important than lowly commoners.

Madonna is the queen, always will be. Lady Gag Me is a freak.

I thought Madonna seemed like a jerk and an insufferable snob in this interview. I always thought her music was just ok (fun to dance to) but her acting is downright lousy. After this interview, my opinion of her declined a bit more.

Much of Gaga’s other music doesn’t sound Madonn-ish….so what if a Madonna song inspired one of hers? Really, Gaga has more talent than Madonna anyway (Gaga was writing for OTHER pop stars before she emerged on the scene) so Madge ought to take it as a sincere gesture of respect.

Those who think Gaga has no talent clearly know nothing about her. I’m disappointed in Madonna’s reaction–it’s not the first time she’s insulted Lady Gaga, either. Sad.

As Steve Jobs once quoted “all great artists copy”., that’s true with Madonna, who borrowed influences from all over. However, she is indeed an icon for over 30 years and has every right to critique Gaga as reductive. Gaga is simply Madonna warmed over. For the tweenie/hip hop American Idol loving crowd out there, auto tune music is their world and Gaga is a perfect example of that type of “music”. But for us old enough to grow up with true musicians and performers creating real music, Madonna is an original. Love her or hate her, she set the benchmark for others to emulate.

THE ONLY REASON MADONNA IS IN THE PUBLIC EYE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSING SHE’S RELEASING ANOTHER SONG. OTHERWISE. WHO CARES? SHE’S A HAS BEEN.

Tooooo funny, this article should be re-named Lady and the tramp, seems no one read the article till it talked about something or someone relevant. Leave it to Ma-done-a to ride the coat tails of the younger generation, like when she had to french kiss Britney Spears for attention. Sitting there like some demure proper lady, when all she has ever been known for was being a tramp. How low do you gotta go Madge? Oh wait…. lol Notice no mention of Cher being the original no holds barred diva… you know.. someone who can actually sing.

I think everything is about GENERATIONS, Madonna was the generation, Michael Jackson also was, Lady GaGa is MY GENERATION! She’s my Michael Jackson And Madonna… Nobody Else.

Gaga is finished she is a copy cat

Let me get this straight: First of all Madonna has admitted to paying homage to the past (sitting influences like Debbie Harry at the beginning, old Hollywood (Monroe, Dietrich and Mae West), gay subcultures, House Music, East Culture, Disco etc where as GaGa rips off a living relevant artist and has done it MULTIPLE times and denies it. Express Yourself and Born this Way have the same melody and chord progressions when speed up to the same speed. For those claiming Express Yourself was a copy of the Staples Singers Respect Yourself you need your ears checked…aside from a similar lyric and message they are not alike. BTW and Express Yourself on the other hand are the SAME song. GaGa has also copied Madonna’s looks in her videos and at the Grammy’s and then has the nerve to deny it all last year in a profanity laded rant (in which she had to apologize for using retarded). I like GaGa’s music and think she is talented but Madonna is simply the greatest and most influential female in music history. Not b/c she sold the most or sparked the most controversy but b/c she is an exemplary song writer and entertainer. Without Madonna GaGa wouldn’t even exist. GaGa might technically have a better voice but Mariah Carey has a better voice than John Lennon…does that make her a better artist? Madonna is Madonna…the Queen of Pop while GaGa is a pop star walking on the road Madonna paved for her. Little Monsters open up your ears and get out of attack mode.

Madonna bears an uncanny resemblance to Joan Crawford, lately

Micheal, let me tell you one thing or two about being a celebrity and being a legend. Madonna dosent needs to interact with her fans via twitter like lady gaga does. That thing you see as being above the people and fans is not the case. The right way to see it is that she at this stage in here life has defined her status and in order to keep that she dosent need keep up with certain things. Her fan base is solid whether the little monster question them or not (granted those people are insane and brainwashed). Madonna is a legend in music and icon that has lived in this industry for more than 25 years and has helped shaped the path for women in music just like precious gaga. Gaga needs to learn a lesson from Madonna once she finally establishes herself in music as a solid legend, and is to not give herself away easily to the public. When you do that you stop being seen by other as legendary and more as a mere celebrity.

