For everyone bitching about Madonna's clothes and her adopting a baby...

[cynatnite]

Here are her charities...

http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/201-madonna

Here is one particular to that part of the world...

http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/245-raising-malawi

http://www.raisingmalawi.org/

Now, if anyone else wants to complain about celebrities adopting babies and what they're wearing, you might want to check out their charities before you open your mouth.

[anonymous171]

1. There are plenty of poor people in America right now. Why not help them? nt

[cynatnite]

2. What makes you think they are not? n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Them Malawi people is so uppity.

Struttin' round in public with their adopted celebrity parents like they own the place.

[anonymous171]

4. I don't remember mentioning Malawi. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. That's true.

A guess a generic "furriners" would have sufficed.

[drmeow]

7. One of the charities is

Raising Malawi - I suspect that's where the poster got it from.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. There are plenty of poor people in Malawi right now. Why not help them?

Charity should begin where it will do the most good; not necessarily at home.

[LanternWaste]

21. You believe that one person's help, aid and assistance

You believe that one person's help, aid and assistance to others should be prioritized based on nothing more than a mere accident of birth...?

[sohndrsmith]

6. I don't care a whit about her clothes, but I did read about the complaint that

the community is worried that the high publicity of her Malawi adoption/adoptions will spawn a rise in illegal adoptions (or worse). Now THAT seems to me - to be a credible, valid concern.

Even though I think anyone helping any child is a good thing... unless there is a real risk of such collateral damage. I don't believe she couldn't adopt a child quietly and discretely (she can buy privacy more easily than most people). If she can't, then Malawi might not be such a good place for the media show around her adoption - if it puts other children at risk.

[paulsby]

8. the things that irk me about madonna

1) the faux british accent. GET OVER YOURSELF. Marrying a brit does not mean you have to speak with a fake accent.
2) cafeteria style kabalah

otoh, i have massive respect for her charity work, her music, and her willingness to forge her own path

[MADem]

9. The baby adoption is on hold, apparently.

The child's family apparently thinks that Ms. Ciccione is a bit, er, skanky or something...and the state thinks that she sets a poor example and it's not too swift to send kids into a broken home:

http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/404409_tvgif30.html

Madonna's bid to adopt her second child from Malawi was delayed until Friday amid growing concerns and opposition from the child's family and charities.

The 50-year-old singer appeared before a judge in a closed hearing on Monday in the Lilongwe for about an hour, The Associated Press reports.

"The court adjourned the proceedings to Friday to give the judge enough time to write his ruling," said assistant court registrar Thomson Ligowe.

Madonna wants to adopt Mercy James, an orphaned 3-year-old girl, whom she met during a visit in 2006. Mercy's grandmother, Lucy Chekechiwa, is reportedly opposed to the adoption, accusing the Material Mom of "stealing" her granddaughter. "Why doesn't this singer pick other children? It is stealing," Chekechiwa told British tabloid The Sun. "I want to go to court, I won't let her go."

The girl's unmarried 18-year-old mother died soon after she was born, according to the AP.

Madonna's adoption ruling delayed until Friday
By CELEAN JACOBSON – 2 hours ago

LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) — Madonna and her three children toured a day care center built by her charity Monday as critics slammed the star's attempt to adopt a second child from this poor African nation and a judge delayed a ruling in the case until Friday.

Some child advocacy groups say the 50-year-old pop star's plans to adopt a young Malawian girl have been fast-tracked because of Madonna's money and status. One accused her of acting like a rich "bully."....."Mercy James is a child who has her extended close family members alive and we urge Madonna to assist the child from right here," a statement from the coalition said.

Mabvuto Bamusi, the coalition's national co-ordinator, said they were asking the court to uphold the country's laws and to "fully" assess Madonna's second adoption bid.

"Celebrities adopting children are merely taking advantages of weaknesses in our country," he said.

Malawian law is fuzzy on foreign adoptions. Regulations stipulate only that prospective parents undergo an 18- to 24-month assessment period in Malawi, a rule bent when Madonna was allowed to take David to London.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4Wxukw37tBz-Ycz1eS7Iitk8VtQD978HIMO0

Queen of pop Madonna’s plans of adopting another child from Africa may have been foiled by her having a fling with 22-year-old Brazilian model Jesus Luz and by her hook-up with baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

Madge, 50, who wants to adopt 3-year-old Mercy James, has come under the scrutiny of Malawi’s adoption officials, and they have very strict rules when it comes to adopting.

“Our official policy is that we do not encourage our children to be sent into broken homes,” the New York Daily News quoted a senior official from Malawi’s Ministry of Women and Child Welfare Development, as saying.

“(Madonna’s] relationships may negatively affect the adoption of Mercy.

“The news she is linked to another woman’s husband and a young man less than half her age makes us question her morals,” the official said.

http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/madonna-madges-fling-with-jesus-luz-hookup-with-a-rod-may-doom-her-adoption-plans-2009033013627

You know, there are a lot of kids who have special needs that someone like Madonna could help. American kids, British kids....kids that aren't "perfect" or "designer babies." She could adopt two or three of them, and really make a difference. She could even get some in "curry flavor" if she'd like, or perhaps a cute little Asian to round out her "collection."

