Life with My Sister Madonna
by Christopher Ciccone, Wendy Leigh
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Book Reviews of Life with My Sister Madonna
Book Review: Be Cautious in the Divas You Support....
Summary: 5 Stars
I identified with most every page in this book. I live in Hollywood and have worked with--and been very close to- THREE worldwide famous Divas, and two of those "relationships" ended up disasteroulsy for all of the same reasons mentioned in this book. Even the third Diva, whom I am still close with, has been hurtful to me more times than I can ever count.
The problem starts, when they begin to believe their own publicity. They begin to BELIEVE they are immortal and that the rest of us are "mere mortals." Where 'we' must we must be held accountable for any bad behavior, cruelties, and occasional thoughtlessness, THEY are magically forgiven, thus living by a completely different set of social rules. They feel they are ABOVE the rules in society that the rest of us must follow. Often their egos and demands go far beyond the norm, and that is when their more personal relationships fail. Often....they don't even notice (or care).
How does this happen? It happens because of you. The sychophants that forgive any and all bad things a famous person may say or do, because you can DANCE to their music, or sadly, because you may be an admirer of bitchiness. The person I saw in the vile "Truth or Dare" film is NOT someone I would admire. I saw a shallow, demanding, thoughtless, totally self-centered brat who managed to make every young gay guy aspire to be rich and bitchy, yet DEVOID of any substancial talent. It looks as though things haven't changed much.
TWO of the Divas I mentioned above have a LEGION of gay fans and LET ME TELL YOU, they are not nearly as supportive of YOU, as you are of them. YOU PAY THEIR BILLS and keep their names in the papers! I am dying to reveal their names, but I won't. The gay community is easily used. Indeed Madonna is gay friendly. But why then, does she let her current husband chronically say homophobic remarks and not defend her obvious supporters? Or even her own brother! BELIEVE ME---gay guys will defend Madonna TO THE DEATH (I have been witness to it!) but she will not do the same for them. This needs to be exploited and I am happy that aspect is included in this book.
As of 2008, we live in a very celebrity obsessed culture. It gets a little dangerous when we begin to think of them as Gods and Godesses and imortals and p*ss on those who are not "famous." This book shows you the REAL Madonna, as a human being, one on one. If she were at all talented (which in her case is EXTREMELY arguable) one might be able to back her up to some degree. But as it is--she was always bratty--always got what she wanted by whatever means possible, often at other's expense--thus leaning on very, very limited talent. Now before these young queens bash me and continue to aspire to be brats, bitchy, and rich with limited talent--consider this: Madonna is a HETEROSEXUAL FEMALE, in a HETEROSEXUAL MALE dominated world. She can get away with this for obvious reasons. Can a gay man get the same results? NOT BY A LONG SHOT. Not a chance. Hell...a gay man can hardly aspire to that pathetic Tila Tequila's level of fame, much less Madonnas! Madonna has never been an outsider (as you will read) rarely had hard times (the dropp-off in Times Square with no money and a pair of ballet slippers is nonsense), and certainly never faced murderous discrimination. In fact, she even MADE UP most of her hard times so you could "idenify" with her on SOME level! So this complete and total adoration and TOTAL forgiveness of any and all of her bad behavior is unfathomable to many. It's got to stop, and I hope this book is the beginning of that. These bitches need to THANK those "little people" who helped get them to where they are today.
"But why write it in a BOOK!?" you ask. Because with the public AT LARGE reading it--is the only way to get her attention apparently. That is all she appears to care about. I know only too well, the irrationality, the petulance, and the way these kind of ladies can make themselves impossible to contact to work out problems with, privately.
Book Review: Or, how I let my sister walk all over me
Summary: 1 Stars
There's a very true saying that you can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family. If you could, most modern celebrities would have no family.
And it might as well be the title for "Life With My Sister Madonna," written by the pop singer's brother Christopher Ciccone. While it starts off vaguely interesting, Ciccone's book eventually devolves into a justifiable but long-winded rant about his sister's flaws, which grows more tedious and bland with each passing page. Even dozens of celebrity cameos can't make it interesting.
Christopher and Madonna were raised in a large Italian-American household of siblings and half-siblings, and both became interested in dance at the same time. But while Christopher's interest veered off into painting and design, his sister rapidly became a punky pop singer who used sexuality and shock tactics to get herself publicity. But with fame came a worldview that was increasingly selfcentric.
As Madonna's star rose, Christopher stayed close as her dresser and designer, all throughout her disastrous marriage to Sean Penn, several tours, and up until shortly before the birth of her first child. But Madonna's selfish demands, unreasonable behavior and relationship with second hubby Guy Richie put a wedge between the siblings at last.
The basic message of "Life With My Sister Madonna" is that Madonna is a manipulative, control-freaky, fame-hungry diva who would use anything (including her mother's grave) to get attention, and would stiff and ignore her family whenever it suits her mood.
Well, like we didn't know that already.
