Madonna sat down for a chat with Brian Williams of the TODAY show and he didn't lob softballs at the Material Girl. He asked Madge about the challenges of life as a single mom and how she felt about the photos of her daughter Lourdes smoking

These photos were splashed all over the tabloids a few weeks ago, and guess what? She wasn't happy about it. No surprise there.

Williams mentions 'MDNA' bowing at No. 1, then plummeting down the charts the following week, asking if maintaining her status as the entity around pop and as a single mom are proving to be a challenge.

"It must be hard because I complain all the time," she said with a laugh. "We all have our challenges. To be a single mother of four and to work as much as I do, since I live my life in a metaphorical fishbowl, it's pretty challenging. So far I've survived with sanity and humor in tact." That's all anyone can do, Madge.

When asked if there are two Madonnas, she joked that there are 25, but the only version her kids see is "the one who comes home and says, 'Have you done your homework?' and 'Why are you wearing that?'" Bet Madge didn't think she'd be the doting mother when she was wearing cone bras and armfuls of rubber bracelets in her Boy Toy era.

As for the photos of Lourdes huffing on a cancer stick? Ma-donna was not pleased. While she first said "I don't think I’m as tough as I should be. I need to be tougher. Every day is a negotiation" about being the matriarch and disciplinarian, she then said, "But cigarette smoking I’m not very fond of — for anyone. I don’t approve of anyone smoking cigarettes — most of all my daughter."

But what about her 'Girl Gone Wild' video, where she is shown smoking? Madge said she doesn't smoke herself and it was an accessory. Okay, so even though it was fake, doesn't it still send a message that smoking is okay? It's a slippery slope and we're not going there, but we bet Madge laid down the law with Lourdes about the habit.

Watch Madonna on TODAY

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