Madonna Changes Name to "Esther"

Jahfin · Post by **Jahfin** » June 17, 2004 4:19 pm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Call her Esther: That's the Hebrew name Madonna has chosen for herself as a follower of Kabbalah.

"I was named after my mother. My mother died when she was very young, of cancer, and ... I wanted to attach myself to another name," the singer says in an interview on ABC's "20/20," airing at 10 p.m. EDT Friday. "This is in no way a negation of who my mother is ... I wanted to attach myself to the energy of a different name."

During the interview, Madonna wears the red string around her wrist that's a symbol of the Jewish mysticism, though she wears it beneath her watch. She says she's sensitive when critics suggest her interest in Kabbalah is just a trend.

"I'm a little bit irritated that people think that it's like some celebrity band wagon that I've jumped on, or that, say, somebody like Demi (Moore) has jumped on," the 45-year-old says. "We don't take it lightly. ...

"Paris Hilton did come to the Kabbalah Centre once, because her parents brought her ... and they wanted to help her and they were desperate and they brought her there and she had a meeting and she left and she never came back and suddenly, Paris Hilton studies Kabbalah. I mean that's what happens and people ... they don't know the whole story."

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » June 17, 2004 4:27 pm

I don't know why, but this makes me think of the video from "Like a Prayer."

That wacky girl!

MojosMama · Post by **MojosMama** » June 17, 2004 4:31 pm

Evolution can be mean
There's no dumbass vaccine

kurt · Post by **kurt** » June 17, 2004 4:53 pm

Whatever

... she's holding on to her 'look at me' image...

...'I was so attractive in the early 80's...'

'I reinvented myself and I love $$$$'

'I'm getting old and I need your attention!'

sailingagain · Post by **sailingagain** » June 17, 2004 4:55 pm

Madonna(Esther)......stick a fork in yourself, your done!

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » June 17, 2004 4:59 pm

kurt wrote:...'I was so attractive in the early 80's...'

She was?

irishcajunphan · Post by **irishcajunphan** » June 17, 2004 10:47 pm

I liked Madonna in the early years. Like a virgin, Material Girl, Papa Don't Preach, great songs for the eighties, but when she redid "American Pie" I lost all respect for her. Some songs just shouldn't be messed with I don't care who you are or think you are.

AndrewGill · Post by **AndrewGill** » June 17, 2004 11:38 pm

Dear god what will she do for publicity next!?!?!?!?

prrthd1987 · Post by **prrthd1987** » June 18, 2004 1:15 am

sailingagain wrote:Madonna(Esther)......stick a fork in yourself, your done!

Thanks! You said what all of us were thinking! But get this: my boss spent 400 dollars for A ticket to go see her. What a waste!

st.somewhere · Post by **st.somewhere** » June 18, 2004 1:28 am

Yeah, she's nasty!!

Starshine · Post by **Starshine** » June 18, 2004 7:22 am

I can't help but wonder if Madonna has even read the Book of Esther.

iuparrothead · Post by **iuparrothead** » June 18, 2004 8:46 am

kurt wrote:Whatever ... she's holding on to her 'look at me' image...

...'I was so attractive in the early 80's...'

'I reinvented myself and I love $$$$'

'I'm getting old and I need your attention!'

AGREED!!!!

But hell, I still paid $100 for a ticket to see her in a couple weeks!!!

"Material Girl" is my cell ringtone! I love her!!!

But the name Esther is just dumb...

phjrsaunt · Post by **phjrsaunt** » June 18, 2004 9:13 am

Now presenting...............

ESTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

guess "they" will have to reprint all those ticket stubs and concert bills now......but then again she's probably keeping "Madonna" for her "stage" name since that can generate more attention (read that as "dollars.") So her husband and family are supposed to start calling her "Esther" now? I'm sorry, but the whole thing sounds insincere and smacks of Public Relations to me. Is her next name going to be "The Artist Formerly Known as Madonna?" I'll bet you my lunch money that ten years from now she'll have either gone back to being "Madonna" or will have still another name. What kind of lesson does this teach her (and all) children? The name your parents give you isn't good enough??

Having said all this, she does put on a heck of a show. I even bought her first album (a CASSETTE tape!) when it came out. Back then, nobody had actually seen her yet, and there was speculation as to whether the girl singing these songs was Black or White. Memories.......

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » June 18, 2004 10:05 am

I love Madonna. She is queen of reinventing herself. Sometimes she has succeeded and sometimes it hasn't worked out so well. I guess we've predicted how this reinvention will work out for her.

I grew up listening to Madonna and I think she's great. She gets a little weird sometimes but she's not afraid to be herself. She's also a great mom and has done a great job of keeping her kids out of the tabloids. I might not have this much respect for her, but her series of children's books is really great. It gives me a way to enjoy Madonna with my kids.

Landlocked Pirate · Post by **Landlocked Pirate** » June 18, 2004 10:46 am

LIPH · Post by **LIPH** » June 18, 2004 10:52 am

sailingagain wrote:Madonna(Esther)......stick a fork in yourself, your done!

You might be right about that. Madonna's doing 6 shows at Madison Square Garden, one of them must have been last night because there were a lot of bimbos in training walking around Penn Station, and one of the NY papers said there are still 1000's of tickets available.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » June 21, 2004 11:53 am

irishcajunphan wrote:I liked Madonna in the early years. Like a virgin, Material Girl, Papa Don't Preach, great songs for the eighties, but when she redid "American Pie" I lost all respect for her. Some songs just shouldn't be messed with I don't care who you are or think you are.

I think boinking Sandra Bernhart AND Vanilla Ice, with Rosie O' Donnell holding the Handi-cam during the event was the point where I lost mine for her.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » June 21, 2004 11:56 am

st.somewhere wrote:Yeah, she's nasty!!

GOLLY!!!

She hasn't been able to pull this image off for a while...