Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone, Wendy Leigh
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Book Reviews of Life with My Sister Madonna
Book Review: All the Things We Never Talked About...
Summary: 5 Stars
Christopher explains how he comes from a very religious family that never talked about anything... Especially after their mother's death. Madonna held reign. Simply, she had their mother's name and her father saw her mother in her eyes and face. Madonna never had to be accountable, because this was a family that didn't talk. They were sent, instead, to the church, for confession.
The new stepmother was intimated by Madonna. And then, there was the problem of the stolen Angel Food Cake - who took it? Any brother such as Christopher, who would be willing to take a week's-long punishment for a cake he didn't steal? can't be all bad.
Madonna invited him into her secret life on the premise that she also knew he had a secret... He was gay. This is a story about how things come full-circle in people's lives. Christopher blindly trusted his sister for most of his life, due to the fact that he saw, and still does, see her as being a Good Catholic Girl. Christopher tells his own story, of meeting Madonna in New York, going out to clubs with her, being invited to dance by her side in her first video, Luck Star. He was there for all the early tours as her left-hand man, traveling the world with her to make sure she was safe. She also had him design her shows and decorate 8 of her houses. Other biographers and Madonna, herself, will have you believe that Madonna was a maverick of her own self-invention. No one really paid attention to her brother backstage (unless to think of him as Madonna's Brother, a shadow of her). Now you know the truth.
Sure, throughout his 20's and 30's, Christopher made enough money to survive on. He didn't care because he loved his sis and was having a great time!
Imagine how he must of felt when Truth or Dare was being made... And Madonna outed him publicly to the entire world as an alleged alcoholic and a definite homosexual.
Imagine what it must have been like to witness Madonna reveling in his ideas, taking personal credit for all the help and faith he was showing in their friendship. Madonna slowly eased him out of her existence by setting up arguments with him, refusing to PAY HIM a real salary. He made the mistake of presuming his sister was his best friend. Repeatedly.
Finally, imagine what it must be like to have to take second place to her husband, a homophobic, who attempts to run over your foot with his car. Then denies it.
All the things we never talked about... Christopher has now gotten down on the page and created a record that is long overdue.
Book Review: Loved it! But It Made Me Mad!
Summary: 5 Stars
I asked for this book for Christmas (everybody laughed at me) and started it last week. I couldn't put the damn thing down. Although my husband hates biographies, and anything to do with celebrity drama... HE couldn't put the damn thing down. This whole book was very intriguing, but very infuriating at the same time - from both sides. I never could have imagined that Madonna, the icon I grew up with the 80's was such a self-centered ass. Nor can I understand how Christopher could have allowed her to continue treating him so badly for almost three decades! It was like witnessing self-flagellation. I wanted to reach inside the book and throttle both of them.
I believe the details of the events described in the book are probably closer to the truth than they are to fiction. Christopher exposes Madonna on several of her half-truths just to make the point that celebrities take creative license on just about everything. But the fact that their own father and stepmother have read the book and are prepared to back him up - this should tell us something.
Big deal Christopher was doing recreational drugs in the 80's and 90's. I'm sure if Madonna were that judgemental about drugs with everyone else, she would have been shunned in the entertainment industry. We all have our issues with siblings, but extortion and blackmail shouldn't even be on the radar.
I loved the book. But I leave with disappointment. I loved it because it was something NEW that has never been written before about Madonna. Any other biography about her is going to contain the mythological half-truths that have been circulated for years, such as the 'story' that she arrived in the middle of Times Square with little more than $35 in her pocket. I'm sure Madonna would rather those biographies stay in circulation. I typically don't read autobiographies as they usually end up being self-serving, but this is kind of a hybrid of the two - it is Christopher's autobiography but offers an unbiased, insider look into the world of Madonna that even a renowned biographer would simply not be privy to.
I leave disappointed because growing up and even into adulthood, I've always admired Madonna for her gusto, her musical and dancing talent, as well as what I thought was a savvy business sense. After reading Christopher's book, I learned that all is not as it seems and I've certainly learned a lesson about idol worship.
Book Review: Money Money Money
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a huge Madonna fan and wanted to read how she made it to the top. I really like this book, but sometimes Christopher seems to focus too much on money.
He complains about Madonna not paying him enough, then he lists quotes from Forbes Magazine saying how many millions she made that year. Or quotes from millions she made from a concert or tour. But the biggest complaint is Madonna stopped treating him like a brother and more like hired help. This bothers Christopher, yet he doesn't quit. Why? Beacause he needs money!
