Entertainment - Reuters
Hackers Have Field Day with Madonna Decoy
Sun Apr 27, 3:56 PM ET
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By Chris Marlowe

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Anyone who thinks they can control the Internet received an object lesson during the past week.

Photo
Reuters Photo



It all started when Madonna (news - web sites) literally lent her voice to a popular antipiracy technique. Warner Music Group had audio files purporting to be her new songs uploaded onto peer-to-peer file-sharing services. Anyone who downloaded the decoys, however, heard nothing but the pop star swearing at them. But since then, the pithy profanity has taken on a life of its own.

Some observers thought Madonna was smart to fight piracy with its own tools. Others perceived a thrown gauntlet -- hackers soon defaced Madonna's Web site with an equally profane retort along with several downloadable files of the then-unreleased songs. The defacement also carried a marriage proposal to Morgan Webb, an associate producer and on-air presenter at TechTV who had nothing to do with the prank.

A third group saw a creative opportunity. "What the f--- do you think you're doing," Madonna's now-infamous phrase, is turning up in dozens of remixes and the computer-aided musical collages known as cutups or mashups.

Independent music community DMusic is now hosting a competition for the best Madonna-based track, with the first prize being a "boycott-riaa (news - web sites)" T-shirt and stickers.

Links to other related tracks are being put together at http://www.iriXx.org/madonna/ and other sites.

"Madonna was trying to put one over on the kids ... and they in turn wanted to let her know that she's not in as much control as she thinks she is," Webb said, adding that "coke, anger and boredom" were also possible motivators.

Madonna's "American Life" was released Tuesday and is predicted to enter Billboard's charts at No. 1, albeit with sales considerably lower than that for her previous album "Music."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

This also appeared in the Hollywood Reporter and several other places...

Well now! Score another one for the good guys.

I'd like to see Lars and James try the same shit. Then we'll see what happens with Metallicrap...

Stupid is as Madonna does.

Your right thumbtack, but the hollywood reporter is mentioned at the end of it.

Its all over it was picked up by Reuters so its everywhere. Yahoo news, Excite, On Reuters news site, Iwon, anywhere that uses the Reuters newsfeed.

Wot's that, Cap'n? You need MORE POWER!? I'ma givin' 'er all she's got, Cap'n!

CNN picked it up!!! Yaaaaaaaay!!!!! Oh wait, it's CNN.

Little do many DMusic members remember, Madonna actually worked with (us) back in the day to promote her new album (the old DMusic administration).

We held a trivia contest and gave away several copies of her new CD which were autographed by her.

For her defense, she was one of the few artists that showed love to this very same community now trashing her by facilitating this contest and talking trash.. It appears that's all in the past now however.. little does anyone remember it or how she stepped up to work with this community when she certainly didn't have too before.

I know she had some kind words to say about some of the graphics I created for this contest, and was very positive about the results over all with Angelo Sotira (Then CEO of DMusic, who was working with AMG, Artist Management Group at the time).

The artists are rightfully concerned with piracy.. Do not hate them for being concerned. While I don't condone her actions (or perhaps the labels push for her to do this), I do wish people wouldn't be so quick to hop on the bandwagon to bash someone (which is so easy to do on the internet.. and so childish at the same time).

It's always important to take a step back and see the situation from all the perspectives before throwing a stone..

For what it's worth, some old relic samplings of some of the promotional graphics for the contest are available here... http://staff.dmusic.com/x/madonna/ & http://www.deviantart.com/view/6394

Somebody here please put on the article about Apple and there new pay service and having 200000 files.
Thanks

All this does though is still make Madonna 1# on the charts. But, funny all the same.

PS: not for nothing, but, Madonna is now too Anti for my liking and has a very big mouth that she should learn to shut, open mouth, insert foot. She gets what she deserves, it's called payback.

