Madonna's controversies

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American pop singer Madonna has proven to a highly controversial figure, inciting debate over her twenty-year career, from her performance at the first MTV Video Music Awards to hanging on a cross during her Confessions Tour.

Contents 1 Like a Virgin Era (1984-1985) 2 True Blue Era (1986-1988) 3 Like a Prayer and Pre-Erotica Era (1989-1991) 4 Erotica and Bedtime Stories Era (1992-1995) 5 Ray of Light Era (1996-1999) 6 Music Era (2000-2002) 7 American Life Era (2003-2004) 8 Confessions on a Dance Floor Era (2005-present) 8.1 David Banda adoption 9 References

[edit] Like a Virgin Era (1984-1985)

The album (and song) Like a Virgin was controversial when it was released in 1984 due to its sexual themes. Madonna performed the first single, "Like a Virgin" at the first MTV Video Music Awards, where she wore a white wedding dress and her iconic boy-toy belt, and shocked the audience when she simulated masturbation with her veil.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna's choice in clothing was being sold in retail stores across America which added to parents frustration because girls everywhere where ripping their clothing and showing off their midriffs. Boy Toy belts where the rage and Madonna was confronted with groups asking what she means by it. Madonna released a statement saying it was tongue and cheek. Lace gloves, bustiers and religious jewelry where being worn in schools much to the dismay of teachers and parents.

"Dress You Up", another song from Like a Virgin, was included on the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen" list for its perceived sexual content. As well, nude black and white pictures of Madonna appeared in Penthouse and Playboy, all taken during the 1970s when an unknown Madonna had posed for art students to make ends meet, which caused a swell of publicity.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna also had made a b-movie, her first in 1979, called A Certain Sacrifice by director Stephen Jon Lewicki. In it she playes the character Bruna and has a nude scene. The film was released in 1985 to capatilise on Madonna's fame. Madonna tried to buy the rights to it but was turned down. She also tried to ban the film from being seen but failed. The film caused controversy because of the scenes involving her "slaves". Rumour started that Madonna had made a X- rated adult film when it was deemed more art house with no actual sex scenes talking place.

[edit] True Blue Era (1986-1988)

Even though her next album, True Blue, was more mature than her previous, the first single Papa Don't Preach sparked controversy because Madonna's speaker was a pregnant teenager determined to raise her unborn child. Despite the controversy, she got praise from some critics for discussing a taboo subject and her support of keeping a child instead of undergoing abortion.^{[citation needed]}

The third single "Open Your Heart" was a U.S. number-one, entering the charts in the winter of 1986. In the music video, Madonna portrays an exotic dancer who befriends a young boy. This video was originally supposed to be directed by Madonna's then husband Sean Penn, but in the end the final honours went to Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Groups where outraged at the use of a minor entering a strip club and sharing a kiss with Madonna at the end. Madonna described the video as a statement about innocence. The video also featured colorful characters watching Madonna dance which had many people wanting the video played during later hours.

In 1987, the Pope urged fans not to visit Madonna's performances in Italy during her Who's That Girl Tour; the Vatican also expressed rage against at thirteen-foot statue of Madonna in Pacentro.^{[citation needed]} The tour sold out in minutes which helped make it a sold out world tour in every venue.

The film Who's That Girl was originally titled "Slammer" until Madonna decided to use Who's That Girl as the film's theme song. The song went to #1 on the Billboard chart in August 1987. It is rumored that the title was changed out of sympathy for Madonna's then husband Sean Penn who was going to be facing jail time for beating up paparazzi; which was stirring a lot of controversy for the then married couple. They where called the poison Penn's by the press and Sean Penn's drinking did not go unnoticed. Madonna was caught in the middle having to bail him out many times.

