Like an Answered Prayer

Listening to: Madonna, "Lucky Star." The dancer on the left in the video is Madonna's younger brother, Christopher. They're on the outs now. But not because of his dancing. I don't think.

A few weeks ago, while one of the NFL playoff games was going on, I was flipping around the movie channels and came upon Madonna's 1991 documentary, "Truth or Dare." I have some pretty strong feelings about MJ's recent documentary and let's just say that Truth or Dare is fifty thousand times better than This Is It. Unintentional comedy aside, Madonna's doc wins in every head-to-head matchup. She is a much more charismatic star, you get the sense that she's a real person, the performances are awesome, and she's both super bitchy and vulnerably sweet. It's fantastic.

I've never been a student of Madonna but I went to the one person who absolutely is: Lilly. She sat me down, made me some coffee, provided me with delicious home baked cookies, and threw on The Immaculate Collection. This must-have DVD of her early music videos can be yours for $13.99 on Amazon, I just checked. Lilly then proceeded to drop four Madonna biographies onto the couch and I started reading.

Do you realize Madonna has dated Basquiat, Prince, and John F. Kennedy Jr. (among many others obviously)? It never occured to me that Basquiat and her were contemporaries. I found out so much about Madge in my few hours of research. I read about her childhood in Michigan, about her dropping out of college to pursue a dance career in New York, and all about her subsequent rise to fame. Needless to say, I've gained newfound respect for everything she's done -- and continues to do. Sidenote: I have danced upon the same stage Madonna once did, on the shiny tarmac of the Power Center for the Performing Arts. I know, you're totally impressed.

Basically while I have the resource that is Lilly nearby, I will be working hard to educate myself and make a top five favorite Madonna songs list. Plus I need to decide which era Madonna I like best. 1984 Madonna? Evita Madonna? Vogue Madonna? Dick Tracy Madonna? Contemporary Madonna? There are so many!

In a related story, Lilly and her people have started a Trashy Celebrity Memoirs book club. I've yet to attend a meeting but I'm always there in spirit. I feel like a Tori Spelling one is a must read. Or maybe the Sarah Palin.