If you need someone to talk about another person, maybe Madonna isn’t the person to do it. This is a lesson MTV learned the hard way when they got Madge to deliver their tribute to Aretha Franklin at the VMAs. She eventually got around to talking about Franklin, but not until after she told a long, rambling story about how she performed “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at an audition.
When Madonna eventually got to actually talking about Aretha Franklin, most of her five-minute speech honoring Franklin, one of the greatest singers of all time who died just last week, was about Madonna. You know who didn’t like that? Everyone other than Madonna.
MTV: We'd like you to give a tribute to Aretha Franklin
Madonna: Great, so this is how I got my career started…
MTV: No, no, a tribute to Aretha
Madonna: So I said "bitch, I'm Madonna"
MTV: This isn't about you madge
Madonna: Look at my African jewelry #VMAs
— laura greene (@lgreene91) August 21, 2018
Aretha Franklin's Tribute at the #VMAs:
1. Madonna talks about herself, at length, with Aretha as a footnote.
2. "Respect" is played at the very end.
3. A photo of Aretha with "1942-2018."Bro, what? Disrespectful.
— Nia Langley✨ (@theNiaLangley) August 21, 2018
Travis Scott gave a better Aretha Franklin Tribute than Madonna and All he said was RIP Aretha Franklin. #VMAs
— Adult Swim🕺🌙🎤 (@_TREYLAWRENCE) August 21, 2018
Camila Cabello got on her knees and praised Madonna and dedicated her undeserved Video of the Year award to her……after Madonna just gave a self-indulgent "tribute" to Aretha Franklin.
And that describes how #VMAs treated Black artists the entire night…
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) August 21, 2018
I don’t even know who Camila Cabello is, so I think I agree her win was undeserved.
Why does Madonna look like she’s about to tell me that drinking Kombucha can cure cancer? pic.twitter.com/YryGGqNCA2
— jordan (@JordanUhl) August 21, 2018
So this isn’t really about her tribute to Aretha, but he’s not wrong.
Sooo playing Aretha’s songs during the ending credits and having Madonna dressed as a witch doctor while talking about herself was the tribute ? #VMAs pic.twitter.com/kYtKOl52Y8
— Ari (@KetoG7) August 21, 2018
When Madonna is supposed to be honoring Aretha Franklin but goes on about her self for 10 mins straight #VMAs pic.twitter.com/Br6I8dknxb
— Rachel✨ (@rachel_mag) August 21, 2018
So this was my tweet 4 days ago. #vmas #madonna pic.twitter.com/auzyQu6dDl
— Eddie Gaona (@eddiegaona) August 21, 2018
Winner.
Here’s a video of Candice Burgen singing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” on Murphy Brown. It’s a better tribute to Aretha Franklin than the one Madonna gave.
Later on in the episode Aretha Franklin showed up herself.
It’s cute. It’s better than listening to Madonna go on about Madonna, at any rate. I think I owe Jim Carrey an apology, he did a way better job than Madonna.