In late 1988 Madonna was in New York performing the play Speed The Plow, her first Broadway play, and began a friendship with openly bisexual comedian Sandra Bernhard. The two where reported to be flirting out in public and at known lesbian bars like the Cubby Whole which was rumoured to outrage her then husband Sean Penn. Sandra Bernhard was a guest on the popular show Late Night with David Letterman and she brought on Madonna. The two were dressed exactly the same, white shirt with cut off jean shorts, and hinted at a relationship as well as Sandra sleeping with Sean Penn. The press where writing that Madonna was now a lesbian or at least bisexual. No explanation was ever given. Madonna in the late nineties appeared on the cover of gay magazine The Advocate saying she was not a lesbian.

[edit] Like a Prayer and Pre-Erotica Era (1989-1991)

Madonna's fourth album, Like a Prayer, sparked new controversies due to the title track's video combination of religious and sexual imagery, including Madonna kissing and making love to Saint Martin de Porres, which the press dubbed "the black Christ", burning crosses, and stigmata. Pepsi, who had signed Madonna on to be their new spokesperson, dropped her when customers began associating Madonna's video with the company; Madonna, however, was able to keep her $5 million fee due to breach of contract. Some were not offended by the video's imagery, however; many praised Madonna for her video's message against racism and rape.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna also filed for divorce from her first husband, Sean Penn, before her Like A Prayer album came out. A song from the album titled Till Death Do Us Part is about a woman in an abusive relationship which had many wondering if Madonna is singing about her own relationship. Madonna also made headlines before the divorce because she had filed papers with the Beverly Hills sheriff siting that Penn had abused her. The press and information chronicled in many Madonna Unauthorised biography's wrote that she was abused for six hours by Penn and then later let go. Neither party has said anything about that night. The papers were withdrawn from Madonna.

Madonna's "Express Yourself" video also found criticism for its use of S&M imagery, with Madonna chained to a bed, as well as symbolizing women as cats. Some found that the image portrayed women as inferior.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna's huge hit "Vogue" also saw some controversy when the video displayed her breasts (though not her nipples) beneath her sheer blouse in one scene; MTV ultimately chose not to censor the video. Madonna then embarked on her groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour, which again caused controversy due to its combined use of sex and Catholicism. The Pope once again called for the boycotting of Italian shows, and one was eventually canceled. Police in Toronto also threatened to arrest the star unless Madonna removed the infamous simulated masturbation scene when she performed "Like a Virgin", though they eventually backed down. The tour also introduced Madonna's infamous cone-bra. In 1991, Madonna also released Truth or Dare, a documentary displaying live footage from the Blond Ambition Tour, and included Madonna simulating oral sex on a bottle, recounting adolescent lesbian exploration, and exposing her breasts.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna released her first greatest hits album in 1990 with The Immaculate Collection, which included Madonna's highly controversial new track, "Justify My Love". The black and white video displayed nudity, homosexuality and mild sado-masochism. It became Madonna's first video to be banned by MTV. ABC's Nightline played a part in the banning of the video when they reviewed the controversies of the video. Canadian music channel MuchMusic banned the video from regular roation but did play the video in its entirety on a program called Too Much For Much. To counter MTV's banning, Madonna released a VHS version of the music video, and sold over one million copies in the US. The video now airs on MuchMoreMusic in light rotation and by request.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna made a commercial for MTV's Rock The Vote Campaign in which she appears in a red bikini with two gay back up dancers from her sold out Blond Ambition Tour. In the commercial she is wrapped up in an American Flag and has changed the lyrics to her hit song Vogue to "Come on Vote". American groups were again outraged for her use of the flag: a prop on her half naked body. Many wanted an apology but no statement was released.

In the late nineties Madonna was rumoured to have AIDS which made everyone take notice and made Madonna very angry at the accusation. The press were told that the person starting such a rumour would be held liable for defamation of character and Madonna released a statement saying she did not have aids and if she did she would be more afraid of how people would be treating her rather than how the disease would be affecting her health. She was given and award by AMFAR where she sparked a minor controversy because of her date, Luke Perry whom she kissed the two denied to be in a relationship Madonna adding on the Arsenio Hall show she does not date men that pose with guns on the cover of magazines. Luke Perry had posed for Vanity Fair Magaizine with said costume.

