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CNN Saturday Morning News
Madonna Promotes New Album
Aired April 26, 2003 - 07:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So you like Madonna, don't you?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, I'm a fan. Sure.
COOPER: Yes, OK.
So I don't need to tell you, Madonna arrived in Manhattan this week to promote herself and her new album, "American Life." She was besieged by fans. Now, I'm told that Kelli Arena waited -- CNN's Kelli Arena waited six hours to see her but left before she arrived. But Kelli's Washington producer stuck it out and he managed to see his idol. I think we have a clip of Kelli Arena's producer. Just take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the most amazing experience of my life. I touched the hand of god. No, really. It was worth, I would wait 800 more years outside in the freezing cold, in the snow and the rain and the sleet. It was all worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There you have it.
ARENA: Before he kills me, that was not my producer, Kevin. It was not.
COOPER: Kelli Arena's Washington producer. Residential experts predict Madonna fans are going to buy about a quarter million copies of her new CD. I'm sure you'll buy a couple copies for your kids.
ARENA: At least five.
COOPER: Oh, yes, absolutely.
More Madonna news, though. Madonna had shot a video for the title song, "American Life," but decided not to release the video because it might spark too much controversy. Oh, how the...
ARENA: Oh, shocking.
COOPER: I know. Oh, how the Material Girl has changed. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Once upon a time, when Madonna released a new album, she'd also unleash a new controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: Like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So what happened? Her new CD, "American Life," was just released, but the controversial video wasn't.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: You know (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I got a lawyer and a manager...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Here's a peek at what you won't see on MTV, a militaristic Madonna camping it up on a camouflage car, singing against a backdrop of an American flag.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: I'm not a Christian and I'm not a Jew. I'm just...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Madonna says the video's message was anti-war, but with the war under way, the fear was it would be interpreted as anti- American. So a new video was created, the same Madonna singing, but not in front of an American flag. Gone, too, the camouflage and the groping and grinding. The message, whatever it is, is now muted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: American life...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American life.
MADONNA: I live the American dream.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So what does the new mild Madonna have to say about all this?
MADONNA: Just being provocative for the sake of being provocative doesn't really interest me right now.
COOPER: What? Wait a minute. Did she just say what I thought she said? MADONNA: Just being provocative for the sake of being provocative doesn't really interest me right now. I'm not actually interested in the hype that's surrounding the video.
COOPER: Not interested in hype? Hype was once Madonna's greatest hope. It was her business plan. The more she infuriated...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "LIKE A PRAYER")
MADONNA: And it feels like home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The more money she made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) put your hands all over my body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: And the more CDs she sold, some 140 million albums in 20 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADONNA: Thanks to everyone watching out there tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So why is Madonna now pulling her punches? Perhaps it's because she's seen what's happened to other singers who haven't. Remember Sinead O'Connor? Come on, think hard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "NOTHING COMPARES 2 U")
SINEAD O'CONNOR: Nothing compares 2 U.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: She hasn't done much since tearing up a picture of the pope on "Saturday Night Live."
O'CONNOR: Fight the real enemy.
COOPER: And look at what happened to the Dixie Chicks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM DIXIE CHICKS VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chalk it up to bitter luck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: They tumbled in the charts after criticizing President Bush during a concert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM DIXIE CHICKS VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It should all add up...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So maybe Madonna's latest move is simply smart business. Or maybe a sign of maturity.
MADONNA: Oh my god.
COOPER: After all, it was 1983 when she first flipped onto the pop scene...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "PAPA DON'T PREACH")
MADONNA: Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: It's now 2003. She's married, a mother, for Pete's sake. She can't be crawling around in an old wedding dress, now, can she?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LIKE A VIRGIN")
MADONNA: Like a virgin, touched for the very first time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There's no telling how long this new, milder Madonna will last. A new metamorphosis may be just another album away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: Knew I had to change my name.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: But for now it seems Madonna has figured out a truly unique way to create controversy, by not creating controversy at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, Madonna, who's spent most of her life amassing wealth and fame, says Americans are obsessed with being rich and good looking and insists, "The only thing that's going to bring you happiness is love." And maybe buying her album.
All right, she didn't say the buying your album part but...
ARENA: Words of wisdom.
COOPER: Yes, exactly. Words of wisdom, as always.
ARENA: On Madonna to leave you with.
COOPER: From Madonna we would expect nothing less.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 26, 2003 - 07:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So you like Madonna, don't you?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, I'm a fan. Sure.