Let’s just settle this right now.
Madonna is the Queen of Pop.
Always will be.
Gaga had her few minutes, she has peaked already and is on her way out.
She read the Madonna playback and imitated it perfectly.
She should have read the book about overexposure.
Everybody I talk to used to like her (including myself) but are sick of her now.
Take a break Gaga and come back in a couple years..everybody deserves a second chance.
Maybe you will get one.

I don’t know where Cynthia McFadden looked up the word, “reductive” but she found a poor meaning of the word….an easy understanding of the word, “reductive”, especially in the form Madonna used it means….”to change from one form to another”…..it’s very simple, Madonna is saying she feels Lady Gaga took her own song, Express Yourself, and made some changes to it and totally changed the lyrics, and came out with, Born This Way….the two songs do sound a lot alike, from the tempo to the lyrics.
Anyway….I don’t get Madonna’s “high horse” act?!….and what’s with the slight hint of British accent, hasn’t she lost that ridiculous thing yet??….she sounds silly trying to talk like that….I guess Madonna believes everyone in the whole world is glued to her and cannot wait to hear all about her life, WOW, talk about arrogant….her describing how she has NEVER cooked an entire meal before in her life because she has nannies, housekeepers, drivers, her children, blahblahblah do the cooking for her….and she calls herself a mother?!….good mothers take care of their own children, doesn’t matter how much money they have and if they can buy people to care for their kids, they care for their own kids anyway because they want to…and are good, loving mothers….talk about somebody with a narcissistic personality….WOW!!!….tell ya what, I don’t particularly like Lady Gaga or Madonna, used to like Madonna in the 80′s and early 90′s though…but if I HAD to pick, I’d go with Lady Gaga in a heartbeat…because she’s kind, humble, and not arrogant at all….btw Madonna, with all the money you have don’t you think you can fix that horrid gap between your two front teeth now?? YIKES!

The three luckiest women in the world……..Madonna, Gaga and Yoko Ono.

@HMM…I wish I’d seen your enlightened (and accurate!) comment earlier. 1. Watching Madonna in concert today: eww. Watching you watching Madonna in concert today: LOL. 2. I’m 36 years old, born in 1975. So my advice to you is, don’t quit your day job to become a psychic.

i always thought madonna was a kind, and a worthy person, to be called Queen of pop, but after watching this… i an anti-fan.though i never really favored her ,anyway.Lady gaga, is kind-hearted,intelligent,beautiful, and inspiring, unklike Madonna or any other celebrities now days. Madonna has very tough skin, as in, she seems as if though, she is made of metal, and raised by a family starving wolves. When i see Lady gaga perform, whether its an interview, or concert, she doesnt seem to be hiding her feelings, yes, maybe info, and opinions, but not her feelings. She is full of life, i love that. Pop stars, will go on, maybe… as you say “copying” one an other, but thats the art of it. Today, when you think of a Pop star, as you draw this mental picture in your head, you think Kiss or Madonna. Bra or spandex. Highheels or boots. But as one said ^ Madonna needs to get off her high horse. She seemed so snooty, maybe as a result of 30 yrs of Harsh media, and rumors. Plz, Mother monster… dont absorb the poison, known as media, and rumors.
PAWS UP.

15 million Americans out of work, $15 TRILLION of national debt and a Campaigner-in-Chief who hates capitalism. Yeah, this Gaga/Madonna stuff is really important.

It took Madonna 14 years to get her 5th Grammy. Took Gaga just three. 12,000 members of Grammy’s voting academy seem to know their stuff !

Madonna really needs to stop acting British and like she’s better than everyone. Yes Madonna had a couple good songs but Lady Gaga has not yet had a song that I don’t like. Born This Way is one of the most incredible songs ever. Not only by the beat and the music but the message to. Gaga is going to change the world and all Madonna does is look down on it. Gaga is a lot more talented and is the queen of pop.

