5 Feet of Fury

Jim Goad: Is It a Hate Crime To Call Madonna a Shriveled Up Old Hag?

Jim Goad writes:

There was a point around when she first became a star when it occurred to me that people such as Madonna and Mick Jagger—musical performers whose careers depended much more on their sex appeal than any innate musical talent or virtuosity—would at some point be forced to fade away from the spotlight lest all the flashbulbs catch their deepening wrinkles.

At age 32, Mick Jagger famously told People magazine, “I would continue to write and sing, but I’d rather be dead than sing ‘Satisfaction’ when I’m 45.”

He’s 71 and still singing it. Probably even still sings it in the shower. And it’s not inconceivable that one day Madonna will be singing “Like a Virgin” while undergoing kidney dialysis.