I found him so inspiring and innovative. Unique and provocative. A real genius. His music was always...
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I found him so inspiring and innovative. Unique and provocative. A real genius. His music was always inspiring but seeing him live set me off on a journey that for me I hope will never end. His photographs are hanging all over my house today. He was so chic and beautiful and elegant. So ahead of his time. Thank you David Bowie. I owe you a lot. The world will miss you.
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[in an interview with Ryan Seacrest, October 2009] Younger people are generally more adventurous - t...
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[in an interview with Ryan Seacrest, October 2009] Younger people are generally more adventurous - they're more open, more fun - have you met many guys my age? Guys my age are married or divorced or grumpy, fat and balding.
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[in Spin magazine, January 1996] Better to live one year as a tiger than hundred as a sheep.
[in Spin magazine, January 1996] Better to live one year as a tiger than hundred as a sheep.
[dressed in a Boy Scout uniform at the 2013 GLAAD Media Awards] I wanted to be a Boy Scout but they ...
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[dressed in a Boy Scout uniform at the 2013 GLAAD Media Awards] I wanted to be a Boy Scout but they wouldn't let me join. I think that's fucked up. I can build a fire. I know how go pitch a tent. I have a very good sense of direction. I can rescue kittens from trees. Listen, I want to do good for the community.
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[on the death of Prince] He changed the world!! A true visionary. What a loss. I'm devastated.
[on the death of Prince] He changed the world!! A true visionary. What a loss. I'm devastated.
[in Rolling Stone magazine, March 2015] The only time I ever criticized Lady Gaga was when I felt li...
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, March 2015] The only time I ever criticized Lady Gaga was when I felt like she blatantly ripped off one of my songs. It's got nothing to do with "she's taking my crown" or "she's in some space of mine." She has her thing. I do think she's a very talented singer and songwriter. It was just that one issue. And everybody's obviously run with it and turned it into a huge feud, which I think is really boring, quite frankly.
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[in W Magazine, April 2003] I think that Kabbalah is very punk rock.
[in W Magazine, April 2003] I think that Kabbalah is very punk rock.
[in People magazine, March 1985] I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes ...
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[in People magazine, March 1985] I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.
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[December 1985] I befriended one DJ in particular and he worked at a club called Danceteria, which w...
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[December 1985] I befriended one DJ in particular and he worked at a club called Danceteria, which was one of my favorite clubs. And we talked a lot about music. I knew a lot about singers, and I knew a lot about different groups and stuff like that. And he said, "How come you know so much about this?" And I said, "I'm really interested in music". And he said, "Well, in what way?" And I said, "I'm a singer". He said, "No kidding?" And I said, "Yeah, and I just happen to have this tape right here". I mean, I was carrying this tape with me everywhere, at every club, waiting for the moment to pop it on somebody. So I said. "Would you play it?". And he said, "Well, I can't play it in the middle of the night. I haven't heard it. What if it's terrible? What if everyone stops dancing?" And I said< "Alright, well, you listen to it, take it home with you tonight, and listen to it. And I'll come back here tomorrow, and if you like it then you play it again". So that was a Friday night, so he went home. On Saturday night I met him again, and I came back before the club opened and he said he really loved it. So he played it. He played two songs. One of them was "Everybody".
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[in The Sun, July 2009] I am so terribly sad about Michael Jackson's death. I don't know what artist...
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[in The Sun, July 2009] I am so terribly sad about Michael Jackson's death. I don't know what artist wasn't inspired by him. To be able to do what he did at such an early age was unearthly, everybody grew up in awe of him. To work with him and become friends and hang out with him was exciting for me. I used to love picking his brains about musical stuff.
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I can be arrogant sometimes, but I never mean it intentionally. I can be really snotty to people but...
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I can be arrogant sometimes, but I never mean it intentionally. I can be really snotty to people but that's not anything new really. I always acted like a star long before I was one. If people don't see my sense of humor then I come off as being expensive, but I always endear myself to people when I find their weaknesses and they acknowledge it. It's the people who try to hide everything and try to make you think they're so cool that I can't stand.
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[August 1984] A lot of people thought that I was a black artist before they saw my videos, because a...
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[August 1984] A lot of people thought that I was a black artist before they saw my videos, because a lot of my music is more R&B oriented, and I think that I'm a white artist doing R&B music, getting played on pop stations. And I think that the kind of records I make are really changing people's ideas of splitting up and categorizing artists and I think that's opening ways for black and white artists as well.