In fact, nothing much in this supposedly intimate tell-all is shocking, because virtually all of what is inside has been reported a dozen times before. Lesbian flings, using and dropping people, the "Daddy Chair" for a conveniently-timed conception, her abusive first marriage and many other stories have been reported in books and tabloid media. And despite having been there for it all, Ciccone adds little to them.
There are a few that haven't made the news -- the gay jokes at her wedding, her refusal to pay her brother for his work, her harassing his psychiatrist -- but most of the time Ciccone just gives his personal impressions of people like Madonna's yes-lackey Ingrid Casares. More often we get to hear about Ciccone's not-terribly-interesting love life, artistic pursuits, and how he came out to his family.
And unfortunately Ciccone's writing doesn't improve matters. It starts off tolerably, but takes a sharp nose-dive when Ciccone becomes Madonna's dresser (basically he mopped the sweat off her body and told her how awesome she was), and preens a lot about how invaluable he was to Madonna. By the time Ritchie appears, it's degenerated into a gooey dribble of celebrity name-dropping and complaints, composed in a vaguely stoned manner.
In fact, the most interesting part of the entire book is Ciccone's meetings with various stars such as Warren Beatty, Dolly Parton and Gwyneth Paltrow. Yet even then, there's the underlying feeling that he's telling us to demonstrate, "See? These people are nice, and my sister isn't!"
Which is rather funny, because Ciccone doesn't come across very well himself -- he seems rather brittle and doormattish, allowing a thousand nasty things his sister does to slide because... well, because she's Madonna and she's a star. It's hard to muster much sympathy for someone who allows himself to be ill-treated from day one, merely because his sister is famous.
"Life with My Sister Madonna" is pretty much a long, boring nightmare of divatastic proportions. It promises to be juicy, but after the first bite it dries into a mummy.
Book Review: Good Read
Summary: 4 Stars
Everyone else who has written a review is pretty much on the mark. As a Madonna fan the book did leave me a little disturbed--mostly about the part about the filming of the Truth or Dare Mother sequence.
There is a part where Madonna blackmails Christopher into seeing a therapist about rehab. The therapist gives him a clean bill of health and Madonna is angry and tells the therapist he is wrong.
I have a friend who goes to therapy--he's a drug user and alchoholic--and he has told me how he's manipulated therapists in the past. Although most therapists have seen and heard it all--my friend was able to fool them at times. I'm not saying Christopher did this with the rehab thing when Madonna blackmailed him into seeking help, but she comes across as arrogant and thinking she knows more than the therapist. I remember times when I wanted to hang some of the doctors my friend saw because they didn't see through his manipulations, so I can see Madonna's point in this area.
I remember watching Drowned World in 2001--my daughter and I both wondering what the hell was going on because the concert seemed like such a clutter. There were parts I loved and thought were highly artistic, but I remember thinking that it wasn't The Girly Show. Now I know why. Christopher seems like a highly talented and artistic person. He also seems to suffer from the nice guy syndrome. I agree with the other reviewer when they said they just wanted to take him and shake him and make him have some cajones. Why do people cater to others in the way Madonna was catered to? Maybe she is her own best critic in reality and won't accept it from anyone else--except for her movies. Whose that Girl was the only one I really enjoyed. Call me corny.
One of the biggest discussions I have had with my good friend (same person in therapy) is how Madonna seems to have changed since she met Guy Ritchie. What wasn't mentioned in the book was the making of the car commercial that I think Guy directed where at the end Madonna's persona is humiliated by wetting her pants. I remember wondering what the hell was wrong with her. I think there are two sides to the Guy story, but until I hear both I feel that Christopher has validated everything I've wondered about the Guy period. Even so--everyone deserves to be happy, and maybe Guy has brought other things out in Madonna that are good.
People change and grow and I've always believed that Madonna tamed herself down for Guy because she loved him. But when I hear her making excuses for things such as the Like a Virgen performance on the VMA awards I'm disappointed.
The interractions in the book between Madonna and Christopher seem cold and stilted. That is the only place where I feel the book has fallen short. It is a sad account, but he studies Kabbalah and knows that he is responsible for all of his decisions--not her.
I too read this book in three days. I loved it and didn't want it to end. I think both of these people--brother and sister--have their reasons for their actions and reactions. I'm glad Christopher studies Kabbalah. God bless them both.
One of the most interesting parts of the book was where Mr. Ciccone asks his son if he wants to have a bonfire so Christopher can burn his past. The father seems like a pretty cool guy (and a fellow Geneva alumni).
One of the other interesting parts is what I call the "demystifying of Ingrid." There's no mystery there whatsoever. My mother always said if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything. End of Line.
Book Review: A great, inside story of an icon gone bad.
