Maddman: The Steve Madden Story

Steve Madden's brother talks of the wild times he and his brother used to have when he lived in Miami in the 1970s. While waxing nostalgic, he talks of having numerous sexual liaisons with other women while married, and also makes reference to a sex act in which two men are having sex at the same time with one woman. Steve Madden's doorman talks of how Madden was always bringing women home while high on drugs, and tells the story of when Madden woke up from being passed out in the hallway completely naked and needed the key to get back into his apartment. When discussing Madden's stay in a federal penitentiary, a former inmate tells of the time he found Madden on the former inmate's bed seeking advice, when the former inmate informed him that sitting on another man's bed meant that "you want to be his boyfriend."

Frequent profanity, including regular use of "f--k." "Motherf----r," "s--t," "damn," "ass," "goddamn."

Anecdotes concerning Madden's teen and young adult years are filled with stories of drug and alcohol abuse. Cocaine and quaaludes are frequently discussed. Though anecdotes are spoken of in fond nostalgia, Madden ultimately gets sober and readily admits that when he did, that's when his business and life really started to take off.

Parents need to know that Maddman: The Steve Madden Story is a 2017 documentary about the successful shoe innovator and retail giant. Profanity is constant, including frequent use of "f--k." There's graphic discussion of Madden's teen and young adult years in which he abused drugs and alcohol -- especially cocaine and quaaludes. While discussing this time, Madden's brother speaks nostalgically about when he lived in Miami in the '70s and early '80s: of having numerous sexual liaisons while married, including a sex act in which two men have intercourse with a woman at the same time. However, Steve Madden also talks openly about how much his life improved when he realized he was an addict and became sober. While not presented as a saint, Steve Madden is shown to be someone who seems to learn from his mistakes -- including serving time in prison for stock manipulation and money and securities fraud. He used the experience to help inmates he met who helped him survive his sentence, supporting charities who help released inmates find work. The documentary shows what's possible if someone follows their passion, works hard at it, and perseveres.

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