Madonna Gives Advice on "Marriage Ref"
Madonna doesn't think a wife should withhold sex from a sloppy husband.
But she believes a wife should dispose of her late husband's prosthetic leg to spare the feelings of the wife's current mate.
This was some of Madonna's relationship advice Thursday when she joined actor-comedians Larry David and Ricky Gervais as a guest panelist on NBC's "The Marriage Ref." The singer also announced this week that she and her daughter were collaborating on a line of clothing for teens.
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The show invites its panel of "experts" to help analyze real-life disputes between married couples, mostly for laughs. Host Tom Papa, aka The Marriage Ref, makes the final call.
In one case, Mindy Goldman was offering sexual favors to Alan, her husband of 28 years, if he would clean up their messy basement.
A good idea? "I think it's weird that she wants him to be clean so that they can be dirty," cracked Madonna.
Gervais wondered, "Could they combine the sex with the housework?"
Then Susan and David Harper, married for three years, were seen in their house squabbling over possessions left over from their past relationships. Susan wanted her husband to get rid of the sofa where David and his ex-wife might have had hanky-panky, while David complained about Susan hanging on to the ashes and prosthetic leg of Don, her late husband.
Madonna's swift solution: "He gets rid of the couch, she gets rid of the leg."
"This is easily the most uncomfortable hour I've ever spent in my life," sighed Larry David in the midst of the debate.
"Why?" Madonna retorted. "Because you're sitting next to a woman who's standing up to you?"
The fiesty Rock and Roll Hall of Famer manages to raise eyebrows with everything from her comments to her wardrobe. Now the trend-setter is officially joining the ranks of the fashion world with the launch of her new clothing line appropriately named the "Material Girl" collection.
CBS Radio reports that the pop star and Iconix Brand Group on Wednesday, March 10, unveiled a joint venture to launch fashion brands globally, starting with a junior's collection to be sold at Macy's department stores this August.
The new collection was designed by the 51-year-old singer and her teenage daughter Lourdes Leon in collaboration with Iconix's in-house fashion department. Macy's Chief Merchandising Officer Jeffrey Gennette said the line will include clothes, jewelry and other accessories with prices starting from about $12.
Madonna's career may be on the rise, but "The Marriage Ref's" future is uncertain.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show, which is created and produced by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, has slid to number three in the ratings since its premiere last week.
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Last week's debut may have been boosted by a one-hour "The Office" lead-in and this week's episode may have suffered from the absence of Seinfeld on the panel.
"This time, "Ref" had to make do with "30 Rock" (5.9 million, 2.9)," THR reported. "CBS' "The Mentalist" (16 million, 3.4) won the 10 p.m. hour and ABC's "Private Practice" (7.9 million, 2.9) was in second place, with both shows posting gains of about 6 percent.
"On Thursday, the second week of "The Marriage Ref" (6 million viewers, 2.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) declined 21 percent in the ratings, falling from first to third place in the competitive hour."