leave madonna alone

So what's this I hear today? I get a phone call sometime before 9 AM telling me that Madonna is getting a divorce. I'm not even out of my work uniform yet at this point, I'm still coking breakfast, and someone's telling me about someone else's marriage falling apart. And if I'm not mistaken there's this underlying tone of glee to the whole thing, almost the same as when someone else got hold of a new Madonna album and was sharing their thoughts on that.

I suppose it's my turn to comment, since the media have gone mad with this today. I'm afraid to turn on my MSN messenger because I'm sure to hear nore about it.

Leave Madonna alone. Can nobody see understand that her almost-eight year marraige to Guy Richie is not one of her products that can be reviewed and mulled over in the press? Who the hell is anyone to comment about anyone's marriage these days when the normal people of the world are either stuck in bad relationships or divorcing on a whim because they didn't think the whole thing through? A celebrity suffers a marital breakup like the rest of us and a ragged cheer goes up amongst the plebecite "Yay now they can hurt like everyone else!".

Heartache is a universal leveller. So Madonna's experiencing some right now, and I know it's never been the fashion to do so anyway, but there's not been much in the way of sympathy in the media. The press itself will dine on the carcass of her marriage and eventually start to tell us how she looks like shit from the stress, but the people - oh, the people - are already expressing their views of her marriage (as if they were privy to some special inside scoop on what goes on - they're just regurgitating the headlines) and they're not being nice. I've heard some say she deserved it (why?) and others who commented on how Guy Richie is jealous of her fame (where'd they get that little tidbit?) and still more who said Madonna henpecked her husband (when? were you there?). I remember back when she hurt herself falling off that horse there were just as many people saying she deserved that as well; aren't people just so caring and loving?

So here's my take, because I suppose I can speak too.

Madonna's marriage deserves about as much public comment and speculation as your last breakup or divorce did. Yeah that's right. Remember how much it hurt? Now imagine knowing that everyone knew about it and was talking about it. Your reaction was probably to tell everyone to mind their own business. So why not mind yours.

Shut the fuck up about Madonna's divorce. Look after your own relationships.

That is all.