As you know, Madonna is in New York; she will be performing at Madison Square Garden for the next few nights. It’s been pointed out that when she’s not singing, Madonna now has the cadences of husband Guy Ritchie and of her new home, London—where, as Elaine Showalter says, she’s become a big hit. Some touchy American observers worry if she’s about to go all colonial. For others, especially anglophiles and transplanted Britons in the United States, Madonna’s arrival is welcome relief from an ugly burst of anglophobia last week (prompted, it seems, by the first sightings of Judy Bachrach’s book about Tina Brown and Harold Evans). For where Madonna goes, the world soon follows; and if she speaks English English so too will her fans. Susan Saulny writes in today’s New York Times: “There are, apparently, an infinite number of ways to show love for Madonna. An unimaginative but nonetheless sincere fan might wear a T-shirt emblazoned with her likeness. … A great fan will dye black hair blond, squeeze a man’s foot into a pair of high-heeled boots, and declare Madonna the icon of our age.” Expect to hear that declaration made in BBC English.
Where’s “Omnivore”? Inigo Thomas’ Idea of the Day has replaced his Omnivore column. The name is new, and the layout has been streamlined, but Inigo will still focus on what’s happening in arts and culture around the world. You may read the entire Omnivore archives by clicking here.
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