It’s difficult to put into context for those who weren’t there just how big of a star David Letterman was in March of 1994. He had just left NBC nine months earlier—where he’d reigned tall at 12:30 AM for 11 years—to move up to 11:30 PM at CBS as host of The Late Show. This […]
It’s difficult to put into context for those who weren’t there just how big of a star David Letterman was in March of 1994. He had just left NBC nine months earlier—where he’d reigned tall at 12:30 AM for 11 years—to move up to 11:30 PM at CBS as host of The Late Show. This was a franchise created especially for him, and it made him the highest paid host in late-night history. . . .
The mere notion of Madonna going on any talk show was rare. She didn’t need the publicity. The relentless tabloids took care of that for her. Nor did she have anything to promote. Someone of her magnitude would seldom go on without a reason. But on March 31st, 1994, she did it anyway. She went on David Letterman’s Late Show for her first visit with the host in 6 years. Everybody would be tuning in no matter what. But what we got was something so bizarre that we cannot help but marvel that it was ever really a thing 30 years later.
I’ve never heard of this. It’s funny, though, how 1994 doesn’t seem that long ago, and yet so much has changed in the intervening years. I haven’t watched the clip yet, but I suspect none of it would even make news outside of the tabloids today, as part of their regular recaps.
Bro, just put things in context. We're talking about something that happened 30 yeats ago. 30! When I was a kid in the late 80s,, 30 years earlier was the 50s. Completely different times.
So yeah, what she did back then can be qualified as edgy, and like it or not, she (and other women) did a lot that was going against the norms back then, and that was okay. Actually, not only okay. It was awesome!
Though I agree with you about her nowadays. I always admired her when I was younger, but now I'm like "Alright, Madonna, it's time to act your age." But then, she wouldn't be Madonna, I guess.
I was a senior in high school when this happened. I didn't find her edgy then, nor do I now. She was a poseur to a kid listening to bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Fugazi. Her antics felt contrived after seeing acts like Butthole Surfers or Ween (ween is doing a 40th anniversary tour, BTW. Just scored tickets last night).
Maybe to the mainstream this behavior was "whoa," to most short-haired middle-aged adults back then, but 17 year old me rolled his eyes so hard that they fell out thrle back. Conversely, I was a massive Letterman fan. I thought that dude was a riot for some reason.