It’s hard to be an older female artist. Look at the sexist snark thrown at Madonna | Nancy Jo Sales

As a longtime fan, I've come to see that whatever she's being criticized for, that's what she's asking us to examine

I'll never forget an interview with the singer Henry Rollins I saw years ago. He was talking about Madonna - he's long been an outspoken fan - and he said: When you're sleeping, she is working."

Over the last 40 years of an amazing career, Madonna has gained a reputation as one of the hardest-working people in show business. Her intense work ethic was seen again recently when she put the cast of her now shelved biopic through a grueling bootcamp", which reportedly included training sessions lasting up to 11 hours a day.