Madonna talks to Anderson Cooper about art and life

Madonna wants you to start a revolution. The superstar spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper on Thursday about her new project, Art for Freedom. With it, she is inviting fans to submit original video, music, poetry and photography to fight oppression, intolerance and complacency through art.

Through Art for Freedom, she explains, 'We have created this platform to give people around the world an opportunity to answer the question: 'What does freedom mean to you?''

'I'm encouraging other people, whether they're professionals or not, to use their creativity to express themselves, to get a conversation going, to get the party started, really,' Madonna told Cooper.

In September, Madonna revealed what was then only known as #secretprojectrevolution in 10 cities, including Los Angeles and New York City. Those in attendance were treated to a 'call to action' film the singer created with photographer Steven Klein, in partnership with VICE Media and BitTorrent.

Cooper caught up with a relaxed Madonna, who joked that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a grueling workout. But the artist was clearly passionate about the subject and even asked her son Rocco to wait a moment while the interview ran long.

Cooper and Madonna had a wide-ranging conversation, touching upon her favorite quote from author James Baldwin ("I don't separate the human spirit from the artistic spirit") to what ever happened to that Boy Scout uniform Madonna wore to the GLAAD awards earlier this year. (Each of her kids claimed an article of clothing, but 'I kept the combat boots,' Madonna said. 'I'll need those for my revolution.')

Here are some highlights from the interview:

Anderson Cooper: I've heard you call this project the most important thing you've done, besides raising your children.

Madonna: Yes. Obviously, I feel a great sense of responsibility being a good parent and raising my children. I don't take that job very lightly. Who they are, what they become and what they contribute to the world is very important to me. No slacking in that area, thank god, but the same goes with this film. I've put in I don't know how many man hours, I've poured my own money into it. Steven Klein has done the same.

We've done it for no financial gain, (and) also not to promote any product in particular. The only reason we're doing this is because we want to shed light on subjects that need to have light shed on (them). I do see that the world that we live in is collapsing to a certain extent, and civilization as we know it is caving in on itself.

I believe that we are at a very low level of consciousness, and we do not know how to treat each other as human beings. We are caught up in our own lives, our own needs, our own ego gratification. I feel a strong sense of responsibility in delivering that message.

From http://edition.cnn.com/madonna-anderson-cooper-interview

Comments

[Tracy]

@mdnja: you're another one of these fans/Stans who needs to take a chill pill. Everyone is entitled to their opinion - just because you don't agree with Kelly, she has every right to make her point.

As for giving other people a chance to get tickets - hint: there were loads left at many of the venues on the night! At face value! Hell, I even got FRONT ROW for Confessions - yes, FRONT ROW - at Wembley Arena ON THE NIGHT for FACE VALUE! This sold-out tour nonsense is just that: they may have sold our the tickets they - ahem - "chose" to put on sale, but at many of the venues they only - ahem - "chose" to sell far less than the venue's capacity. No different from when Sticky and Sweet was at Wembley: two nights were booked out the the stadium, but only one managed to "sell out", so the other date was never released/opened!

Oh, and for the record - your comment about people eating popcorn also had no bearing on the interview, so a bit like the pot calling kettle black to chastise Kelly on her "irrelevant" comment.

Many of the fans/Stans who post on here are no better (worse!) than many of the Little Monsters they choose to mock. Mad-fans, indeed! LOL

[THE QUEEN!]

@ Kelly--I refuse to ever go to another concert b/c of her lateness.

A ticket is a contractual agreement: I pay for a service and she needs to fulfill her terms in that if the ticket indicates that the concert starts at 8 pm, it needs to start at 8pm!

BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT: when you waste someone's time, you are wasting their life. For example: If 30,000 fans are waiting and she is 30 minutes late, that comes out to 102 years of peoples' lives that she is using up.

Who want's to go to a Madonna concert? Sorry Madge, I love you but I love my life even more.

[Lou]

@Kelly: Madonna has never actually been "into" her fans, depsite what she may say. No, it is my view that she has always viewed us with disdain and, in fact, as a bit of a nuisance. Increasingly, though, like a lot of fans I speak to, I feel ever more distanced from M... as she increasingly distances herself from us. Sad.

[mdnja]

Great interview !!

[mdnja]

to Kelly: next time let some one else get a ticket because you being ungreatful. because is obvious you still pointing this stupid thing, Don't you understand all the last adjustment that need to get done before the show began? Madonna already apologize an explain why is the delay so check it this on Youtube @ Ellen show and move on! Your comments has nothing to deal with this interview is your complains or maybe you re the kind that called little monsters. I am so sick of this S....,Her concerts are like a big party how cool is to sing and dance and have a great time watching the Queen of pop Live ? I don't get it? so many people that were in the concert were so annoying ,they want to watched the show in their seat eating pop corn, REALLY ? IN A CONCERT ? AT MADONNA'S concert ? Wrong choice. let some else the chance to get those tickets. some who wants to have fun like a real Fan.

[Kelly]

So making people wait hours for you to come on stage is how you treat other human beings? C'mon, get real Madge. You are a wealthy woman, preaching to everyone else to be this or that, while you need to look in a mirror and not see a rich pop star who always gets what she wants preaching to everyone else to "treat others as you want to be treated". Live up to your own words! Treat your fans with respect by not making them wait hours for you to do YOUR JOB. Sorry, that's how I feel sometimes about your self-righteousness. Would you wait 2 hours for a pop star to begin a show you paid top dollar to see? I doubt it.