Honestly I think there both very talented, I don’t see any comparisons with them, they might seem the same at first , but there both uniquely different , why do you people have to be so negative all the time, neither of them are perfect , but they both have worked hard to get were they are right now , I don’t think Madonna was being self righteous , I think she was just answering honestly about how she felt, whether its true or not why does it matter, even if Gaga is copying Madonna, who cares, everyone has copied everyone in music including Madonna , it doesn’t mean that neither of them are talented , I don’t think Madonna took it very seriously anyways, she was smiling , so she was probably just making conversation, not everything needs to be taken so literally.

Madonna is the queen. Lady Gaga is fake all the way.

lady gaga eeeeeew.,..yuck!…………

How is this headline news?….. Two pop divas with Ego’s the size of their record sales who claim to admire each other yet are so cordial about it…. still I can’t help shake the feeling Lady Gag wears those outfits to distract from her face….

I saw the whole interview and cannot figure out why the fuss. She didn’t say that much about anything and she was definitely not insupportive of Lady Gaga and Gaga’s “Born This Way” tune. This is an excellent example of how the media likes to exaggerate in order to gain attention. 

The best part of this interview is Madonna using a word that should be known to anybody who has a bachelors degree from any college (“reductive”). The fact that McFadden and ABC had to “look it up” says it all. Madonna, Who at this point knows her art history and is well read (she has one of the most phenomenal collections of art by the female surrealistists of the 30s including Kahlo), was just trying to raise the intellectual level of the conversation. She simply was trying to get across that Gaga took the idea of ‘To thine own self be true’ and expressed it without the complexity and richness Of all the metaphors Madonna uses but what do you want.. Gaga is a young girl with a pop music vs art background.

This is why Madonna will always be “on top” re such stuff – her work and thought is and has always been much more in the traditional art world than pop and Gaga is and has never been there (it’s not her nature).

Btw, Madonna actually did do a duet with Gaga. They did a song together on Saturday Night Live.

I wish McFadden had asked her about her art collection. Look, Madonna is adverse to interviews because they tend – as this one was – to be shallow. Norman Mailer interviewed her and she liked that so ..it’s not her; it’s you. You should hire me to interview her. She would enjoy that because I have the background she relates to.

Too bad Madonnas from Rochester Hills….the FARTHEST thing from a ghetto. Lady Gaga > Madonna. Why the hell is she trying to make a comeback.

Ugh. I hate to even comment, but Madonna is so fake – I can’t stand it. “reductive” – I wonder how many hours it took for her team to come up with that response. Talk about the Queen of Imitation. The pot calling the kettle black… She’s old, and bitter.

i find this sad
magde borrowed from so many over the course of her career.
gaga is now following suit. as do ALL artists.
chord progressions?…….ha
so thats ALL i need for success?
copy CHORD PROGRESSIONS and someone”s “style”
and i”ll be a success in music!!!
haaaaaaqaa.
oh! oooops!
need TALENT- yeah. well GaGa seems just by volume to have ample amounts of that.
wish madge would have taken the high road here
again
so sad!

LOL at Madonna trying to look smart … HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Just why is it that after all these yrs. that woman is not capable of knowing who she is?? Every time I see this girl, of moderate talent, speaking about anything she continues changing her persona??
This time she is “the grand lady”(in appearance only) but still w/ that same insecurity as always and of course the stupid white trash laugh. She’s gotten rather dramatic with her “OH?” as she swings her fake head. Not bad acting for Madonna but it’s still transparent. I know her problem is is that she’s from the mid-west as I am. We know just how we are. Don’t we, Madonna?
Give it up, just don’t speak except to those who you know personally. Keep it up w/ the media and all you do is to continue to make a fool of yourself.
Madonna, yes:”Even Madonna” give this a think: you don’t “have it”, you know it and you never will have it so just keep your mouth shut. You’d be far better off. One word from your insecure self speaks volumes!!!
Altho if you do decide to just stop faking it (I don’t think it’s a decision you have) just then what will I have to laugh at? You are not capable of being yourself. One has to know oneself in order to be consistent.
I guess a phony, a real true phony is so aware of it that that’s just who they’ve become. You are a real example of that. One good thing, there aren’t too many real phonies.