Penny Marshall cast Madonna in the movie A League Of There Own which was filmed on location in Evansville, Indiana. Madonna caused controversy there when she told a reporter that the worst part about the shoot was being stuck in Evansville, Indiana for six months. The community got together and filled a parking lot up with themselves lying down and spelling out, with there bodies Madonna with a circle and a line around it. The picture was taken from a helicopter and shown around the USA including most notably People magazine.

[edit] Erotica and Bedtime Stories Era (1992-1995)

Without a doubt her most subtle and understated period.

On October 21, 1992 Madonna released Sex, a coffee table-size book containing nude pictures of Madonna and several other celebrities; the book depicted acts of lesbianism, sadomasochism, anilingus, rape. The day before that Madonna released Erotica, and it became Madonna's first album to sport a Parental Advisory label. The title track received the most controversy, due to the video's strong sexual content; it was only aired three times on MTV. Her next single, "Deeper and Deeper", sparked controversy when it was revealed that her speaker was a young man dealing with feelings of homosexuality. Just four months after the release of Erotica, Madonna appeared in Body of Evidence, an erotic film that included nudity and simulated sexual acts. Critics believed Madonna went too far with the sexual themes in her projects and her popularity suffered because of it. The Erotica era is often agreed to be the most controversial period in Madonna's career.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna embarked on The Girlie Show Tour in 1993, which was viewed as her most controversial tour to date. In Puerto Rico, an uproar arose when Madonna rubbed the Puerto Rican flag between her legs on stage. A German politician called for a boycott of Madonna's only (already sold-out) German show in Frankfurt because of nudity and pornographic content on stage. Orthodox Jews also staged protests to cancel Madonna's first-ever show in Israel, which ultimately failed.^{[citation needed]} She also caused a stir in Australia where she was pictured handling a didjeridu which is supposed to not be played by woman.

In 1994, Madonna sparked more controversy when she appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman and uttered the word "fuck" thirteen times on the show, discussed lewd topics, and even gave Dave a pair of her underwear and told him to smell them.^{[citation needed]}

Later that year, Madonna received minor complaints over her video for "Take a Bow" when animal rights activists accused Madonna of glorifying bull fighting in the video.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Ray of Light Era (1996-1999)

After becoming a mother and spending a few years avoiding controversy, she ignited another controversy with her performance of "Ray of Light" at the MTV Video Awards in 1998. The World Vaishnava Association expressed anger when Madonna, who sported facial markings regarded as holy by Hindus, gyrated "in a sexually suggestive manner with her guitar player" while wearing a see-through blouse.^[1]

Another controversy arose regarding the "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" video when the papparazzi in the video chased Madonna on motorcycles in a manner eerily similar to that of Princess Diana's death a year earlier. Madonna's next single, "The Power Of Good-Bye" sparked controversy when some misinterpreted its ending, when Madonna walks into the ocean, leaving behind only her shoes, to mean that she had committed suicide; in actuality, the star claims that the ending signified re-birth.^{[citation needed]}

Madonna gained the part of the golden globe wining film Evita, which garnered her best actress. Before filming and during many people in Argentina, where the film was made, took to the streets and spray painted walls in the city to protest Madonna. Citizens felt she was unfit to play Evita. Many city walls where spray painted with for example: Madonna is a whore. Evita is a saint. Madonna described the experience as exhausting with all the press camped out. Madonna later created more controversy by releasing a statement saying that she was pregnant with her first child.

Madonna appeared on the Oprah show after the birth of her daughter Lourdes and was asked about allegations that she had a baby for press. Madonna said she was shocked and said only a man would say something like that. She was also asked about the controversy surrounding her ex-boyfriend Dennis Rodman who wrote a biography with a chapter describing his relationship with the singer. In it he cited that Madonna begged him to have his baby and that sex with her was, "okay nothing great". Madonna when told by Oprah that Dennis Rodman has since said he would like to apologise said, "really, well he better crawl from here to China."

