You would've thought Monday's MTV Video Music Awards decided to fondly remember Madonna instead of Aretha Franklin — if Madonna wasn't the one delivering the tribute.
Instead of sharing a story from the legendary soul singer's life, Madonna started the VMA tribute by waxing poetic about her own pre-stardom life of "getting robbed, held at gunpoint, and being mistaken for a prostitute in my third-floor walk-up that was also a crackhouse." Two minutes later, Madonna finally mentioned that singing "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" in an audition changed her life. That's Franklin's iconic song, by the way, and Madonna made sure to mention that her "skinny-ass white girl" self nailed it.
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If that self-centered monologue wasn't enough, some detractors went on to accuse Madonna of cultural appropriation. Her outfit channeled traditional Moroccan garb and "Berber culture," a fact she wasn't afraid to tout in multiple Instagram posts.
Even with all this crafty criticism, the Queen of Soul may have said it best herself — not that Madonna would notice. Kathryn Krawczyk
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