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[in People magazine, April 2003] I don't want people to dress like me anymore. Now I want them to th...
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[in People magazine, April 2003] I don't want people to dress like me anymore. Now I want them to think like me. Dress like Britney Spears and think like me, and everything will be fine.
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[Sirius Satellite Radio interview, February 2007] I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King an...
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[Sirius Satellite Radio interview, February 2007] I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and John Lennon - but I want to stay alive!
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[from her book "Sex"] A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get wh...
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[from her book "Sex"] A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That's why they don't get what they want.
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You have to be patient... I'm not!
You have to be patient... I'm not!
[in Interview magazine, June 1993] I think that everyone should get married at least once, so you ca...
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[in Interview magazine, June 1993] I think that everyone should get married at least once, so you can see what a silly, outdated institution it is.
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[on Britney Spears] I feel really protective of her. Don't even ask me why. There's something about ...
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[on Britney Spears] I feel really protective of her. Don't even ask me why. There's something about her. Even though she's terribly successful, for some reason I think of her as an underdog.
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[in Details magazine, December 1994] It's common to have abortions. Many people have them and it's n...
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[in Details magazine, December 1994] It's common to have abortions. Many people have them and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
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[open letter about the adoption of her son David, October 2006] My husband and I began the adoption ...
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[open letter about the adoption of her son David, October 2006] My husband and I began the adoption process many months prior to our trip to Malawi. I did not wish to disclose my intentions to the world prior to the adoption happening as this is a private family matter. After learning that there were over one million orphans in Malawi, it was my wish to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death, as well as expand out family. Nevertheless, we have gone about the adoption procedure according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child. Reports to the contrary are totally inaccurate. The procedure includes an l8 month evaluation period after which time we hope to make this adoption permanent. This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly. I am overwhelmed and inspired by my trip to Malawi and hope that it helps bring attention to how much more the world needs to do to help the children of Africa. My heartfelt thanks for all the good wishes I have received and I hope the press will allow my family some room for us to experience the joy we feel to have David home.
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One of the hardest thing I've faced in my life was the death of my mother, and that's something I re...
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One of the hardest thing I've faced in my life was the death of my mother, and that's something I really haven't got over to this day.
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] We're in the world of creating illusions and giving people th...
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] We're in the world of creating illusions and giving people the ability to dream and to be inspired or moved. So you don't want people to see the labor behind it. Also I was trained that, as a dancer, no matter how much you're suffering, your face is relaxed. You have to create that illusion.
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[during an interview on E! Television, May 2006] It is a struggle to balance my career with my child...
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[during an interview on E! Television, May 2006] It is a struggle to balance my career with my children. I'm always going, 'Oh God, I'm a crap mother'. I want to get home and put my kids to bed. And then sometimes, if I'm spending a lot of time with my children, I think, 'Oh God, I just want to be an artist'.
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[December 1985] So then I'm playing drums and we're getting gigs in certain downtown clubs like CBGB...
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[December 1985] So then I'm playing drums and we're getting gigs in certain downtown clubs like CBGB and the Mud Club, and Max's Kansas City. And I'm starting to write music for the band, too, like some songs, but they already had two singers in the band, so they would never let me get up and sing a song because what's the point? One day I finally convinced them: "I'll just play guitar and sing one song. Please, please, please". And they finally said, "OK". So then I got up to sing one song and the other guy went back to play the drums. And like I got a standing ovation.
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[to David Letterman in March 1994] Listen, all you do is talk about my sex life on your show, so now...
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[to David Letterman in March 1994] Listen, all you do is talk about my sex life on your show, so now you don't want to talk about my sex life when I'm on your show?!
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[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I wouldn't live in Chicago cause it's too conservative, aside for...
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[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I wouldn't live in Chicago cause it's too conservative, aside for the fact that Oprah Winfrey lives there.
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[in Rock Video magazine, February 1985] When I came to New York, it was the first time I'd ever take...
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[in Rock Video magazine, February 1985] When I came to New York, it was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, it was the first time I'd ever gotten in a taxi cab, it was the first time for everything. And I came here not knowing anyone with thirty-five dollars in my pocket. It was the bravest thing I've ever done.
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Without the heart, there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind.
Without the heart, there can be no understanding between the hand and the mind.