He talks about being her back up dancer. He talks about how embarressed he is to be M's dresser for her tours (He does not tell his friends) She curses him out and swears to fire him if he doesn't 'hurry up!' He talks about Madonna surrounding herself around 'Yes' people all through her career. How Madonna doesn't like to be around other celebrities because then the she isn't the center of attention.
One story that sticks out for me is her weekend wedding to Guy in Scotland. Madonna owes Chris money for a job and instead of paying him, she deducts his airfare from what she owes him. TALK ABOUT CHEAP. At the dinners, Guys friends make gay jokes and references, which Madonna does not complain about. OUCH
One shocker is that Chris states 'Truth or Dare' is not real! Her conversation with Dad is staged. Chris telling Madonna about the police was real-but the director TOLD him to tell Madonna, Madonna's stories about childhood friend Moira were fake. Visiting their moms grave really pissed Chris off. He thought she went too far. I have to say I always liked the scene, it makes me cry and makes Madonna more human. Now I won't look at that scene the same again.
He says some pretty harsh things. He says she can't sing well and that she's a bad actress! OUCH!
Their working relationship is over when Guy comes into the picture. Chris does one final job for Madonna where he marks items up 30% (something designers do apparently?) Madonna finds out, calls him a liar and a thief, tells him "I made you, you're nothing without me-Don't contact me again" He then responds in an email where he blasts off all the things he had bottled up inside. (This part I find kinda funny!)
I hope he and Madonna can make peace one day and "Keep It Together" I'm sure that will be many years away.
Book Review: Intriguing!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I eventually got around to reading this book as I was quite intrigued by it. I've been a long time fan of Madonna and always found her to be quite a character throughout her career.
So this book gave me the chance to go behind the scenes with someone who was genuinely close to her. I always ignored the other unauthorized biographies. But I was careful at first when I approached Ciccone's book simply because from the outside it all looks like he has done all this from a bitter perspective.
In the end, I found the book to be bitter but fair nonetheless. He has given Madonna credit where credit is due but has called her out on things that are unacceptable no matter how rich and famous you may be. And there were certain parts when I wondered if he was thinking with his five senses. Like when he accuses Madonna of outing him without his permission when she did that interview for The Advocate in the early 90's. I'll give Madonna the benefit of the doubt on that one. I mean he went as far as saying that she needed to reconnect with her gay fans since she was becoming too heterosexually mainstream at that time and used him by outing him in such a public manner to prove that she was still with the gays. Quite honestly, I don't think that was the case. Madonna was still rolling with the Justify my love controversy and her big hit Vogue was only a few years prior! And you just don't get any gayer than that!
I also found it interesting how he skipped over certain parts in her life that must've been vital like the abortions that she herself admitted to having in several interviews. What about the Dennis Rodman love affair?? I was quite perplexed by that and would've loved his take on that.
All in all, it's a good entertaining read! If you're a hardcore Madonna fan then i'd suggest to let your guard down a little and approach this with an open mind and an open heart. Madonna is great artist but like all of us, she isn't perfect and has many faults. This is the chance for you to get an idea of what she must be like in real life. And if nothing is new to you in this book, then consider it a simple and valid confirmation from someone who would've given her an arm and a leg which probably was his only mistake in life.
Book Review: An eye-opener, but ultimately quite depressing . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
I felt sad for both Chris and his sister Madonna after reading this book. Despite all of the joy she brings to the world as an artist through her spectacular music and exuberant shows, the private Madonna makes every single person around her miserable with her ruthless insensitivity. The only person she can't push around is her husband, Guy. Christopher can't blame Guy for the deterioration of his relationship with Madonna. They had numerous disturbing issues long before Madonna even met Guy.
Christopher became just another enabler for Madonna, reinforcing her bad behavior by succumbing to it. They are both emotionally scarred individuals, stemming from the loss of their mother at an early age. Still, that is no excuse for Madonna to be a heartless sadistic monster (is it any surprise that she wore a fur coat made from hundreds of animals and once hunted birds for sport as an excuse to wear her "stylish" new hunting gear?); nor does it excuse Christopher for being a doormat. He would have been better off putting her in her place, abandoning the ostensibly glitzy lifestyle, and finding his own path in life.
The book is plainly written in an odd, present-tense narration. Christopher continuously interrupts the storytelling with his own negative opinions about Madonna (he clearly has very little esteem for her artistry). Many facts have been mixed up (e.g., Madonna was NOT singing "Holiday" while wearing the blonde afro wig in the Girlie Show; she was in a military costume for that song). But this was never meant to be an accurate historical account. Rather it is Christopher's redemption after a lifetime of humiliation and emotional abuse at his sister's hands. And on that level, he succeeds brilliantly. Madonna will never dare to hurt her little brother again.