Summary: 5 Stars
I heard about this book and after reading an excerpt, had to get it. I am not the biggest Madonna fan, but as an icon shes been around forever, and I thought this would be an interesting inside view, and it was. Christopher's view was an honest, only brother would know picture of Madonna. It was well written and very interesting. It is very thorough, going from their middle class childhood through the humble beginnings and various incarnations of Madonna. It shows that the family was pretty dysfunctional, having lost their mother at an early age, the 8 siblings are very detached from one another. No mention of her late mother is ever spoken about in the home. Its like she just vanished one day. Their father remarries, and initially no one warms to her, the "evil" stepmother, although in years to come Madonna is exactly like her. Even more disturbing is finding out 99% of Truth or Dare was staged and isn't a true documentary at all. At one point Madonna and Christopher go to their mothers grave in the cemetary and the Truth or Dare film crew mysteriously show up to film it. Christopher is incensed and refuses to use their mother in that way. She basically uses her dead mother as an extra in her movie. Madonna of course, is only too happy to be filmed crying at the gravesite and performing all kinda of theatrics for the film. Madonna becomes close to Christopher in their 20's when they bond over dance lessons and an interest in the arts. That takes them on journeys to Nyc and beyond, playing club dates and having Madonna do whatever she needed to do to have her demo played in the clubs. It's sad to see that someone as fortunate and as successful as Madonna totally abandones her family financially when she makes it and continues to do so. Christopher suggested at one point that she help pay off their grandma's house because she's struggling and she had a big hand in raising them after their mother died. Madonna refuses and only sends her $500 a month to help with bills. What the hell?? The house in Michigan was prob a dollar and she couldn't pay it off?? Several times in his life, Christopher gives up his entire life- jobs, apartments, etc to run to Madonna when she beckons for him to work for her or live with her, just to have him go all the way there and shes like "Never mind, I already hired someone else". What??? Her lack of empathy is appalling. Madonna would have times where she wouldnt pay him for jobs he did for her. She would conive him out of money consistently, when all he wanted was a "normal" relationship with his sister and family. Its sad overall because Christopher has virtually no relationship with his niece and nephews, and obviously he and Madonna dont talk anymore either. She's just a mess as a human being. It's obvious the religious teachings of Kabbalah are wasted on her by the way she treats her family and close friends. It's all about Madonna, what can be done to further launch Madonna, and what she can use people for. She is completely all about herself and all I know is that England can have her. She didn't even adopt her son David with the best intentions in mind. It all stinks of a PR stunt. "Look at me, Im single handedly saving Africa"... In the end, I'm sure when she gets to the gates of heaven, she'll find out that treating your family horribly for years and years, and being an overall miserable person won't be washed out by adopting an orphan and making it look good and sincere. Karma's indeed a bitch and I'd love to live to see her get hers.Book Review: Insight Into an Icon
Summary: 5 Stars
Life with My Sister Madonna, by Christopher Ciccone, is a revealing look into the life of Madonna, the "global icon". It is also about Christopher, their relationship, family, friends and fans.
The book begins with a prologue that takes place in London in 1993 and portrays the good times between brother and sister. Christopher explains that Madonna is an insomniac: "unbridled desire for fame and fortune, you see, is incompatible with sleep."
Madonna is portrayed as someone with both a massive ego and riddled with insecurities. She was very nervous about performing for the 1991 Academy Awards, because it was in front of established actors, "whose respect she desperately wanted to win."
Those who worked for her--including Christopher--knew to praise her during and after performances and movie premiers--no matter how poorly she acted, no matter what. When Madonna hired a new person to dress her between performances, for example, Christopher told him to keep quiet, except when Madonna asked, How do I look?" The reply: "Wonderful Madonna, wonderful."
Ciccone writes that Madonna wanted to be a great movie star: "I wish her well, but secretly believe that the only part that she is truly capable of playing is that of herself, Madonna, a part that she has created and curated."
Ouch.
The first chapter begins with their childhood in Rochester, Michigan. Tragically, their mother died when Christopher was 3 years old and Madonna, 5. The father remarries and there are 8 children.
The children are expected to do daily chores and are punished for transgressions; all save Madonna. Christopher writes that she rarely had to do chores and was virtually never punished. He wrote that Joan, his step mom, even seemed a bit afraid of Madonna.
Turns out, Madonna looks like their mother and is dad's favorite.
The book progresses though their lives. In high school, Madonna secretly took ballet classes and got Christopher involved as well. He explains that it was not for his company--which he desperately wanted; rather, the instructor, who Madonna adored, needed a male dancer.
Christopher believes that the disputes between brother and sister come with the addition of Guy Richie into Madonna's life. Richie is portrayed a homophobic jerk and it is obvious that there is no love between the author and Richie.
Ciccone writes that in 2001, Madonna: "treats me as if I am nothing other than a serf paid to decorate her house." He writes about how cheap Madonna is, especially in light of how much money she makes. In 2001, Richie and Madonnas worth were said to be worth $260 million. And Madonna had the highest female annual income in Britain of $43.8 million dollars. Ciccone writes that Madonna perpetually underpaid him, disputed payments and blackmailed Christopher over money. For example, he would not get paid unless he took Kabbalah classes with her.
No matter how badly Madonna treated her brother, he always came back for more, incapable of stopping himself. Madonna's power, so the book indicates, strong from childhood, only got stronger as she aged--making her a powerful, successful magnet that nobody--not even her brother--could resist.
A compelling read.
By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.