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So the idea that people think I got an easy ride is ludicrous. I have never worked so hard for anything in my life, and I've never been given such a hard time. And by the way, say I did cut the queue. Say I did cheat and not have to wait two years to adopt a child. Well, good for me! Do you know how many children are going to die in the next two years? It's a stupid law. Change the law.
Do you worry that you've saved this child from physical misery only to introduce him to a much more abstract kind of misery? There were hordes of photographers documenting his arrival in England.
Well, my other children are exposed to that, and they're not miserable. I think I have a very good life and a good life to offer David. You know, it's like the old saying, civil rights don't mean s___ if you're dead. Even if I'm the worst mother in the world, I'm still better than death! [Laughs.]
Is being Madonna still as fun as it used to be?
Fun? Oh, I don't know. Fun. [Several-second pause.] Fun's kind of an overrated word. It's not smooth sailing by any means, but I enjoy a great deal of it; otherwise, I wouldn't do it. But I also know that if you're going to try and change things, you'd better be prepared to find yourself in the headquarters of hell. That's just how it works. There is a part of me that is secretly enjoying pissing people off, because I know that when you're pissing people off, you're often doing the right thing. What I hope I'm doing better now than I used to do is picking the right battles to fight and not just being provocative for the sake of being provocative.
For more questions and answers from Madonna's interview go to time.com