Madonna: "Bitch, I'm From Detroit"

Now that Detroit is hot and its recovery story, in the 7.2 sq. mi. green zone at least, is getting positive press one of the benefits is our long-lost celebrities reclaiming the the D as theirs and even investing. Think John Varvatos and his private Alice Cooper concert.

Now we have Madonna on tour here loudly proclaiming her Detroitness.

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"Motor City, your hometown girl is back."

"If anyone can understand the trials and tribulations of working at a body shop, it's the Motor City."

"Detroit made me who I am today."

"They told me I have two hours, so get in, get out. Umm, bitch, I'm from Detroit."

"I'm very proud to be part of the going-up process in Detroit. I've been involved in a lot of projects with Dan Gilbert. From the Youth Boxing Program, to the Women's Empowerment Program. Detroit is making a comeback, so watch out."

"We are going to build this city back up."

full article at Mlive

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Like the father of the prodigal son I say welcome home to all and please come, spend and invest. But I can't help but get the feeling of a long suffering fan, like some Eminem or Aretha, sitting in near-empty bleachers for years and suddenly being inundated by throngs of new fans as the team moves into pennant contention. Old-timers at Tiger Stadium use to call them 'front-runners'. Still it's nice that it's okay to be from Detroit.

I think Madonna has always been proud to say she was from Detroit.

Her issue was with Rochester Hills. She loathes that city - so it was more of an anti-suburban sentiment.

Her brand is always about the edgy/material - more East Village meets Cass Corridor as opposed to a night at Bigalora in Rochester.

Madonna would make fun of people who eat there.

I was about 3 years old when Madonna was actually relevant, so maybe I'm not quite "with it" when it comes to her. But, there have been several instances over her career when she publicly denounced Detroit, Rochester, Bay City, and Michigan in general. Don't forget, she also avoided Michigan several times while on her world tours.

Some people embrace the Mitten like Kid Rock, some people denounce it and get a British accent.

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Originally Posted by belleislerunner

I think Madonna has always been proud to say she was from Detroit.

Her issue was with Rochester Hills. She loathes that city - so it was more of an anti-suburban sentiment.

Her brand is always about the edgy/material - more East Village meets Cass Corridor as opposed to a night at Bigalora in Rochester.

Madonna would make fun of people who eat there.

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"I miss absolutely nothing about growing up in Michigan. Nothing at all," said Madonna.

http://www.axs.com/news/madonna-slams-detroit-i-miss-absolutely-nothing-about-growing-up-in-mi-45766

I think that kinda sums up her feelings about the area.

Bitch, I'm from Rochester...

http://images.lpcdn.ca/924x615/20120...heerleader.jpg

[[Ooops, I forgot. I hated that place...)

She needs to buy a house in the 'hood, fix it up, have block parties every now and then. Sponsor some music clinics for local low income kids.

A big stink about her comments was made by Bryan Barnett, the term-limited mayor in Rochester Hills, who is running for reelection via write-in in November. The outrage machine was probably more for his benefit than actual outrage.

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Originally Posted by mikeg19

"I miss absolutely nothing about growing up in Michigan. Nothing at all," said Madonna.

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Probably talking more about childhood in Rochester Hills than about Detroit. Childhood.

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Originally Posted by mikeg19

I was about 3 years old when Madonna was actually relevant, so maybe I'm not quite "with it" when it comes to her. But, there have been several instances over her career when she publicly denounced Detroit, Rochester, Bay City, and Michigan in general. Don't forget, she also avoided Michigan several times while on her world tours.

Some people embrace the Mitten like Kid Rock, some people denounce it and get a British accent.

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I remember hearing an interview with her in which she stated she was so glad to graduate high school, turn 18, and "get the hell out of Michigan". Her tone was that she was leaving here and never looking back to this god forsaken state.

Of course, she does come back every decade or so when her concert tour needs an extra stop or some extra cash.

She's hardly the 1st person from Mich. to attend U of M [[if only for a yr) then want to make it in the big city. You see lots of athletes/celebrities who it's all me me me when they're younger decide later in life that they owe a little to the place that made them what they are today. Jack White did the same and then made a quick turnabout when he donated to the Masonic. It's called maturing. And isn't the Detroit Homecoming Business Conference held last week about the same thing? The whole "you can't go home again" syndrome has been around forever.

If I had her attention on the answer to that I would say "Put your money where your mouth is and step out of Gilbert's shadow". She has turned her back on Detroit for a long time and made hundreds of millions while gone. How about half a dozen neighborhood after school Dance, Music and Study centers for youth? About 20 million would be a good start to get the ball rolling then chair the board, call your friends and start the endowment fund to keep them going in perpetuity.

Don't knock living in another city in the country or the world until you've tried it. You might find there is a lot more to life than getting off on Michigan football.

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Probably talking more about childhood in Rochester Hills than about Detroit. Childhood.

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I don't know. She explicitly states "Michigan". Wouldn't you say "I loved Michigan but growing up in Rochester Hills was difficult because.......da da da."

No you wouldn't because you tailor your remarks to the crowd - she knows no one in Manhattan has heard of Rochester Hills so she says she hated Michigan - being the reference/scapegoat for Rochester Hills.

No different than you hopping in a cab in Chicago and he asks where are you from and you say Detroit. You don't tell the cab driver in Chicago you're from Hazel Park.

It's audience analysis 101.

But we shouldn't hold grudges - if she's a fan of Detroit, and naturally would be more now that Lola is in Ann Arbor, her green is just as valuable and important as anyone else's green to supporting the region.

I wouldn't mind talking to Madonna in person, impressing upon her the fact that Detroit needs a Virginal mother figure to bring healing and foreclosure to the region. And money.