I do think that the birth of my daughter was sort of a rebirth for me. It made me look at life in a ...
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I do think that the birth of my daughter was sort of a rebirth for me. It made me look at life in a completely new way. And that made me appreciate life in a way I don't think I ever had before.
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, March 2015] Women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accept...
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, March 2015] Women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accepted that they're not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don't follow the rules. I never did, and I'm not going to start.
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[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I hate people who hate women. Actually I hate people who hate!
[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I hate people who hate women. Actually I hate people who hate!
[August 1984] Videos might have a limited audience in one sense. But on the other hand, you could be...
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[August 1984] Videos might have a limited audience in one sense. But on the other hand, you could be reaching a lot of people that would never be able to come see you live. So I think they're definitely an advantage. Kids today worship the television, so I think it's a great way to reach them. When you perform on stage you're acting. That's a performance. If someone sticks a camera on you, what's the difference?
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[in Vanity Fair, April 1991] I love meetings with suits. I live for meetings with suits. I love them...
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[in Vanity Fair, April 1991] I love meetings with suits. I live for meetings with suits. I love them because I know they had a really boring week and I walk in there with my orange velvet leggings and drop popcorn in my cleavage and then fish it out and eat it I like that. I know I'm entertaining them and I know that they know.
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[in the Los Angeles Times, October 1994] When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm thirsty, I drink. When I f...
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[in the Los Angeles Times, October 1994] When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm thirsty, I drink. When I feel like saying something, I say it.
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Fame can be very disruptive. It can be like a drug. It gives you the feeling that you're happy, it g...
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Fame can be very disruptive. It can be like a drug. It gives you the feeling that you're happy, it gives you the feeling of self-importance, it gives you the feeling of fulfillment... but it can distract you from what is really important.
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[in Ladies Home Journal magazine, July 2005] My daughter has a problem picking up in her room, so if...
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[in Ladies Home Journal magazine, July 2005] My daughter has a problem picking up in her room, so if you leave your clothes on the floor, they're going to be gone when you come home. So we've gone through periods of almost emptying her room - we take all of her clothes and put them in a trash bag, and they get stuck somewhere, and she has to earn all of her clothes back, by being tidy, picking up her room, making her bed in the morning, hanging up her clothes, stuff like that.
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[May 1984] When I first came to New York I was a dancer, and a French record label offered me a reco...
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[May 1984] When I first came to New York I was a dancer, and a French record label offered me a recording contract and I had to go to Paris to do it. So I went there and that's how I really got into the music business. But I didn't like what I was doing when I got there, so I left, and I never did a record there.
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[in W Magazine, April 2003] People who have nothing better to do than talk about my hair color have ...
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[in W Magazine, April 2003] People who have nothing better to do than talk about my hair color have no lives.
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I was attracted to creative people. You don't want to be the ...
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I was attracted to creative people. You don't want to be the smartest person in the room; you want to be the dumbest in the room.
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I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.
I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.
[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I know I'm not the best singer and I know I'm not the best dancer...
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[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)] I know I'm not the best singer and I know I'm not the best dancer, but I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in pushing people's buttons, in being provocative and in being political.
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I feel just as hungry today as I did the day I left home.
I feel just as hungry today as I did the day I left home.
[in Elle magazine, February 2001] I'm like a cockroach. You just can't get rid of me.
[in Elle magazine, February 2001] I'm like a cockroach. You just can't get rid of me.
[during her MDNA Tour concert in Washington DC, September 2012] Y'all better vote for fucking Obama,...
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[during her MDNA Tour concert in Washington DC, September 2012] Y'all better vote for fucking Obama, O.K.? For better or for worse, all right? We have a black Muslim in the White House! Now that's some amazing shit. It means there's hope in this country. And Obama is fighting for gay rights so support the man goddammit.
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[on MTV, September 1984] What I would like to ultimately achieve, I already told Dick Clark once on ...
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[on MTV, September 1984] What I would like to ultimately achieve, I already told Dick Clark once on Bandstand (1952). So I'll repeat it again, and annoy everyone who was annoyed before when I said it: I want to conquer the world.
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, February 1989] Being blonde is definitely a different state of mind. I c...
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, February 1989] Being blonde is definitely a different state of mind. I can't really put my finger on it, but the artifice of being blonde has some incredible sort of sexual connotation. Men really respond to it. I love blonde hair but it really does something different to you. I feel more grounded when I have dark hair, and I feel more ethereal when I have light hair. It's unexplainable. I also feel more Italian when my hair is dark.