Of course, some little kid who maybe limps or drools a bit or who needs to get around in a wheelchair isn't "perfect." And if you're going to have a little Rainbow Village, you want all your little Rainbow Colors to be perfect, I guess.

I don't think this kid should be removed from her culture, particularly when she has a grandmama who loves her. Madonna needs to stop this shit. So do Brangelina. They're children, not toys. Not "accessories."

If she cares about them so much, so unselfishly, help them without wanting to OWN them.

[cynatnite]

10. Why did you put the bit about broken homes in your post?

What's the implication? That's a reason for Madonna not to be allowed to adopt?

There is so much hypocrisy here at DU it makes me wonder why I even bother with this place anymore. There was a time when majority of DU would celebrate someone's willingness to adopt rather than add to the overpopulation of the planet.

[MADem]

11. Uh...because it was in one of the STORIES I quoted? You know, from the newspapers?

Why don't you read the cites before you start carping at ME about what they say.

The Malawi government doesn't like broken homes. Go whine to THEM if you don't like it.

Shit, I get irritated when people don't bother to read the sources before they start in on someone. It's sheer laziness on your part. If it's too much trouble to check the links, don't bother chiming in with implied implications about why "I" did something.

If anyone's a hypocrite, it's you. Try reading before you gripe next time--maybe you'll be taken more seriously. I certainly didn't say anything about "adding to the population of the planet" either--you pulled THAT out of your ass, too. I suggested that Miss Ciccione adopt a disabled child from the US or UK--but then, you plainly didn't read THAT either.

You owe me an apology. I won't hold my breath, though.

[ddeclue]

12. Yawn she is worth $850 million dollars, The GDP of Malawi is $2.1 BILLION.

She is worth more than 1/3 of the annual total output of goods and services in Malawi - she could be doing a hell of a lot more and tooting her own horn about it a hell of a lot less. Her "charity" is just an advertising expense for the Madonna Marketing Machine.

[GreenTea]

15. And excellent tax write offs!

[Cid_B]

13. Honestly...

The main reason I dont like her is all I can think about is some poor bastards grandmother hopping around on stage like a whore. There is such a thing as grace and it sure ain't her. *looks for the vomit emote*

[Warpy]

14. She's an old broad who can still strut her stuff

and that makes her just fine by me.

I'm glad she's got charities, but it's not essential.

I hire her as an entertainer, not as a paragon of virtue or couture.

[DS1]

16. The fact that people have time to bitch about Madonna is sad

[ddeclue]

18. Indeed it is.. If I could find a job I wouldn't be on the DU in the middle of the day..

:argh:

Thanks for thinking of me though...

[sandyj999]

19. I'm just happy she's wearing clothes. n/t

[LanternWaste]

20. World of Warcraft's annual revenues exceeded one billion dollars last year

World of Warcraft's annual revenues exceeded one billion dollars last year, yet we continue to play games.

Annual revenue for NBC-Universal was $ 15,416,000, yet we continue to watch their shows.

The Gap earned $249,000,000 last quarter, yet we still wear their sweats.

Birckenstocks' annual revenue was 3.9 billion, yet people still buy the overpriced (but oh-so-trendy) footwear.

But we won't complain about these companies as we play those games, watch those shows and wear the trendy sandals.



However, allow a person with this type of disposable income to engage in a good deed, and our claws come out, our Inference Machine goes into overdrive, and our dignity and honor fully revealed to all and we quickly advertise the petulant, jealous little sheep we really are.

...ever-so-quickly though, as we really must get back to the game and level up-- because *we* know what real priorities are-- and those priorities have nothing to do with orphans in third world countries...

[ddeclue]

22. Umm FALSE PREMISE... I DO complain about these companies when they try to tell me how wonderful and

altruistic they are. I ridicule their commercials all the time as I am sure many here do.

I think WoW is stupid altogether and most of what is on NBC is now that they've become a conduit for reality TV crap.

I've never owned anything sold at the Gap OR Birkenstock and by comparison to Madonna's wardrobe, these would be reasonable places for her to shop.

FAIL...

Doug D.

[LanternWaste]

23. good thing I didn't target you...

good thing I didn't target you...

And an even better thing that your altruism knows fewer bounds than those you harp on about.

Not fail. Not pass. Just an opinion... but if you're better validated by that, by all means.

[ddeclue]

25. you are making false assumptions about our motives

not just mine.

[LanternWaste]

27. Just those who did/do everything I mentioned

Just those who did/do everything I mentioned. If you don't, then you're obviously not the target.

"you are making false assumptions about our motives..."
Much like we are making about Madonna's... six of one, half a dozen of the other.

[Ex Lurker]

24. I have no use for celebrities in general

but she's just generally annoying, she doesn't arouse outright hostility in me the way some celebrities do.

[tonysam]

26. She Can Do What She Wants Just So Long

as she doesn't bare her hideous arms, which wouldn't look good on a man.

What an eyesore. And yes, I am female and have about three years on her.

[ddeclue]

28. Her arms??

:shrug:

Why is that anybody's business?

I don't care about that..