No Rock And Roll Fun

THE LATE REVIEW: LL Cool J has found an unusual way of letting it be known that he's available for judging the 2005 Booker Prize - by defending Madonna's childrens books:

I don't know why people didn't like Madonna's books, maybe they don't think it's a valid art form, maybe they don't like kids. Why not be rich and famous and take time to inspire kids? That would embarrass whoever said you cannot do it! I don't understand it at all!"

Let's try and help you out there, Mr. J: what people are criticising is not the concept of writing children's books - indeed, the success of Rowling, Pulman and Haddon shows that it is seen as a perfectly valid artform. And, no, it's not that they don't like children. Indeed, quite the opposite: they like kids so much, they're ashamed that any poor child should be forced to read Madonna's over-simplistic, poorly thought out, emotionally stunting tales. It's not that people think that Madonna shouldn't be writing children's books; the problem is Madonna's apparent belief that she's able to.