[edit] Music Era (2000-2002)

Despite MTV's decision to censor parts of her video for Music, Madonna didn't have any controversy with her album of the same name until she released the video for "What It Feels Like for a Girl". The video showed Madonna as a con artist, driving an elderly woman around in a car she stole, tasering a man withdrawing cash from an ATM, shooting a silver water pistol at police officers, blowing up a gas station, and then crashing her car. The video was banned by MTV and VH1 after one airing.^[2]

[edit] American Life Era (2003-2004)

Another of Madonna's videos proved controversial from her 2003 album "American Life." The video to the title track included various graphic scenes of war including missile launches, stealth bombers, mushroom clouds, and suffering Iraqi children. Madonna and dancers also wore military attire on a fashion runway. At the end Madonna throws a grenade at a George W. Bush look-a-like. Madonna pulled this video and replaced it with a different version, which had her singing behind a background of various world flags. Madonna claimed she pulled the original video "due to the volatile state of the world, and out of respect for the armed forces." ^[3]

Madonna performed her next single "Hollywood" at the 2003 MTV VMAs after Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera performed her classic "Like a Virgin" in a manner reminiscent of her 1984 performance. Madonna then proceeded to kiss both Britney and Christina, which caused an uproar of controversy.

Madonna was sued in 2004 for using the copyrighted work of the late French erotic photographer Guy Bourdin in her music video for the American Life track "Hollywood." It was claimed she reenacted poses from at least eleven of the late photographer's erotic photos. Madonna settled the copyright lawsuit out of court.^[4]

[edit] Confessions on a Dance Floor Era (2005-present)

On July 2, 2005, Madonna performed for the Live 8 benefit concert. Before Madonna performed "Ray of Light," Madonna yelled out "Are you fucking ready London?" The BBC aired this unedited, which upset several people who watched the concert. The BBC later apologized for this and other instances of profanity aired during the benefit concert.^[5]

In May 2005 Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva sued Madonna in Belgian court over plaigairsm in the single from her 1998 Ray of Light album, "Frozen." Acquaviva claimed the track took several bars from his 1993 song "Ma Vie Fout L'camp (My Life's Getting Nowhere)." In November 2005 a Belgian judge ruled in favor of Acquaviva. Stores in the country had just fifteen days to remove all singles and albums containing the track. Furthermore, the judge issued all television and radio stations to stop playing the song, or face a 150,000 euro fine.^[6]

A track on Madonna's tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor, called "Isaac", sparked controversy when Israeli rabbis claimed the track referred to Rabbi Isaac Luria, arguing that Jewish law forbids using a holy rabbi's name for profit. Madonna denied the claims that "Isaac" referred to the rabbi, but to the name of the backup singer featured on the track.

Madonna once again was forced to edit one of her music videos to make it suitable for airplay. The video for her Confessions single "Sorry" included a scene where she makes a rude finger gesture that networks refused to air.^[7]

Controversy followed Madonna to her Confessions Tour when Catholics expressed outrage at her decision to be displayed hanging to a cross with a crown of thorns on her head while performing "Live to Tell". Furthermore, she angered the Vatican again when she invited Pope Benedict to view her performance in Rome. Outrage spread throughout Rome upon the arrival of Madonna's tour, sparking anger from various religious groups, and the Catholic Church called for Madonna's excommunication.^{[citation needed]}

In Moscow, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJC) urged all members to boycott her concert in Moscow on September 12, 2006.^[8][9]

German prosecutors threatened to open an investigation on charges of insulting religious beliefs over her mock crucifixion before her concerts in Dusseldorf, Germany. After seeing the performance, prosecutors decided not to open an investigation. They stated that although the performance may be "hurtful to religious people" she is protected by artistic freedom laws.^[10]