Why? Who truely gives a rip about apple. no offence, but i took a poll @ school, and everyone said they would stick with KaZaA Lite, rather than pay a small fee for files, personally i'm into the gnutella network itself and the music is just a kick back.


btw. who is the CEO of Dmusic now, I feel that I've missed something major that happened rescently... thanks.

mtekk,
Thanks for your input, i am looking for more data and info than just a poll at your school. That is why i bring it up.
thanks

Madonna is a washed out has been. Her music is crap. She's an attention whore...always has been. And like Sinister said, she's to "anti". She demonstrated her right to free speech by releasing crap profane fake tracks. Now the tables have turned. That is, of course, unless she copyrighted (her label, rather) the profane terms she used.

" I do wish people wouldn't be so quick to hop on the bandwagon to bash someone (which is so easy to do on the internet.. and so childish at the same time)"

I hate to equivocate, but "childish" in my eyes is an artist uploading tracks with "What the f--- do you think you're doing" embedded in them, no?

"It's always important to take a step back and see the situation from all the perspectives before throwing a stone.."

Good advice. Very good advice. Perhaps artists and record companies should listen along with us. (Again, sorry for the equivocation)

One thing is for sure...SinisterX is right. This will just help her album hit #1 on the charts. No publicity is bad publicity.

-X- I understand what you are saying and I can agree in part that the bashing can get out of hand. Madonna did bring this on herself though. While she may have worked with DMusic in the past, she is not doing so right now. She directed a vulgar statement at anybody who downloaded her song, as opposed to the much classier version done earlier stating the albums release date (linkin park I believe).

The remix contest is a much more positive way to retaliate than the illegal hacking of her website. There will always be people out there that jump out of line and attack for the sake of attacking. I think the contest is a good thing and I hope that the publicity helps increase the number of entries and possibly changes Madonna's views, especially if she is educated on the fact that downloaders tend to buy more CD's.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=769&ncid=762&e=7&u=/nm/20030428/music_nm/music_britain_dc

you may have to copy and paste the link into your browser. This is from the yahoo news entertainment article. I just came from there.

I still find it funny, how an Anti can capitalize on the onething they claim to have hated, the war.

I don't believe that because Madonna did some little promotional contest with Big D back in the olden days she should be given a free pass with this rather aggressive attempt to foil the p2p networks. DOZENS of big-label albums have been spoofed (and I would assume they are fairly effective at spoiling the casual user's experience). NONE of them until now have resorted to launching some looped tirade with profanity at the end user.

I disagree totally with -X- in that I DO allow for an artist to defend themselves from a perceived threat, but her behavior in this manner is rat-lousy. -X- what if you had a 9 year old daughter who adored pop music (like most 9 year old girls do) What if this daughter tried to get some of Madonna's music (because what 9 year old has a budget that includes 20 dollar impulse record buys?) and now she has a very good understanding of the word "fuck"

Madonna acted reprehensibly and as such, flame away all!

I never said I condone her actions, I specifically said I did not condone her actions and simply asked that people not jump on the bandwagon to bash someone so quickly on the web. I was just pointing out to the people that she has been kind enough to work with this very community before, I certainly thought that should be noted for the record (as I am sure many people had no clue).

Please don't be quick to jump and bash on me for trying to point this out from a non-biased stand point in addition.

Thank you,
-X-

hey madonna, we all feel really sorry for your rich ass. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so thrilled when I heard about Madonna dropping her cuckoo's egg into the Kazaa networks. Like many others, I saw this immediately as remix fodder.

So, I have remixed it, and I am hearing many other terrific remixes here on dmusic.com and elsewhere. Perhaps this is a fine example of the maxim, "when life throws lemons at you, make lemonade."

I am hoping she'll flip out about this whole WTF reaction in some interview, and we can use that footage for a follow-up mash-up.

Sorry -X- I didn't meant that to sound like I was bashing you. I was just giving what I though was a levelheaded response as to why her response drew such an outcry. Some bashing always goes too far but the criticisms of her are justified.

Madonna doesnt care about her fans she only cares about the $$$$$$.

few artist care about anything but cash (not dmusitions of course) this is kinda funny, she gets publicity and so does her new enimy.

well, no real losers there then huh? but a damn good point waz made

damn. i'd never waste drive space let alone music space with her.

anyone wanna buy "the immaculate collection" of me, dont worry i havent copied it - listening to it makes me

also, i have original tapes to the first 4 Metallica albums. still, paid good money for them, needed some doorstops anyway

oh my god, she was here? before me????

all p2p users should look at this info:

www.k-lite.tk

and of course "zeropaid.com"

Awesome!