COOPER: Yes, OK.
So I don't need to tell you, Madonna arrived in Manhattan this week to promote herself and her new album, "American Life." She was besieged by fans. Now, I'm told that Kelli Arena waited -- CNN's Kelli Arena waited six hours to see her but left before she arrived. But Kelli's Washington producer stuck it out and he managed to see his idol. I think we have a clip of Kelli Arena's producer. Just take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the most amazing experience of my life. I touched the hand of god. No, really. It was worth, I would wait 800 more years outside in the freezing cold, in the snow and the rain and the sleet. It was all worth it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There you have it.
ARENA: Before he kills me, that was not my producer, Kevin. It was not.
COOPER: Kelli Arena's Washington producer. Residential experts predict Madonna fans are going to buy about a quarter million copies of her new CD. I'm sure you'll buy a couple copies for your kids.
ARENA: At least five.
COOPER: Oh, yes, absolutely.
More Madonna news, though. Madonna had shot a video for the title song, "American Life," but decided not to release the video because it might spark too much controversy. Oh, how the...
ARENA: Oh, shocking.
COOPER: I know. Oh, how the Material Girl has changed. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER (voice-over): Once upon a time, when Madonna released a new album, she'd also unleash a new controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: Like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So what happened? Her new CD, "American Life," was just released, but the controversial video wasn't.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: You know (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I got a lawyer and a manager...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Here's a peek at what you won't see on MTV, a militaristic Madonna camping it up on a camouflage car, singing against a backdrop of an American flag.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: I'm not a Christian and I'm not a Jew. I'm just...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Madonna says the video's message was anti-war, but with the war under way, the fear was it would be interpreted as anti- American. So a new video was created, the same Madonna singing, but not in front of an American flag. Gone, too, the camouflage and the groping and grinding. The message, whatever it is, is now muted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "AMERICAN LIFE")
MADONNA: American life...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American life.
MADONNA: I live the American dream.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So what does the new mild Madonna have to say about all this?
MADONNA: Just being provocative for the sake of being provocative doesn't really interest me right now.
COOPER: What? Wait a minute. Did she just say what I thought she said? MADONNA: Just being provocative for the sake of being provocative doesn't really interest me right now. I'm not actually interested in the hype that's surrounding the video.
COOPER: Not interested in hype? Hype was once Madonna's greatest hope. It was her business plan. The more she infuriated...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "LIKE A PRAYER")
MADONNA: And it feels like home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The more money she made.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) put your hands all over my body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: And the more CDs she sold, some 140 million albums in 20 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADONNA: Thanks to everyone watching out there tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So why is Madonna now pulling her punches? Perhaps it's because she's seen what's happened to other singers who haven't. Remember Sinead O'Connor? Come on, think hard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM VIDEO "NOTHING COMPARES 2 U")
SINEAD O'CONNOR: Nothing compares 2 U.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: She hasn't done much since tearing up a picture of the pope on "Saturday Night Live."
O'CONNOR: Fight the real enemy.
COOPER: And look at what happened to the Dixie Chicks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM DIXIE CHICKS VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chalk it up to bitter luck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: They tumbled in the charts after criticizing President Bush during a concert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM DIXIE CHICKS VIDEO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It should all add up...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So maybe Madonna's latest move is simply smart business. Or maybe a sign of maturity.
MADONNA: Oh my god.
COOPER: After all, it was 1983 when she first flipped onto the pop scene...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "PAPA DON'T PREACH")
MADONNA: Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: It's now 2003. She's married, a mother, for Pete's sake. She can't be crawling around in an old wedding dress, now, can she?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "LIKE A VIRGIN")
MADONNA: Like a virgin, touched for the very first time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: There's no telling how long this new, milder Madonna will last. A new metamorphosis may be just another album away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MADONNA VIDEO)
MADONNA: Knew I had to change my name.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: But for now it seems Madonna has figured out a truly unique way to create controversy, by not creating controversy at all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, Madonna, who's spent most of her life amassing wealth and fame, says Americans are obsessed with being rich and good looking and insists, "The only thing that's going to bring you happiness is love." And maybe buying her album.
All right, she didn't say the buying your album part but...
ARENA: Words of wisdom.
COOPER: Yes, exactly. Words of wisdom, as always.
ARENA: On Madonna to leave you with.
COOPER: From Madonna we would expect nothing less.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