Religious Orthdox Russians staked posters of her, with many holding up banners saying "Death To The Anti-Christ." Security at the stadium was stepped up, and bomb sniffing dogs were sent out.^{[citation needed]}

A huge Madonna ad on the side of a scaffolding near Vatican City, shot for the H&M campaign, caused an uproar due to Madonna's Confessions Tour, mock crucifixtion. Calls were made for the ad to be taken down, but ultimately stayed in place.^[11]

[edit] David Banda adoption

This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

On October 10, 2006, Madonna filed adoption papers for a Malawian baby boy named David Banda (renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie^[12]), born September 24, 2005,^[13] during her trip to an orphanage in Malawi.^[14] After visas were obtained for the child, Banda was flown out of Malawi on October 16.^[15] The adoption has raised public controversy about whether special treatment was given to Madonna because of her celebrity status, considering Malawian law normally requires one year of residence for adopting parents. ^[16] Other adoption rights groups have noted that Madonna did not cut in line to adopt Banda, pointing out that only three visas were issued in 2005 for adopted children to leave Malawi.

Madonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on October 25, 2006, to refute the allegations. During the half-hour interview, the singer claimed that there are no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulate foreign adoptions and that she had been planning to adopt for two years. She also claimed that David had been in critical condition and was suffering from severe pneumonia after surviving malaria and turberculosis when she had found him in the orphanage. She was given an interim order for 18 months to fly David to England where he would receive medical treatment for his pneumonia and would be periodically checked up by a London social worker. In addition, Madonna blamed the media for "doing a great disservice to all the orphans of Africa, period, not just the orphans of Malawi," by discouraging people to adopt children from African nations. She stated, "I wanted to go into a Third World country - I wasn't sure where - and give a life to a child who might not otherwise have had one." [12] Oprah lauded her for her efforts to adopt David.

On Sunday October 22, 2006 it was reported that Yohane Banda, David Banda's birth father, didn't understand what adoption meant and that he didn't realize that he was giving up his son "for good." A few days later, after the Oprah interview, Yohane Banda said, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing." He is also reported to say, "They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband."[13] On November 1, 2006, Madonna responded to Banda's comments on a NBC Dateline interview by saying that Yohane Banda knew what he was doing considering that he refused to accept her offer to financially support him and David if he wanted to support and raise David on his own. Instead, Yohane Banda apparently did the opposite and told Madonna to take care of the child. Madonna also said that if she believed that David was well looked after in the orphanage or had any relatives visiting him, then she would have never thought about adopting him.

Human Rights Groups, and other critics, are concerned because Madonna appears to have skirted the Malawi laws which has a residency requirement for prospective parents. They point to the 3 million dollar pledge that Madonna has promised through her Raising Malawi charity.[14] Critics are also concerned because fraudulent international adoptions are a lucrative business [15] and Malawi is a "Tier 2- Watch List"[16][17] nation. Madonna responded to these comments on the November 1 Dateline interview by arguing that there are no written laws that regulate any foreign adoptions and that the current laws are based on outdated tribal customs. In an interview with Time Magazine on November 5, 2006, Madonna said, "And once the press got involved everyone said Oh God, now we better cross our t's and dot our i's to make sure we actually aren't jumping queues, because we're going to be scrutinized. So the process became extremely tedious and the court dates kept changing and we kept getting conflicting information. It became so difficult that every day I thought, 'Ok, forget it. We'll find a family here to look after him'...But it was one fucking thing after the next, everywhere we went. So the idea that people think I got a shortcut or an easy ride is absolutely ludicrous. I have never worked so hard for anything in my life, and I've never been given such a hard time. And my celebrity has worked against me in every way... 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."

She says she has followed every legal procedure in order to adopt David. Because of David's deteriorating health and need for modern medical treatment, David couldn't remain in Malawi. Madonna was given an interim order for 18 months to be able to take care of David's health. Because of Malawi law, she remains a foster parent for the required 18 month period.

[edit] References