I like Madonna. It may have to do with the fact my Lourdes bottle sits on a shelf atop my workdesk and my Catholic upbringing sizzles when a Virginal object exhibits itself in a modest way.

But my Pentecostal bent won't allow her music to penetrate my soul.

Think back when most anyone turns 18. You can't wait to "get the hell out of , your city's name here"
when I turned 18 , I couldn't wait to get the hell out of Detroit and Michigan and the U.S.
After decades away from the area I finally returned back .
that is the prefect age to go out and see the world , before life and kids.
and let's be honest the 80s-the mid 2000s weren't the best time to be in the Detroit area.
and that same time period was some of the best of my life.
i wouldn't give them up for anything .
while I was away i was always proud to say I was from Detroit , and I ALWAYS knew the city would come back.
after the Super Bowl I knew the time was right
Now is the best time to be a part of this amazing city's come back and I'm glad to be a part of it .
the reason there is so much interest now is people really are seeing the opportunity in Detroit.
Detroit's toughest critics were folks from the suburbs. The next generation did catch on.
folks from out side of the state believed in the city first and they eventually caught on.
better late than never .

Well put DetroitDave. I wanted to get away from my small town when I was young too. Along with good union wages it was part of the reason I came to Detroit. Now I look back warmly on that past.

I think Madonna may be doing the same.

One of my favorite quotes from TS Eliot comes to mind...

"And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

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Originally Posted by mikeg19

I don't know. She explicitly states "Michigan". Wouldn't you say "I loved Michigan but growing up in Rochester Hills was difficult because.......da da da."

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Bay City was easier? When did she move from Bay City to the Rochester area?

Actions speak louder than words and she has a whole lifetime of actions...

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Originally Posted by Detroitdave

Think back when most anyone turns 18. You can't wait to "get the hell out of , your city's name here"
when I turned 18 , I couldn't wait to get the hell out of Detroit and Michigan and the U.S.
After decades away from the area I finally returned back .
that is the prefect age to go out and see the world , before life and kids.
and let's be honest the 80s-the mid 2000s weren't the best time to be in the Detroit area.
and that same time period was some of the best of my life.
i wouldn't give them up for anything .
while I was away i was always proud to say I was from Detroit , and I ALWAYS knew the city would come back.
after the Super Bowl I knew the time was right
Now is the best time to be a part of this amazing city's come back and I'm glad to be a part of it .
the reason there is so much interest now is people really are seeing the opportunity in Detroit.
Detroit's toughest critics were folks from the suburbs. The next generation did catch on.
folks from out side of the state believed in the city first and they eventually caught on.
better late than never .

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The city's toughest and most credible critics have always been the ones who lived and worked in the city and decided to leave because of a build up of negative experiences. As far as people who have left and come back I know that not everyone feels the same as you. I've know many who have the opposite reaction to yours. The world is full of wonderful places and just because you were raised somewhere that doesn't make it home. Also since you brought up homecomings how optimistic do you think most ex-Detroiters feel when they check in on their old block?

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Originally Posted by TTime

The city's toughest and most credible critics have always been the ones who lived and worked in the city and decided to leave because of a build up of negative experiences.

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I'd amend this as so:

The city's toughest critics have always been the ones who lived and worked in the city and decided to leave for the suburbs because of a build up of negative experiences.

The city's most credible critics are the ones who complement their experiences in Detroit with insights gained from experiencing and learning how other metropolitan areas work.

As cities go, Detroit is truly an outlier. Perspectives formed there are inherently biased. It's incredibly informative gaining a better understanding of the complexities how cities succeed and fail, not limited to the Detroit area.

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Originally Posted by TTime

Also since you brought up homecomings how optimistic do you think most ex-Detroiters feel when they check in on their old block?

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Like you said, so many ex-Detroiters remember when the city was much better and are deeply aware and resentful of its many failures since. And that's very understandable. But that negativity colors their perspective and makes it very difficult to assess Detroit objectively today.

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Originally Posted by bust

I'd amend this as so:

The city's toughest critics have always been the ones who lived and worked in the city and decided to leave for the suburbs because of a build up of negative experiences.

The city's most credible critics are the ones who complement their experiences in Detroit with insights gained from experiencing and learning how other metropolitan areas work.

As cities go, Detroit is truly an outlier. Perspectives formed there are inherently biased. It's incredibly informative gaining a better understanding of the complexities how cities succeed and fail, not limited to Detroit.

Like you said, so many ex-Detroiters remember when the city was much better and are deeply aware and resentful of it's many failures since. And that's very understandable. But that negativity colors their perspective and makes it very difficult to asses Detroit objectively today.

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Yes, you can live in a successful city and still want to decamp. There are plenty of positives to Detroit that are pointed to in every thread. That is how the city survives its really tough circumstances and beyond that the aura that is created by opinions and outside influences that are far removed from the actual city. I am still amazed by all the new stuff happening, the meat and potatoes, bricks and mortar stuff. People are believing in Detroit, and it will snowball from this. I think a city like Detroit can be better because of its edgy history, and the renaissance can only bring about a stronger more complex setting. The idea of a Complete Street projection of Woodward is quite surprising in that it is a big project. How far can it go is one thing, but at least the idea that a huge city that has been dismembered can regain a certain girth by restructuring a major commercial artery is building up steam.


I would like to see a bit of the 19th century innocence of the Garden City concept reinjected in this, a sort of pearl necklace of greenery mixed with better architecture.

I am worried about the Architecture part. Can we imagine something better than what we have been dealt with the past fifty years.

Oh, by the way, Cheers to Madonna!

This is my favorite vid of Madonna playing her home town. Part of the 'Truth or Dare' movie.

http://youtu.be/ml3ii2fSXOY