VMAs 2018: Madonna Just Talks About Self In Aretha Franklin Tribute

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When Aretha Franklin passed away last week, Twitter was filled with appreciation of two divas — one for the legendary Aretha Franklin, and one for the sixtieth birthday of Madonna, whose big day incidentally coincided with this dark one.. It was an odd happenstance, and to an ungenerous soul it may have looked like as if Madonna was stealing a legend’s thunder. This was worsened when Madonna, at the VMA’s last night, approached the stage in a scene stealing outfit and essentially made the Aretha Franklin tribute all about… herself.

All clips by the way, courtesy of Vulture.

Aretha Franklin has touched countless lives, and her influence on both American culture and music all over the world is unprecedented. However, Madonna had mainly one story to tell: how Madonna used an Aretha Franklin song to audition for a French discotheque. (For the record the song was “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”).

One line gets quoted in particular to showcase the unique narcissism of Madonna’s ‘tribute’, as Madonna describes what was going through her head when going to her audition:

“Why not? The worst that could happen is, I can go back to getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crackhouse.”

That is indeed a bad situation. As was Aretha Franklin’s incredibly tumultuous and difficult childhood which included the death of her mother and more. But enough about that. Why would we ever discuss the life of Aretha Franklin in an Aretha Franklin tribute!? Ridiculous!

Madonna continued her tribute talking about the bravery that it takes to sing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman — mainly her own, as she ended her account of how brave she was for being a skinny white girl doing a song by one of the greatest souls singers by saying “Bitch, I’m Madonna.”

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Except… also she didn’t say it because “she wasn’t Madonna yet”. Alright. ALL RIGHT. Then Madonna went into her rejection which is… Madonna, you won life’s lottery all things considered. Just memorialize the legendary and the dead, and let’s go!

Also, Twitter made fun of her outfit which would be a very nice one if it wasn’t meant to memorialize a dead legend.

Oh, whatever. The best tribute to Aretha Franklin is just listening to her music. Here’s some now! Let’s check it out!

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What do you think of Madonna;s tribute? Should she have said her own name more? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.

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