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[in Ladies Home Journal magazine, July 2005] My kids don't watch TV - we have TV's, but they're not ...
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[in Ladies Home Journal magazine, July 2005] My kids don't watch TV - we have TV's, but they're not hooked up to anything but movies. [...] TV is trash. I was raised without it. I didn't miss anything. TV is poison. No one even talks about it around here. It's like a moot point. We don't have magazines or newspapers in the house, either.
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[on Spice Girls] I like them. I know I am not supposed to. Every time someone says something bad abo...
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[on Spice Girls] I like them. I know I am not supposed to. Every time someone says something bad about them, I say, "Hey, wait a minute, I was a Spice Girl once!"
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[in Smash Hits magazine, July 1989] Everyone in the family studied a musical instrument. My father w...
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[in Smash Hits magazine, July 1989] Everyone in the family studied a musical instrument. My father was really big on that. Somehow I only took about a year and a half of piano lessons and I convinced my father to let me take dancing lessons instead.
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[in Parkinson (1971), November 2005] I'm a gay man trapped in a woman's body!
[in Parkinson (1971), November 2005] I'm a gay man trapped in a woman's body!
[in Spin magazine, May 1985] When I was growing up, I was religious, in a passionate, adolescent way...
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[in Spin magazine, May 1985] When I was growing up, I was religious, in a passionate, adolescent way. Jesus Christ was like a movie star, my favorite idol of all.
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, December 2005, on George W. Bush's reelection in 2004 and the federal go...
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[in Rolling Stone magazine, December 2005, on George W. Bush's reelection in 2004 and the federal government's reaction in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005] I was just frigging devastated. It was a real sad day. I don't get how people can have all these facts and still turn away from them. [...] 9/11 was too ambiguous, you couldn't prove how the government was somehow in on the deal. There were too many arguments against it. You could say, "Oh, that's just Michael Moore," "Oh, that's just hearsay." New Orleans was undeniable irresponsibility.
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] Sleeping is the most difficult part of what I do, relaxing af...
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] Sleeping is the most difficult part of what I do, relaxing afterwards. Letting things go.
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[at Women's March in Washington D.C., January 2017] I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the...
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[at Women's March in Washington D.C., January 2017] I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House. But I know that this won't change anything.
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[on the death of David Bowie] I'm devastated! This great artist changed my life! First concert i eve...
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[on the death of David Bowie] I'm devastated! This great artist changed my life! First concert i ever saw in Detroit! R.I.P.
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[in Liz Smith's column, May 2004] I have two beautiful children and a brilliant, gorgeous husband. I...
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[in Liz Smith's column, May 2004] I have two beautiful children and a brilliant, gorgeous husband. I have my work and I have my faith. None of that means I've lost my sense of humor or my sense of fun. If that's boring to some people, I can't tell you how much I don't care.
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I live vicariously through Michael Corleone [from The Godfath...
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I live vicariously through Michael Corleone [from The Godfather (1972)]. I would like to deal with life the way he does. When he's telling what's-his-name that he's going to go on a little fishing trip. My God. Brilliant. Or the scene where Marlon Brando is talking to his dead wife in the casket in Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972).
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[on the making of A League of Their Own (1992)] I cannot suffer any more than I have in the past mon...
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[on the making of A League of Their Own (1992)] I cannot suffer any more than I have in the past month learning how to play baseball with a bunch of girls (yuk) in Chicago (double yuk). I have a tan, I am dirty all day and I hardly ever wear make-up. Penny Marshall is Lavern -- Geena Davis is a Barbie doll and when God decided where the beautiful men were going to live in the world, he did not choose Chicago. I have made a few friends but they are athletes, not actresses. I hate actresses, they have nothing on the house of extravaganza.
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[in the New York Daily News, March 2015, about the criticism she faced when she showed her ass at th...
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[in the New York Daily News, March 2015, about the criticism she faced when she showed her ass at the Grammy Awards] Bitch, this is what my ass looks like - show me what your ass looks like when you're 56! [...] I take care of myself. I'm in good shape. I can show my ass when I'm 56, or 66 - or 76. Who's to say when I can show my ass? It's sexism. It's ageism. And it's a kind of discrimination.
