I used to be impressed by Madonna for evolving with her audience and producing thoughtful, if not earth-shattering material. But I now have the impression that her stardom and accompanying isolation has stretched her natural abilities beyond their limits. She's on her way around the bend, and I'd be reluctant to ascribe any simple, sane human emotion like insecurity to her.

Is it possible that she's just nervous about being able to see fifty just around the next bend? Her career does seem to have depended on maintaining at least the illusion of youth; that's just how the pop scene usually works.

And there are all of those younger women her husband could start yearning after.

Gluttons for punishment should check out Madonna's 60 page equine/dominatrix spread in W magazine. "Unafraid, leather-clad and in the best shape of her life," "the 47-year-old, an avid horsewoman, took to a Hollywood sound stage with six stallions and photographer Steven Klein." She has the impressively rippling back muscles of a teenage wrestler.

http://www.style.com/w/feat_story/050306/index.html

I have to disagree with the assertion that the latest Madonna incarnation is her immaculate body. Her body has always been a powerful weapon in her arsenal. She was slightly pudgy in her early years (due to years of surviving as a street urchin on yogurt and popcorn) but she was still incredibly athletic. From 1986 forward, she has always maintained an incredibly fit physique. Part of the reason she is so sleek now is that she had to take a month off from exercising to heal from her horse-fall. It was probably the first time in years she abstained from exercise that long. It allowed her body to catch up with her and in the process she dropped 5 lbs which increased her muscle definition. Madonna is a perfectionist so it's natural that her form has only improved with time. She does what she feels she has to do to continue being successful as an international icon. Her claims that she worked out for her husband have already been refuted by tabloid reports that stated that when Guy Ritchie read that quote, he got mad b/c he doesn't feel that way and Madonna knows it. Madonna might be insecure which is part of the driving force behind her physical regimen, but based on prior interviews on the subject, a big part of the impetus to get on the stairmaster is her way of fighting her demons. She takes all of her unexpressed rage and anxiety and puts it through its paces on her daily workouts. It's her way to keep from being self destructive because she has so much creative energy sometimes she doesn't know what to do with it. She channels it out of her body with intense exercise, much in the same way St. Therese was an anorexic b/c the mystical energy channeling through her body was so intense, she had to do something so extreme to ground the energy. So she severely restricted her calorie intake. It was either that or going insane. I also wonder what kind of a field day the tabloids would have if Madonna were ever out-of-shape or unattractive. Would Meghan Daum be writing columns in a fat Madonna's defense? I found Daum's column uninspired and lacking in any kind of original analysis. What is her point? Madonna should let herself go so her female fans won't feel insecure about their bodies? Her playing-dumb take on the exercise regime with all of the Carrie Bradshaw-esque sarcasms grated on top "she hit the snooze button instead of working out... hilarious!" were just plain lazy. And in typical Madonna-bashing fasion, Madonna is solely blamed for the problem (in this case body image insecurity) without any context for what's going on in society at large. As if Madonna, and only Madonna, is responsible for female body image problems. Has Madonna ever been quoted advocating her fans to achieve the same fitness level as her? No. But take someone who does... Take Oprah. Oprah is extremely vocal in her weight-loss pursuit and encourages her fans to match her. Is Oprah's obsession with losing weight destructive to her female viewers because it transmits a message of insecurity? But Oprah is off the hook because she's not as fit as Madonna. So really it's ok to be insecure about your body, just don't be successfull at being physically fit (or don't be fitter than the columnist), that's what Daum is really saying.

I like to psychoanalyze people based on their physical appearance. You're next, Ms. Traister. Please post 5 photos of yourself in a bikini - back, front, both sides and a close up of your face. Then we'll try to figure out what's wrong with you.

How come she had more moxie as a cherubic twentysomething in trashy leggings than she does as a woman with a reported net worth of $315 million?

That's to be expected; in fact, it's extremely normal. The difference is in how much you have to gain versus how much you have to lose.

It's not just Madonna. Women on TV and in films are generally required to look good. It's part of being a professional. I don't feel pressured in any way to be like Madonna because I'm not in show biz. I like it that she's fit and strong. I think she looks like mutton dressed as lamb and has for a long time but enough other people are admiring to conclude that it's working for her.

I prefer French film actresses who are slim yet still soft. They don't look hard as nails the way Madonna or Sarah Jessica Parker or so many other aging US actresses and singers do.

All that exercise is stressful on the body and very aging. But moderation is just not a word that would go with Madonna.

I'm not going to try to psychoanalyze someone I don't know, but I don't think this is such a complex situation. Madonna made her fame on her looks and image (along with singing and dancing) and if she let's her looks and image go, she's just an aging pop star who does not have the best voice in the business. Unfortunately for all of us, the entertainment industry has little tolerance for less than perfect looks and Madonna is smart enough to know that the body of a typical 47 year old mother does not draw mass audiences. Of course she's insecure, she's in show business.