i grew up with madonna’s fashion’s reviews on tv and boy george and new edition i have had lipsticks like adorable miss temptress ,celebrity the kohls line firt and i have lilac gloss and used to wear a cream pearls and white pearl and black crystal braclet from express and guess to complete my look i don’t have them now but i wear jonas brother earrings and arm bands and red lipstick with jeans to make me look glam

The Pot Calls the Kettle Reductive — Someone should ask the Staples Singers what they think about “Express Yourself” compared to their “Respect Yourself.” Then ask Debbie Harry what she thinks of Madonna as the “Marilyn Monroe of Rock.” Ask Annie Lennox about “Who’s that Girl.” Watch “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from “Some Like it Hot,” then watch “Material Girl.” Watch Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis,” then watch “Express Yourself.” Listen to Barry White, then listen to “Deeper and Deeper.” Listen to Madonna’s lyrics, which freely lift lines from the Jackson Five, the von Trapp Family singers, Barry White, the Beatles, Cole Porter, and the list goes on. Madge is the Queen of Reductiion.

If Gaga did copy, then she didn’t copy from Madonna. She copied from The Staple Singers. With there song, ‘Respect Yourself’. Please, Madonna seems old and dried out, and the reason why she has the ‘highest grossing tour’ is because she’s had more time. Leave that Gaga alone. I have to admit, she has much more talent than Madonna. She can actually belt a decent note unlike most singers. And at least she wrote ‘Born This Way’. Stop comparing someone who is actually musically inclined to someone who, well… just isn’t. Gaga may be a little crazy and very provocative, but in this case, I’m for her.

Lady Gaga will never be able to match Madonna’s 80′s output. Plus Lady Gaga’s style is all dark and disturbing. No comparison who the real diva is.

She has never sung with Tony Bennett- check out his duet CDs- that’s good enough for me.

Madonna = the past, yesterday, aloof, separate from her fans, currently irrelevant, used her gay fans to get popular but did absolutely never stand up for gay rights. Lady Gaga = today, tomorrow, open and genuine, loves and communicates with her fans, consistent and vocal supporter of gay rights and anti-bullying initiatives. I used to love Madonna but no more. Erased all her songs from my iPod. She just seems sad and bitter. Compare any interview with Madonna and Lady Gaga and it’s Gaga who comes across as a class act and truly appreciative of her fans.

I Love Madonna, I like Gaga, but there’s no similarity between “Born This Way” and “Express Yourself”. I don’t hear it at all. Even the meanings behind the songs are different. Madonna is someone I worshiped once upon a time but she’s showing herself to be more and more out of touch with the public. She’s constantly behaving so pretentious and conceited in her interviews and I agree with another comment that says her lack of communication on social media sites is alienating a potentially bigger fan base. People like Billy Joel and Elton John. Thats a big shame because her music does still sound very youthful and with the times. I’ve been a fan of hers for over 20 years and I never thought I would type a negative review about her. She needs a new publicist or manager or SOMEONE to be honest with her and tell her she needs to loosen up or risk losing the few fans she has left….

There is no such thing as being original….

I love Lady Gaga and she IS THE QUEEN OF POP! I mean , Madonna barely had any hit songs and LADY GAGAS BAD ROMANCE< ALEJANDRO < POKER FACE< TELEPHONE THEY R ALL HITSSSSSSSSSS! once thing is copying and another is talent. Lady Gaga has the talent. ADN YES, wat is madonna mad about?she was , gaga is now.