...and of course that album is available for download anyway. Why they even bother with these spoofs, I don't know.

I agree with Frawggy that this was a childish way for her to retaliate. But at least it's consistant with the music industry's PR campaign of pissing off the fans.

Did Madonna post those withOUT the parental advisary? Is that illegal to purposely disclude the warning? Where do we report her for being a criminal?

I enetered the contest. I cant help but wonder just how many innocent children 10-12/years old, dled it and heard, Mad Madonna cussing at them for no reason?

I'm making a few more remixes of her wtf and putting it up on my website later.

I heard Madonna was on nightline last night. Don't think she's heard about the remixes yet. Heh.

From VampireMoon1369:
Date: April 30, 2003 @ 12:31 PM
Did Madonna post those withOUT the parental advisary? Is that illegal to purposely disclude the warning? Where do we report her for being a criminal?

I agree there's something there, it has no warnings and no markings that there's a parental advisory. Of Course they might have figured something out about that too legally.

They slick.

Having never spent a dime anything the "Material Girl" schleped over the years I feel somewhat vindicated by her little outburst. If we as consumers collectivly STOP buying any of thier crap...this all goes away. Only buy Indies!! All else is ones and zeros, and you cant patent those.

I just did a global search of news and information about the Madonna WTF remix project, and it seems that news sites and blogs the world over are linking to dmusic.com directing people to check out the remixes. By now I think Madonna should not be peeved about having her site hacked and her "what the fuck" sample being turned into a lot of new music. Even controversy is publicity.

-X-, Mike, this actually started out as boycott-riaa.com contest, the press saw a link to the files hosted on the boycott.dmusic.com website. They assumed (incorrectly) that the contest was a Dmusic contest. Once it hit Reuters it was too late to let the press know. As a result it was aproved for here as well.

I linked it directly to my website. so maybe more peeps will come here or to the wft remixes. hehe.

seems that dmusic no longer has a link to the contest on it's home page. Maybe it's just my browser.

yeah i was watchin Tech TV when i saw Dmusic on the bottom of the ticker. I was like woah we in there!

My most popular download is my Madonna wtf remix. I now have her uncensored version of her American Life Video on my site as well.

sinisterx.com

This whole thing makes me sick. "SO MUCH" misinformation and stupity. The "ONLY" way that the record industry can get what they want is make it so that computers could not record sound. File sharing is at the very heart of the internet. Hard drives are getting bigger and better. Even if you were to abolish mp3's, there are other formats----waves (which are better anyway). There are too many companies making too much money on mp3 players just for people to download music-----and no questions that???? The recording industry cannot when this. If they did, the internet and all computer technology would be set back sooooo far. The fact is that this IS a very differant world than it was when record companies created copy right laws. IT IS A DIFFERANT WORLD NOW!!!! Madonna owns certain things that of course would make her do this. This is the dying gasp that we all heard when wood was replaced by steel for car wheels----the old ways just don't always work with new technologies. This is not a new concept. I believe that the best way for groups to spread their name is still the radio and will become the internet. There just will no longer be a need for record labels.....these people know this and are fighting change that certainly WILL take place.

We are in the Sunday New York Times!!!!

Not on the website until tomorrow, I guess, but it's in the Art & Leisure section I got today. Amazing.

Kick mother fucking ass!

Here it is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/arts/music/04PLAY.html

Madonna's Album: Saved by the D.J.'s?
By JON PARELES

MADONNA REMIXED (downloadable at http://boycott.dmusic.com) Despite the joyless narcissism of Madonna's album "American Life," she still provides entertainment value, perhaps inadvertently. She seeded file-sharing networks with decoy titles that consisted of her sneering, "What the [expletive] do you think you're doing?" It was a perfect vocal hook for remixers, who have added rhythm tracks and other tomfoolery, making techno, trance, house and more abstracts tracks with it. Planned or not, it's the kind of free-range collaboration the Internet was made for.
-------------------------------------

Totally amazing.