September 5, 2003 - Passing the Torch?

After Madonna gave Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera open-mouthed kisses on the MTV Video Music Awards, I've heard lots of people talking about whether Madonna was "passing the torch" to Britney.

In my mind, there's absolutely no doubt that the answer is NO, NO, NO! Britney Spears is on her way OUT already, and she hasn't got a single quality that makes me think she will survive in this business for the length of time that Madonna has. She doesn't have the personality or the talent to be more than a "Pop star" which is notoriously a short-lived job. Madonna took "Pop star" to a whole other level. And besides, who looks

better in these pictures? Madonna looks way sexier to me in these pictures, which isn't to say that Britney isn't hot (Did you see the cover of Rolling Stone?!), but even if you thought about it and decided that Britney looks better, Madonna is 43 years old, and she's at least AS sexy as Britney is at 21. What do any of you really think Britney Spears will be doing when she's 43?

Now Christina Aguilera is a slightly different story. She doesn't have the popularity that either Madonna or Britney have, and she has a trashy reputation (I would say Madonna has a "sexy" and "outrageous" reputation, but not a "trashy" one), but Christina has a lot more talent that Britney has, as far as her music goes.

This is not to say that I think Madonna was "passing the torch" to Christina. On the contrary, I don't think Madonna has to pass the torch yet. Her music may not appeal to the same group of people who were teenagers in the 80s anymore, because when people grow up, they tend to get more conservative, Madonna has obviously done nothing of the sort, so her music appeals to a different audience now. I think Britney and Christina were honoring Madonna with their tribute to her, and she rewarded them with what will now be a long-time association with her. Personally, I think Britney and Christina got the better end of the deal.