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[on Edward, Duke of Windsor] I couldn't get my mind off the fact that a man gave up the throne for a...
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[on Edward, Duke of Windsor] I couldn't get my mind off the fact that a man gave up the throne for a woman. From my perspective, men since the beginning of time have fought to get on the throne. Men are power-seeking animals, so why would this man run away from power?
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[about her famous appearance in 1994 on Late Show with David Letterman (1993)] That was a time in my...
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[about her famous appearance in 1994 on Late Show with David Letterman (1993)] That was a time in my life when I was extremely angry. The press was constantly beating up on me, and I felt like I was a victim. So I lashed out at people and Letterman was one of them. I am not particularly proud of it.
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[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991), about her fans] Even when I feel like shit, they still love me!
[in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991), about her fans] Even when I feel like shit, they still love me!
[during an interview on E! Television, May 2006, about her daughter Lourdes Leon] Sometimes she does...
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[during an interview on E! Television, May 2006, about her daughter Lourdes Leon] Sometimes she doesn't want me to come to certain things because she knows everyone is going to pay attention to me and then they'll treat her differently. I took her to school on the first day last year, and all these kids were buzzing around. She came home that day and she was really irritated and kind of bummed out, like people were playing this contest - what would it be like to be Madonna's daughter?
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[in US Weekly magazine, March 2015] I don't really watch TV. I only like two shows - True Detective ...
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[in US Weekly magazine, March 2015] I don't really watch TV. I only like two shows - True Detective (2014) and an Irish series called The Fall (2013) - and I'm not embarrassed about them. Many people say, "The Fall" with Jamie Dornan,' but I say, "The Fall" with Gillian Anderson.' She's so good.
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If you take everything I do at face value, you're going to be horrified. Or intimidated. Or insulted...
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If you take everything I do at face value, you're going to be horrified. Or intimidated. Or insulted. Or bored.
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[in Hits Daily Double magazine, August 2000] There is nothing rebellious about today's sounds, and m...
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[in Hits Daily Double magazine, August 2000] There is nothing rebellious about today's sounds, and music needs to be rebellious.
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[following the death of George Michael] Another great artist leaves us. Can 2016 fuck off now?
[following the death of George Michael] Another great artist leaves us. Can 2016 fuck off now?
[to Jonathan Ross in October 1992] Not only do we suffer from racism and sexism, but we also suffer ...
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[to Jonathan Ross in October 1992] Not only do we suffer from racism and sexism, but we also suffer from ageism. And that is that once you reach a certain age, you're not allowed to be adventurous, you're not allowed to be sexual and I think that's rather hideous. [...] I mean, is there a rule? Are you just supposed to die when you're 40?
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[in Vanity Fair, April 1991] I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. How could I be anyt...
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[in Vanity Fair, April 1991] I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. How could I be anything else but what I am having been named Madonna? I would either have ended up a nun or this.
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Children always understand. They have open minds. They have built-in shit detectors.
Children always understand. They have open minds. They have built-in shit detectors.
I've learned from studying Kabbalah that if your happiness is based on people approving of everythin...
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I've learned from studying Kabbalah that if your happiness is based on people approving of everything you do, you're doomed to fail... Kabbalah helped me stand up and take responsibility for everything to do with me.
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[on her relationship with Britney Spears] I see her as my little sister. She asks me for career advi...
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[on her relationship with Britney Spears] I see her as my little sister. She asks me for career advice. For the most part, I try to make her understand this isn't real life and she can't take everything people say seriously. I can understand some of the stuff she's going through. I help her with that.
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[in Elle magazine, February 2001] Can I just say that I find it really irritating that everyone beat...
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[in Elle magazine, February 2001] Can I just say that I find it really irritating that everyone beats up on Britney Spears? I want to do nothing but support her and praise her and wish her the best. I mean, she's 18 years old! It's just shocking. I was so gawky and geeky and awkward and unsure of myself.
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[after winning an Award of Honor at the French NRJ Music Awards, January 2004] My ambition may be Am...
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[after winning an Award of Honor at the French NRJ Music Awards, January 2004] My ambition may be American, and I may have married a Brit, but my heart belongs to France.
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I remember having conversations with Keith Haring and with Je...
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[in Interview magazine, December 2014] I remember having conversations with Keith Haring and with Jean Michel Basquiat about the importance of your art being accessible to people. That was their big thing - it should be available to everyone.
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