Madonna, 68, won seven VMAs in her first performance there in 23 years, then faced online criticism of her age and image. Fair critique of a performance, or ageism?
She opened the show with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx. On 28 September co-hosts of The View defended her, with Alyssa Farah Griffin saying older women are criticised both for trying to look too young and for ageing gracefully: "you can't win".
What happened
Madonna opened the MTV Video Music Awards on 27 September with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli xcx, her first VMAs performance since 2003. She had 13 nominations for her album Confessions II, the most of the night, and Billboard reports she won seven awards, including Artist of the Year, her best VMAs total. Online commentary afterwards focused on her appearance and on whether she was trying to recreate the image and choreography of her younger years. On The View, co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sunny Hostin pushed back against the criticism.
Why people disagree
Defenders say older women in the public eye face a double standard: Madonna is criticised for looking too youthful and sexual, while others are criticised for ageing naturally, and her awards show her work still connects. Others say a live televised performance and acceptance speeches are fair game at any age, and that commenting on staging, style or delivery is not the same as ageism.
What's still unclear
Coverage mixes criticism of her age with criticism of the staging and her speeches, so it is hard to say how much of the backlash was really about age. It is unclear whether Madonna will respond.
Sources
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